TCU basketball to make its debut on ESPN+ as it takes on Oklahoma on Saturday
TCU fans interested in watching Saturday’s men’s basketball game against Oklahoma will have to do so on the Big 12’s new streaming service — Big 12 Now — on ESPN+.
It’s the first time the Horned Frogs will play a game broadcast on the digital-based platform that requires a subscription for fans to watch. A subscription is required even if ESPN is included in someone’s regular TV package.
TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati is excited about the platform and feels the league is on the right side of technology going forward.
“The downside is there is a paywall and you have to buy a subscription,” Donati said. “But the other side is that’ll give us flexibility on when we can start our games. Overall, that’s a big plus.”
TCU will be able to start home basketball games on weeknights at 7 p.m. (Texas Tech on Tuesday, Texas on Jan. 29) compared to 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. if it was on one of ESPN’s main networks.
It’ll become a benefit during football season, too, with next year’s home opener against Prairie View A&M on Sept. 12 being a night game, rather than a day game in the heat.
Fans interested in subscribing can do so on the ESPN app or by visiting ESPN.com or espnplus.com. It costs $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year, and can be canceled at any time.
Saturday marks the first of six men’s basketball games TCU will play on ESPN+. The first home game on the platform is next Tuesday’s against Texas Tech. The women’s team will play four games on the network.
TCU has been doing a number of different things to educate its fan base on the new digital platform with in-game promotions during home games, as well as through emails, social media and Donati’s monthly newsletter.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby spoke highly of ESPN+ during the Big 12 football championship last month, saying the conference has received positive feedback for the most part.
The Oklahoma State and Kansas State football game drew 450,000 viewers last fall, according to Bowlsby.
“The product has been good. The production has been good generally,” Bowlsby said. “There isn’t any question that we’re on the right side of technology and I think we’ve got the right partner.”
TCU (12-4, 3-1 Big 12) and Oklahoma will tip-off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.
Bouncing back
TCU is looking to get back on track after its worst loss of the Jamie Dixon era. West Virginia out-played TCU in every facet of an 81-49 victory in Morgantown.
The 49 points were a season low and TCU was dominated in everything from rebounding (38-24) to bench points (39-6).
Dixon said afterward the team has to make it a one-loss deal. The hope is they’ll handle it like last year’s team did after a 90-64 whipping at Baylor, as it responded with a 70-68 victory over Oklahoma State.
Senior guard Desmond Bane felt this year’s team would handle the adversity just fine.
“No question,” Bane said. “I tell them stories about some of the stuff I’ve been through and some of the losses I’ve taken. We have a resilient group, a group that likes each other but when things aren’t going well, we’re going to have to find a way to stick together.
“I think we’ll get our minds right.”
Briefly
▪ TCU has lost four straight to Oklahoma. The Horned Frogs’ last victory over the Sooners came in the 2017 Big 12 tournament.
▪ TCU has never defeated Oklahoma in Norman (0-12).
▪ Bane ranks seventh on TCU’s all-time scoring list with 1,523 career points. He’s now chasing Kyan Anderson for sixth all-time (1,624).
This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
