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‘A cornucopia’: the coming football season will set a UK record for viewers and income | TV streaming

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This football season will be the most-watched and lucrative in UK history, with a record number of live televised games and seven days-a-week viewing for fans.

The boom is a timely boost for Sky and the BT-Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) joint venture TNT Sports, which will air almost all of the prestige games, as competition for viewers’ attention from deep-pocketed US streamers and their pipeline of hit shows such as The Bear and Severance increases.

It is estimated that there could be more than 1,500 matches broadcast in the UK this season involving British teams playing in competitions including the Premier League, Champions League, English Football League (EFL) and FA Cup.

Sky will also be hoping the Lionesses’ Euros triumph will help to boost audiences for its Women’s Super League (WSL) coverage when the new season kicks off with the champions Chelsea hosting Manchester City on 5 September.

The pay-TV broadcaster will air this match as part of a new five-year rights deal, under which nearly every WSL match will be broadcast live either by Sky – up to 118 a season – or the BBC, with up to 21.

“It is a cornucopia of football,” says François Godard, a sports media analyst at Enders Analysis. “Certainly it will be the biggest we’ve ever seen in terms of numbers of viewers.”

As the Premier League season gets under way fans can look forward to seeing a third more matches on TV this season – a record 267 – as the new £6.7bn, four-year contracts with Sky and TNT Sports come into effect.

Sky’s £5.1bn swoop for four of the five live packages at the last auction in 2023 marked its biggest win since Rupert Murdoch snatched the rights from free-to-air TV in 1992 and changed the face of British football. The auction also resulted in Amazon quietly withdrawing from streaming live Premier League action in the UK.

The reward is immense: Sky will air 215 live Premier League games this season, an almost 70% increase, and follows on from the £935m, five-year deal with the English Football League that has seen the number of games broadcast or streamed each season jump from 200 to 1,059.

The popularity of the Premier League and its elite teams shows no sign of slowing down. Photograph: Manjit Narotra/ProSports/Rex

“If you go back to when the Premier League started we had 60 games, which at the time felt like a step forward,” says Nick Herm, group chief operating officer at Sky. “If you are a fan of a specific football team, or English football leagues generally, you now have impressive choice. There aren’t any fans of any clubs left behind.”

TNT Sports has the same number of Premier League games but will begin airing FA Cup ties live, for which it promises the “most expansive coverage ever”, taking over from the BBC and ITV. A sub-licensing deal will see the BBC continue to air some FA Cup games live.

And with six English teams in the Champions League, TNT Sports is also banking on a bumper year.

Football governing bodies have effectively been forced to offer more games in order to increase the value of their deals, after the bursting of the sports rights inflation bubble when BT ended its challenge for football supremacy against Sky.

However, the release of many more games has also coincided with the streaming boom, which has given broadcasters the ability to offer almost unlimited coverage freed from the restrictions of a limited number of TV linear channels, as TNT Sports showed with its blanket coverage of every event at last year’s Paris Olympics.

“The advent of streaming and digital platforms has led to consumer choice and optionality, which is becoming the real winner when it comes to sport,” says Andrew Georgiou, the president and managing director at WBD UK & Ireland and WBD Sports Europe. “Previously it was narrow editorial choices on single linear feeds. This is continuing evolution, a really good thing, you can now almost get any football match you want.”

While across all of its men’s football, cumulative reach was up 17% season-on-season, on its streaming platforms growth was 37%. In response, the company has just launched a sports-only tier on its Discovery+ streaming service for this season.

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Exclusive live sport has never been more important for traditional pay-TV operators such as Sky for attracting and retaining subscribers, with access to other premium content becoming more restricted as US media conglomerates including Disney and WBD retain the rights to hit shows for their own international streaming services.

“On-demand viewing has grown as streaming has grown, but premium sport continues to be the most important appointment to view content that exists and it has become increasingly important,” says Georgiou. “When I look at advertising, and advertisers, there is resilience when it comes to sport. When I look at non-sport content it is gradually declining on broadcast and digital. Sports’ key proposition is guaranteeing audiences in a fragmented media environment.”

However, with live football now available to watch on TV or stream seven days a week, one analyst says there is a danger of it reaching“saturation” point and questions whether it will resonate with existing fans. For those attending games, there will be fewer 3pm Saturday kick-offs for Premier League and EFL fixtures and the prospect of matches being moved at short notice for live broadcasts.

WBD’s Georgiou says that with many more games involving smaller clubs to be broadcast there will inevitably be ties with much smaller audiences – and there is always the competition for attention posed by other media.

“Will games like Manchester United v Liverpool still get as strong ratings, yes, but when you add 100 games, the natural consequence is a longer tail of smaller audiences,” he says. “Certainly this year consumers will be given the biggest, broadest opportunity to watch football, and while there will be a larger total audience there is only a finite amount of time consumers have to watch content and sports content.”

While streamers have made significant incursions into top-tier live sport rights in the US, most notably Amazon but also Google-owned YouTube and more recently Netflix, UK pay-TV broadcasters have so far managed to mostly retain the so-called “crown jewel” sports rights.

“In today’s world there is so much content and choice but we know one of the things that really cuts through is live sport, there is a passion about it,” says Herm. “Sport is sold on an exclusive basis, we have a long history of doing it very well, and we have locked in the big sports rights for this decade.”

Simon Davis, the founder of media agency Walk-In Media, agrees that live sport is more crucial than ever for Sky. “They are having to fight on all genre fronts now and are competing with streamers who are happy to sustain massive losses in the short term,” says Davis. “Sky, for example, has spent years arguing it is more than just sport and in ratings terms it has been very successful diversifying. But the question is in a world of subscription streamers for drama and movies, and Amazon in the UK investing in a wider range of live sport, does it have a business without football? In this case sport becomes absolutely key for them.”



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Stream Texas A&M vs. Kentucky 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball national championship for free today

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KANSAS CITY – The third-seeded Texas A&M Aggies battle the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Division I women’s volleyball national championship game today – Sunday, Dec. 21 – at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The match is available on multiple streaming services for free.

Today’s match will broadcast live on ABC at 3:30 p.m. Eastern (2:30 p.m. Central). Fans who have parted ways with their local cable provider can catch this game for free by utilizing streaming alternative DIRECTV, which offers $40 off your first month and a free trial. FuboTV is also offering $25 off your first month and a free trial.

The most flexible option is Sling TV, which now offers new users a Day Pass for $4.99, Weekend Pass for $9.99, Week Pass for $14.99, Monthly for $45.99 and Season Pass for $199.99 for five months and $45.99 per month thereafter.

This game is also available on the ESPN app streaming service, which now offers an Unlimited Plan for $29.99 per month (or $299.99 for entire year) and the Select Plan for $12.99 per month (or $129.99 for entire year). The ESPN app replicates its previous coverage of select games and broadcasts on ESPN Plus.

Texas A&M’s (28-4) miraculous run to their first-ever national championship game continues after sweeping top-seeded Pitt in the Final Four. They toppled the No. 1 overall seed Nebraska Cornhuskers in a five-set regional stunner that sent shockwaves across the brackets.

Texas A&M is highlighted by nine seniors on its roster.

They hold the edge over Kentucky in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, aces per set and blocks per set.

Maddie Waak dished out 48 assists, which was a postseason record in three-set matches.

Kyndal Stowers and Logan Lednicky combined for 30 kills in the Final Four triumph.

The Aggies’ defense will also be on display at the pinnacle. Texas A&M has notched 10 or more blocks in six straight matches. Ifenna Cos-Okpolla has tallied five or more blocks in 19 matches this season.

Watch Texas A&M vs. Kentucky NCAA volleyball for free on FuboTV

The Wildcats (30-2), who have not lost since early September and are riding a 27-match winning streak. Their mettle was tested with a five-set win over Wisconsin in the Final Four. Their only two losses are from top-seeded Nebraska and Pitt.

Kentucky is looking for its first title since winning it all in 2020.

The Wildcats hold the edge in kills per set, assists per set and digs per set.

Eva Hudson, the 2025 SEC Player of the Year, battered the Badgers with a career-high 29 kills on .455 hitting. Brooklyn DeLeye, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, is averaging a team-high 4.62 kills per set this year.

The Wildcats hold a 17-10 advantage in the all-time series, but the Aggies are 2-0 when facing Kentucky on a neutral court. Kentucky holds momentum, taking the last four matches between the two SEC foes, including a four-set victory in their last meeting.

Today’s game marks the first-ever All-SEC national championship game in NCAA women’s volleyball.

Watch Texas A&M vs. Kentucky NCAA volleyball for free on DIRECTV

More information on how to watch the match on TV and streaming services:

  • What: NCAA Division I women’s volleyball national championship: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies
  • When: Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025
  • Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern (2:30 p.m. Central)
  • Where: T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Mo.
  • Channel: ABC
  • Best streaming options: FuboTV (free trial and $25 off first month), DIRECTV (free trial and $40 off first month) and Sling TV (half off first month and daily, weekly and weekend passes) and ESPN Streaming



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Kentucky volleyball score, Texas A&M-UK NCAA Championship game today

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Updated Dec. 21, 2025, 5:17 p.m. ET



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Street Fighters Club hosts winter health event

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Srinagar, Dec 21:Street Fighters Club successfully organised its annual felicitation programme titled “AAMADAY CHILLAI KALAAN” at the Auditorium of Green Valley Educational Institute, Ellahi Bagh, Buchpora. The event witnessed an impressive gathering of athletes, students, health professionals, educators, and community members.

The programme was aimed at spreading awareness about health issues during the harsh winter season while also focusing on reconnecting Gen Z with their cultural roots, especially the rich Kashmiri traditions associated with Chillai Kalaan.
The event commenced with Tilawat-e-Quran, followed by Naat-e-Rasool ﷺ, setting a spiritually enriching tone. In his welcome address, the organisers highlighted the importance of holistic well-being, cultural identity, and community participation.
Renowned medical professionals addressed the gathering, with Dr. Naveed Nazir Shah delivering an informative talk on respiratory issues prevalent during winters, while Dr. Manzoor Ahmad Wani spoke on gut health and healthy food habits, emphasizing lifestyle modifications during extreme cold conditions.
A special address on fitness and healthy living was delivered by Mr. Riyaz Ahmad Kathjoo, Principal, Green Valley Educational Institute, who appreciated the efforts of Street Fighters Club in promoting health awareness and sports culture among youth.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sajad Mir, President, Street Fighters Club, said that AAMADAY CHILLAI KALAAN is not merely an event but a movement to promote physical fitness, preventive healthcare, and cultural consciousness during the most challenging winter period. He reiterated the club’s commitment to community health, youth engagement, and environmental responsibility.
Coach Abid Amin, while interacting with participants, stressed the importance of maintaining physical activity even during extreme winters and encouraged young athletes to stay disciplined, resilient, and rooted in traditional values.
The programme concluded with a felicitation ceremony, where adventure enthusiasts, athletes, and contributors were honoured for their dedication and achievements. The organisers expressed gratitude to Green Valley Educational Institute for their support and hospitality, making the event a grand success.





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Texas A&M volleyball vs Kentucky game score: Live updates

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It’s a regular season rematch with a national championship on the line. 

No. 3 seed Texas A&M volleyball faces No. 1 Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament finals and it is the first time two SEC teams will meet at the net for the title. 

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Texas A&M middle blocker Morgan Perkins (21) celebrates a score during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.

Texas A&M middle blocker Morgan Perkins (21) celebrates a score during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

The Aggies have made history in the tournament after upsetting No. 1 seeds (Pitt and Nebraska) and a No. 2 seed (Louisville). The Wildcats narrowly escaped their five set match Thursday against Wisconsin in the semifinal match. 

A&M (28-4) lost to Kentucky 3-1 during conference play Oct. 8. (To the Aggies’ credit, they were the first team in SEC play to win a set against Kentucky, in the Wildcats’ fourth conference game.) A&M head coach Jamie Morrison said he was disappointed that the Aggies couldn’t push the eventual SEC champions to five sets, but outside hitter Logan Lednicky said that match showed glimpses of what the Aggies can be. 

If Kentucky (30-2) wins, it will be its first national championship since the 2020 season. If A&M wins, it will be the first national title in volleyball for the Aggies. 

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MORE: Jamie Morrison named AVCA coach of the year after leading Texas A&M to historic run

MORE: Preview of first all-SEC NCAA Tournament volleyball title game

Follow along for live updates of the national championship match. 

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Texas A&M vs Kentucky score: National championship live updates 

Set 2: Texas A&M 15, Kentucky 7

Kentucky comes out of the timeout and is called for a back row attack. But the Wildcats get the crosscourt kill and tool the block to go on a 2-0 run. The Wildcats are setting the ball tightly and are making out of system attack errors at the net. Lednicky gets the crosscourt kill. A Wildcat overpass leads to another Cos-Okpalla kill, her fourth so far. Kentucky calls another timeout. 

Set 2: Texas A&M 10, Kentucky 5

Kentucky swings through the A&M block. Perkins responds with another monster block to keep the Aggies ahead. An A&M free ball leads to a long kill from Kentucky. Hudson soars out of the back row to make it 8-5 but Kentucky collects its fifth service error of the night. Stowers closes a seam to stuff Kentucky at the net. The Wildcats call a timeout. 

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Set 2: Texas A&M 6, Kentucky 3

Waak has a quick throw down that is dug into the stands to open the set for the Aggies, but they give it back with a service error to tie the match 1-1. Lednicky swings high after a long rally to take the 2-1 lead, but Stowers’ service error ties the match again. Waak goes back to Lednicky who is one-on-one along the pin and gets the touch. A Kentucky overpass leads to a Lednicky kill over the net. Cos-Okpalla’s service pressure continues the Aggies run with a heavy arm. Perkins explodes out of the middle for a kill. 

Set 1: Texas A&M 26, Kentucky 24

Hellmuth goes offsspeed out of the timeout and DeLeye goes too long on a shot down the line for the third tie of the set. A&M is called in the net to break the tie and give set point for Kentucky. Stowers tools the block to tie the match at 24. Cos-Okpalla blocks a Kentucky tap for its first set point. Kentucky called a timeout but Stowers taps it over for the set win. 

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Set 1: Kentucky 23, Texas A&M 21

Hudson goes down the line for a kill coming out of the timeout, but Kentucky serves an error and follows it up with an attack error to get the Aggies within one. Cos-Okpalla’s attack error puts Kentucky in the redzone first. Waak feeds Lednicky for a high swing off the block. Hudson gets stuffed at the net to put the Aggies in the redzone to tie the match for the first time. Carr’s kill breaks the tie but a Hudson error ties it at 21. Kentucky gives the ball to Carr for a tie-breaking kill and the Wildcats follow it with an ace. Texas A&M calls a timeout. 

Set 1: Kentucky 18, Texas A&M 16

After Kentucky’s challenge is not overturned, the Aggies side out to get within five but a service error keeps momentum with the Wildcats. Texas A&M goes on a 2-0 run with its best offense but miscommunication on defense gives Kentucky its five-point lead back. But A&M is starting to click and goes on a 4-0 run thanks to Waak’s service pressure that forces a Kentucky timeout. 

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Set 1: Kentucky 13, Texas A&M 7

Cos-Okpalla comes out of the timeout with a quick kill from the middle. Kentucky’s middle, Carr, shows off her hot hand at the net, but Wildcat momentum stalls after being called in the net. Kentucky mistakes keep A&M close and Texas A&M is struggling to play cleanly with four attack errors. 

Set 1: Kentucky 6, Texas A&M 1

Kentucky starts the match going on a 3-0 run over the Aggies. The Wildcats are have good transition digs and forcing the Aggies to play out of system. Kentucky serves an error to get the Aggies on the board. Lednicky tries to go line but it misses and Cos-Okpalla has a blocking error that misses the other side of the net. Texas A&M calls an early timeout after Hellmuth gets stuffed. 

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Texas A&M Aggies players rush the court to celebrate winning a semifinal match between the Texas A&M Aggies and Pittsburgh Panthers in the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 18, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

Texas A&M Aggies players rush the court to celebrate winning a semifinal match between the Texas A&M Aggies and Pittsburgh Panthers in the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 18, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Texas A&M starting rotation

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Kentucky starting rotation

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Texas A&M volleyball vs Kentucky time, TV info

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Where: T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. 



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NCAA title live updates, score, highlights

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Updated Dec. 21, 2025, 3:12 p.m. CT

The time is here, and it’s winner‑take‑all for the 2025 NCAA Volleyball Championship. It will be an epic matchup between a red‑hot Texas A&M team and the SEC titan, the Kentucky Wildcats.

A&M plays an energetic and aggressive brand of volleyball. Their roster has few weaknesses, and they stand as the most battle‑tested team remaining. They are led by four All‑Americans and AVCA Coach of the Year Jamie Morrison, who has them on a historic run that has never been seen in Aggieland.

The Aggies will face Kentucky for the second time this season after losing to them 3‑1 for their first and only SEC loss of the season. Both history and revenge are on the line Sunday afternoon in Kansas City when the Aggies take the court to battle for the title of the NCAA’s best.





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Kentucky Volleyball vs. Texas A&M preview, viewing info, and a prediction

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Kentucky Volleyball already knows what it looks like to beat Texas A&M. Back in October, the Cats walked into Reed Arena and handed the Aggies a four-set loss when they were ranked No. 9 in the country.

Now the stakes are just a little bit higher. Twenty-seven straight wins, one more banner on the line, and a rematch against one of the most physical teams in America.

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First, a reminder of what happened last time.

Kentucky hit .293 as a team in that win, piling up 63 kills on 157 swings. Eva Hudson exploded for 24 kills on .373 hitting, and Brooklyn DeLeye added 19 kills. Lizzie Carr was almost automatic in the middle, finishing with 11 kills on .588.

The Cats’ sideout numbers told the story. They were at 68% or better in each of the last three sets and closed it out 21–25, 25–22, 25–15, 27–25. Texas A&M hit just .205 and never really found a rhythm once Kentucky’s block settled in.

Can Kentucky’s firepower crack Texas A&M’s huge frontline for a second time?

This time around, Texas A&M is even sharper. The Aggies are 28–4 overall, 14–1 in the SEC (that lone loss is to the Cats), and they do just about everything at a high level. They hit .298 as a team with 14.6 kills per set. Their opponents hit only .187 and average 11.5 kills per set. They control the net with 2.61 blocks per set and are steady in the backcourt with 13.3 digs per set.

Individually, it starts with outside hitter Logan Lednicky and six rotation arm Kyndal Stowers. Lednicky has 456 kills, 4.11 per set, on .312 hitting, and still gives you over 2.6 digs per set with 98 total blocks. Stowers adds 375 kills at 3.5 per set on .281 hitting and 2.26 digs per set, plus 63 blocks. That is a ton of volume and a ton of pressure from the pins.

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In the middle, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Morgan Perkins are a nightmare at the net. Cos-Okpalla is hitting .430 with 236 kills and a ridiculous 195 total blocks, about 1.7 per set. Perkins is at .420 with 95 blocks of her own. Setter Maddie Waak runs the show with efficient choices, and A&M’s offense rarely beats itself.

The matchup problem is obvious. Texas A&M’s front line will test Kentucky’s ability to terminate in tight windows and stay patient when rallies stretch out. The Aggies are used to winning the block battle and forcing teams into low-efficiency swings.

The good news for Kentucky is that this team is built to hit high-level blocks and has the numbers to prove it. The Cats are hitting .293 on the season with 14.86 kills per set, almost a mirror of A&M’s attack. Opponents are at .188 with 12.35 kills per set.

Kentucky’s firepower is relentless. DeLeye and Hudson are basically co-number one options. DeLeye has 536 kills at 4.62 per set on .284 hitting, plus 2.34 digs per set and 41 total blocks. Hudson has 533 kills at 4.59 per set on .323, 2.38 digs, and 49 blocks. You cannot load up on one without the other punishing you.

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In the middle, Carr is the key. She is hitting .349 with 222 kills and 136 total blocks, 1.23 per set. When Carr is winning quicks and closing out on the edges, Kentucky’s defense goes up a level. Around her, Brooke Bultema and Kennedy Washington both hover around .260 hitting and are capable of stealing seams and putting extra stress on Texas A&M’s middles.

The first contact battle might decide everything.

Kentucky side outs best when libero Molly Tuozzo and the backcourt are in rhythm. Tuozzo is at nearly 4 digs per set with 456 total digs and has been nailing in serve receive most of this run. Molly Berezowitz gives them another steady defender and server. If those two control the ball, setter Kassie O’Brien can run her full menu and keep A&M’s block guessing.

O’Brien has 1,244 assists this season, 11.01 per set, and mixes tempo and angles as well as anyone in the country. When she has all three levels available, Kentucky becomes almost impossible to load up against. If she is stuck living on high balls to the pins, Texas A&M’s block has the size to tilt the match back their way.

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On the flip side, Kentucky’s serve needs to make Waak uncomfortable. The Cats average 1.21 aces per set with 140 total, but the bigger thing is disruptive serving that drags A&M off the net just enough to let Carr, Washington, and company get hands on Lednicky and Stowers. Kentucky has 282.5 total blocks this year, 2.44 per set, and they just held Wisconsin’s high-powered attack in check by turning the fifth set into a wall. This has to look similar.

Texas A&M’s resume says they can win this match in a lot of ways. They have more than enough offense, they defend with discipline, and they do not hand out free points. But Kentucky has already seen its best shot, has already solved them once, and is playing with the swagger that comes from a 27-match win streak and a miracle comeback against Wisconsin that will live in program lore.

If Kentucky passes at even an average level, keeps its serve in play, and forces Texas A&M to hit into a loaded block over and over, the Cats will have every chance to finish the job.

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Win this one, and it is 28 straight, another trophy for the case, and the kind of back-to-back run that redefines what Craig Skinner has built in Lexington.

🗓️ Date: Sunday, Dec. 21
🕐 Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
📺 TV Channel: ABC
📍 Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
📱 Online Streaming Through Cable/Satellite: ABC is included in most standard cable and satellite packages. Check your local listings.

Streaming Services: You can stream the game on services that carry local channels, including: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Orange Plan)
You may also be able to pick up the game over-the-air for free if you are near an ABC affiliate.

Odds: FanDuel has Kentucky favored by 1.5 sets. The Moneyline for Kentucky is -156, and for A&M, it’s +120.

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Prediction: Kentucky rides the double-headed monster of Hudson and DeLeye to title number 2, Kentucky in 4 sets.

What say you, BBN? Send us your game prediction in the comments!

Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion. Go CATS!



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