Big East Insults Husky Fan Base
Are you a Connecticut Husky fan who #BleedsBlue for men and women’s basketball, football, soccer, hockey, etc.? If you want to watch the games, you’re going to need to sign up for Peacock, the streaming service, not the bird. This is going to cost you $10.99 per month for Peacock premium.
But these “biggest games” on Peacock are not inclusive of all other Husky games. To catch the rest of the games, you’ll also need a cable or streaming service package that includes FOX, ESPN, NBC, TNT, truTV, and FS1, and you’ll need an ESPN+.
Peacock, owned by NBC, is now the exclusive home of the Big East Women’s basketball tournament, meaning all 10 first-round, quarter-final and semi-final games, plus the championship games (from March 6-9, 2026) will only be available behind their paywall, and five Big East men’s basketball tournament games will only be available on Peacock — including three first-round games on March 11th and the afternoon quarter-final games (12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.) on March 12th.
The biggest games of the regular season are also on Peacock, including the UConn men’s much-anticipated showdown against Rick Pitino and St. John’s on February 25th, as well as men’s games against Butler (December 16), Providence (January 7 and 27), and Xavier (December 31 and February 13).
Also UConn women’s games against Ohio State (November 16) and Big East games with Marquette (December 17), Providence (December 31), Creighton (February 11) and Villanova (February 18).
If you were planning on ringing in the New Year with your beloved Huskies, that UConn doubleheader will also air on Peacock, with the women playing at Providence at 3 p.m., the men at Xavier at 5 p.m..
What is going on? Peacock (NBC) signed a six-year media rights deal with the Big East, which runs through 2030-31. The multifaceted deal also includes partnerships with FOX Sports and TNT Sports. Why did the Big East do this? Well, money of course, but they also feel it will give the Big East national coverage (can you say like SEC?).
Now what about the average Husky fan? First they moved Women’s Basketball from PBS (after 12 years) to cable. In order to see a Husky game you had so sign up (and pay of course) for SNY (Sports New York). Now we enter the age of Peacock.
Peacock streaming services that include FOX, ESPN, NBC, TNT, truTV, and FS1, and ESPN+, will mean you have to open that wallet (or take a second job) as the average cable bill runs customers about $150 per month, and with some of the channels listed above not on most basic cable packages, you’ll likely be paying about that if you want to watch the Huskies this season. Not to mention the near $25 a month for the extra streaming services, which means fans who want to catch all the games for multiple sports are looking at around a $175 per month commitment.
And you don’t even want to discuss Premier Soccer setting up the teams for the upcoming World Cup with me.
I admit I am disgruntled. As a taxpayer in the state, I pay high taxes with a portion of those taxes given to the University of Connecticut Athletic Department. “The state of Connecticut provides funding to the UConn athletic department through direct institutional support, which was $31.7 million in fiscal year 2024.” So says the Hartford Business Journal.
There is a dizzying array of streaming services, packages, and deals. I needed a Tylenol just to review them—and no, I have not yet signed up. What would I like to see? I would like to see all Connecticut residents being offered a discount on a streaming package so that we all can enjoy our Huskies!
