Kansas basketball: The good, bad, and the ugly of ESPN+

Kansas basketball fans are split right down the middle on whether or not ESPN+ is a good thing or bad thing for the Jayhawks.

With Kansas basketball beginning Big 12 play, the games are starting to become a little more important. Jayhawk fans want to watch, and they expect their team to be playing on the national TV networks.

Most of the Jayhawks’ games this season have, and will be televised, but the new Big 12 Now on ESPN+ has angered a large portion of the Kansas basketball fanbase.

It’s caused a great divide, with fans either in support or opposition to the streaming service.

What are ESPN+ and Big 12 Now?

ESPN+ is a streaming service provided by ESPN, it’s not a TV channel though. The service can be used via the ESPN app on a device such as a phone, tablet, computer, smart TV, game console, or other devices of that nature. In addition to the device, a decent internet connection is required.

Big 12 Now on ESPN+ is essentially an agreement between the Big 12 Conference and ESPN.

As of now, only four programs are fully participating in Big 12 Now on ESPN+: Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Baylor. Next year, Texas Tech, Iowa State, TCU, and West Virginia will join as well. According to the Big 12, Oklahoma and Texas have “existing long-term rights agreements” that prevent them from being apart of the service as home teams.

This is how things will shake out for teams participating according to the Big 12:

"In football, in addition to the Big 12 games continuing to appear on ABC & ESPN networks or FOX networks, one game per season from the participating programs will be available exclusively on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. In men’s basketball, all regular season and exhibition games from the eight participating programs that are not distributed on ESPN’s traditional television networks will be available exclusively on Big 12 Now on ESPN+."

The agreement between the conference and ESPN runs through 2025.

There are some really great benefits of ESPN+, but there are some equally awful byproducts produced by the streaming service. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly of Big 12 Now on ESPN+