Utah fans will be able to watch their team on a few familiar channels this season, but there are some broadcast changes with the Utes’ move from the Pac-12 to the Big 12.
The Big 12 Conference signed a nearly $2.3 billion media deal with ESPN and Fox that reportedly will pay $31.7 million a year to each of its schools when it takes effect in 2025. The current media agreement in effect, which runs through the 2024-25 academic year, is also with ESPN and Fox, two longtime partners of the Pac-12.
The vast majority of Utah football games in 2024 will be found on the ESPN and Fox families of networks – ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, Fox and FS1 – with games against Baylor (Sept. 7) and UCF (Nov. 29) airing on Fox. When Utah travels to Tempe to face Arizona State on Oct. 11, the game will be available on ESPN.
The season opener against Southern Utah on Aug. 29 is available streaming only — more on that in a minute — on ESPN+.
The only game that won’t be on the ESPN or Fox family of networks will be Sept. 14, when the Utes travel to Logan to play Utah State. Since the Aggies are the home team and the Mountain West has a broadcast agreement with CBS, the game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.
TV details for Utah’s remaining games have not been announced, but they will be on the ESPN and Fox family of networks.
The Big 12 does not have a traditional cable network like the Pac-12 Network, which airs select football games and many other sports such as men’s and women’s basketball and gymnastics, instead airing these events on ESPN+, which is the ESPN’s streaming service.
For example, during Utah men’s basketball last season, the Pac-12 Network broadcast 20 games. Any game that ESPN network channels or Fox channels don’t pick up will now be broadcast on ESPN+.
The positives of this approach mostly outweigh the negatives. The Pac-12 Network has never been carried by DirecTV and some live TV streaming services, like YouTube TV and ESPN+, are available nationwide to any subscriber – even if you don’t have a cable subscription.
ESPN+ is available on virtually any Internet-connected device – computers, smartphones, smart TVs, streaming devices like Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku.
The downside is that it is another additional cost for the fan who wants to watch all of Utah’s football and basketball games, as an ESPN+ subscription by itself only includes access to the games broadcast on it and does not include access to live broadcast games. on ESPN. ESPN2 and ESPNU.
ESPN+ — which currently costs $10.99 per month or $14.99 bundled with the ad-supported versions of Hulu and Disney+ — is a separate purchase from a cable TV or live streaming subscription. The exception is Hulu Live TV, which includes Disney+, along with traditional TV channels like the ESPN and Fox family of networks, in its $76.99 per month live TV streaming package.
The move from the Pac-12 Network, which had national announcers for men’s and women’s basketball games, to ESPN+, where schools provide announcers and produce games, which are broadcast on ESPN+, is one of the most significant changes for the Utah athletic department . in the move to the Big 12.
“I would say of all the changes we are managing, this is probably the most impressive in terms of what it can and will be, but also one of the most challenging,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in July.
Utah Athletics Hired voice walkthrough Bill Riley full-time to be the new broadcast director as the school prepares to produce more than 50 games for ESPN+. Although Riley continues to be the voice of football and men’s basketball radio broadcasts on ESPN 700, accepting the US job meant he had to step away from hosting his afternoon talk show – Sean O’Connell took over his role at 11am. 2pm slot – and his role as program director for the station.
Now, Riley is responsible for everything Utah is doing at ESPN+, from hiring and scheduling talent to planning broadcasts.
“For 12 years, the Pac-12 Network produced games, produced content, shows, all of that. That’s not the case here,” Harlan said.
“We have the opportunity now and the expectation to do 50 live events in Year 1, and that doubles in Year 2 and going forward. So we have a tentative plan. We have some trucks that we will have, they will have the Utes marked. Bill (Riley), along with other great individuals who were recruited to generate content, make these games.”
The bottom line for Utah fans? Events that were previously broadcast on the Pac-12 Network, and much more, will now be found exclusively on ESPN+.
“Everything ESPN+, which is so easy to find in the Big 12, is now there,” said Harlan. “It will be a great exposure mechanism and we will be able to tell more stories – coming from us who know the stories best. So it’s been fun. Paul Kirk leading this initiative and his team, there’s a lot of work ahead, a lot of deep breathing ahead, but we’re very excited about it.”
