UConn+, a sports-centered streaming service focused on the University of Connecticut athletics has launched on web browsers.
First announced last November, the mainly sports-focused service will offer both live events and on-demand videos. The service will be free to use.
According to the UConn Today launch announcement, the service will release next month on a variety of different streaming platforms as well.
“The university’s partner in this endeavor, SIDEARM Sports, is continuing final technical development of new ‘over-the-top’ user interfaces for Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku, which are nearing completion and expected to be available next month,” the UConn Today announcement says. “A mobile-friendly UConn+ app also is in development.”
The announcement also states that UConn+ will serve as the exclusive home to all UConn home baseball and home softball livestreams starting in March. The streaming service currently features “audio-only” streams for various other sporting events such as UConn men’s and women’s basketball, along with UConn men’s ice hockey.
However, games currently streamed on live TV will not be featured in video form. The app is instead supposed to focus on other, less watched sports.
“We have our contracts for football, men’s and women’s basketball and hockey, where those sports are aired over the linear networks, the national networks,” UConn’s Vice President for Communications, Tysen Kendig said to the Hartford Courant back in November. “What this will really do is distribute live productions for all our other sports directly to audiences in a way they’re a little bit more used to receiving.”
“We have our contracts for football, men’s and women’s basketball and hockey, where those sports are aired over the linear networks, the national networks.”
Tysen Kendig, UConn’s Vice President for Communications
UConn will produce much of the “on-demand” content, which includes coaches’ shows, press conferences and “other mini-features” internally according to the announcement. UConn has also hired LEARFIELD Studio to help assist in producing content on campus.
“This dedicated crew will produce more in-depth feature programs, including content geared toward showcasing the various aspects of life as a student-athlete on campus like the popular series THE BREAKDOWN, a five-part mini-series about 2022 UConn Football training camp, and THE STANDARD, a new mini-series that offers an inside look at UConn women’s basketball,” the announcement states. “MARCHING ON is more recent periodic program keeping fans current on the UConn men’s basketball season, and several additional programs on new student-athletes, historical features, coaches interviews, and a series on UConn baseball are all in the works.”
The announcement also describes the non-athletic content which will also be premiered on the service.
“Beyond athletics, UConn+ also will spotlight non-sports programs. Initial programming concepts include a research magazine, a talk-show podcast about UConn people and programs, and health features. An interview series hosted by President Radenka Maric, “Worth Repeating,” is already in production with several episodes already having been released,” the announcement says.
UConn says more announcements about the future development of UConn+ will be released in the coming weeks.
