Will 2023 be a classic year for the University of Iowa’s basketball team? While it’s too early to know how the Hawkeyes will get on, we can start to look ahead at the different ways of watching the games.
If you can’t make it along to the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, what are your options for enjoying the action?
What TV Networks Show College Basketball Games?
We can start by considering which of the networks show the games we’re interested in. Similar to how to watch college football games, there are plenty of options for Hawkeyes basketball fans.
The Hawkeyes basketball team plays in the Big Ten Conference, and there are several major networks that carry these games. Basically, the schedule is split between the Big Ten Network (BTN), ESPN, FS1, CBS, Paramount+ and Fox.
This means that you can’t rely on a single network, but with a deal recently signed through to 2029-30, you can be certain that you’re able to stick to those channels for the foreseeable future once you get sorted out.
So how do you start looking for the channel or service provider that will give you access to all the Iowa games? Well, one option is to look on the website for the Big Ten Network. Enter your zip code and it’ll bring up the local options you can choose from, which include the following details.
HAWKS TIE IT UP! 🔥@patrickmccaff22 x @IowaHoops pic.twitter.com/yQ9V2g2j6d
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) December 12, 2022
Cable or Satellite TV Is Still an Option
There’s no doubt that getting hooked up to cable was the most popular way of watching college basketball games in the past. As a relatively low-cost and convenient approach, it allowed people in Iowa to access a wide range of channels in a single package.
This way of watching TV remains popular across the country, although there’s no doubt that it’s been replaced in many households by newer and more flexible ideas like streaming. Choosing a cable or satellite package remains a decent choice for a lot of people, particularly those who watch a lot of different channels and are happy to sign up for a relatively long contract.
The BTN site mentions DIRECTV when you put in an Iowa zip code, and at the time of writing the link that takes you to their site gives you a reward card worth $150, plus a $120 price reduction for the first year.
However, this is far from being the only cable or satellite service in the state that gives you access to Hawkeyes games. The likes of DISH Network and Comcast are among the other provider that package together the channels you need to watch all of the action from the college basketball scene.
Be sure to check which package’s details, as often the most basic package will have all of the channels that you need. In other cases, you might take an extended option to make sure that you don’t miss anything during the season. If you live outside of Iowa, you might need to opt for a higher-cost package, as the states with a Big Ten team in them have access to games at a better value.
How to Stream the College Football Games?
The last few years have seen a huge number of sports fans turning to stream to watch their favorite teams. While this might sound awkward at first, the truth is that it’s very easy to do.
If we take it one step at a time, we can see that the following process will get you set up in a little time.
- Choose a streaming device. You might already have a device at home that can stream the Hawkeyes games, as this can be done on various things, like smart TVs, laptops, smartphones, Amazon Fire, or Roku. If you have more than one of these devices, you should be able to switch between them using the same account.
- Connect the device to your home Wi-Fi. This will let you watch free content such as YouTube videos, but you now need a service provider to get access to the premium content online.
- Pick your streaming service. We’ve listed below some of the main options for you to bear in mind when you start looking for games.
- Sign up for the service you’ve chosen. You usually need to set up a new account, choose the level of service that suits you, and then pay for it.
There are several advantages to streaming college basketball that you need to know about before deciding whether it suits you. The first is that it’s generally cheaper than a cable account. Part of the reason for this is that you can tailor the package to only get the channels that you want.
It’s also more flexible than cable, as you won’t need to sign a long-term contract with the provider. Simply use it for the time you want to, and then cancel it any time you want to.
A Look at Some of the Leading Streaming Services
This list changes from time to time, as new companies enter this growing market or others change their channels.
However, for watching Iowa Hawkeyes basketball live in 2023, the following are some of the main options that you’ll come across.
FuboTV
This service gives you over 100 channels and also access to cloud DVR, so you can record any games that you want to watch later.
It’s largely sports-based, but there’s also a selection of lifestyle and entertainment channels in their packages.
They’ve got a free trial just now, and after that, you can expect to pay about $70 per month for the service.
March Madness is here! Click here to watch all of the women's college basketball tournament: https://t.co/0XUULa89NC pic.twitter.com/bh4YSjRTWV
— fuboTV (@fuboTV) March 17, 2022
Hulu
With more than 80 live channels, this service is another good option for basketball fans who don’t want to miss anything from the University of Iowa’s games.
The price is very similar to what we’ve just seen for FuboTV, based on the Hulu+ service that gives you all of the college basketball action.
Cloud DVR is available on an unlimited basis and they’ll let you know about upcoming games or shows if you type in the name of the teams you follow.
Hulu is your non-stop source for all the college hoops action — learn everything you need to know here: https://t.co/hDytAT3L0L
Then tune into ESPN on 11/6 as Michigan State tips off against Kansas at 7pm EST, followed by Duke vs. Kentucky at 9:30pm! pic.twitter.com/pwWpbR3wvP
— Hulu Support (@hulu_support) November 3, 2018
Sling
You can also watch the Hawkeyes play with this service, but you need to take care to choose the right package, as they have several different options. At the moment, you’ll need to take the Sling Orange and Blue package and then add on the Sports Extra.
This gives you a full range of sports and makes sure that you don’t miss anything once the season gets going. This works out at $66 just now, although you’ll be offered the first month at half the price according to their latest deals.
YouTubeTV
Yet another option to take into account, YouTubeTV currently costs $64.99 per month but has the added bonus of the first three months at $54.99. As with the other services we’ve looked at, you can easily switch between devices and use cloud DVR, which is unlimited in this case.
Vidgo
There’s plenty of sports coverage from this streaming provider, and their packages began at a monthly cost of $60.
The first 90 days come with enough cloud DVR space to record 20 hours of action, and you can choose between packages of $60 and $80.
Looking Out for Another Strong Season
There were plenty of ups and downs for Iowa in the last couple of seasons, as the 2021-22 team earned the most wins for this program since their predecessors that reached the Elite Eight back in 1986-87. They won the Big Ten tournament but then fell out of the NCAA tournament early.
This means that Hawkeyes fans will be keen to see if the team can go one better this year. However, they’ll have to do it without star player Keegan Murray, who declared for the NBA draft in 2022 and was the fourth overall pick, joining the Sacramento Kings in the pro league. Dasonte Bowen and Josh Dix are among the new recruits that will hopefully give Iowa another good season.
The emergence of streaming services has given us an excellent way of watching Big Ten games without paying too much money. You can choose from several excellent services and flexibility is a key benefit, since you can change the package or even switch between providers during the season with no problems.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing to stop most people from getting started right away, as the majority of us now have at least one device at home that we could use to stream college basketball games right away. However, it’s definitely a good idea to check out your technology before you get started.
Cable and satellite services are also worth looking at if you’re happy paying a little bit more to get access to even more channels without having to worry about setting it up yourself. It really just comes down to your own personal preference and what you feel comfortable with.
A trip to the Carver-Hawkeye Arena remains the very best way for any Hawkeyes fan to watch the team play, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Yet, since we can’t all do this every week, this look at how to watch the games live should help fans to feel part of the Hawkeyes experience in whatever way suits them most.
Credits on Featured Image: Photo by chelsea fern on Unsplash
