NYSportsJournalism.com - Big East Extends Fox Deal, Builds With NBC, TNT - Big East Six-Year Media Rights Deal Extends With Fox, Builds With NBC, TNT (2024)

June 27, 2024: Describing it as an “arrangement that will provide enhanced revenue and long-term stability for the Conference,” the Big East today unveiled a six-year media rights agreement with Fox Sports, the Big East’s television partner for the last 11 years, to continue as the Conference’s lead network provider,

The new media pact also includes NBC Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery TNT Sports, both of which will “provide comprehensive Big East basketball coverage for the first time.”

The new agreement, which will span from 2025-26 through 2030-31.

The Big East’s current agreement with Fox Sports was scheduled to expire after the 2024-25 academic year.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The agreement was unanimously approved by the presidents of the Big East’s 11 member institutions.

Big East universities include Butler, UConn, Creighton, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s. Seton Hall, Villanova and Xavier.

“Our new agreement that provides coverage by Fox Sports, NBC Sports and TNT Sports will allow the Big East to maintain our already high level of national broadcast and cable exposure while adding first-time streaming coverage for men’s basketball games and expanded distribution of games on the women’s basketball side,” Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, Creighton University president and Big East Conference Board of Directors chair, said via the organization.

“The arrangement will provide enhanced revenue and long-term stability for the conference, create benefits for our student-athletes, and allow us to remain nationally competitive in our marquee sport: basketball. We are especially excited to continue our one-of-a-kind relationship with Fox Sports and look forward to building on the exceptional foundation we have established together over the past 11 years.”

The deal encompasses coverage on Fox Sports (Fox, FS1, FS2), NBC Sports (NBC, Peaco*ck) and TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, truTV and Max).

“Everyone at Fox Sports is thrilled to continue our long-standing relationship with the Big East, one of the nation’s top basketball conferences and a pillar of our college hoops lineup,” Eric Shanks, Fox Sports CEO and executive producer, said via the network.

“It’s a privilege to showcase these spectacular student-athletes and institutions alongside our new partners, NBC Sports and TNT Sports, while also fortifying our role as a leader in college sports.”

The agreement will provide national broadcast, cable and direct-to-consumer streaming coverage of Big East men’s and women’s basketball games and Olympic sport championship contests.

For men’s basketball, more than 150 regular season games will be distributed on the networks’ various platforms, including all league contests and all Big East Tournament games.

Big East women’s basketball coverage will be “enhanced significantly under the new deal,” with the networks at least tripling the current contractual commitment under the current agreement up to 65 regular season games and all Big East Tournament games.

Big East Olympic Sport team championship contests will be carried annually as part of the new package, including men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, volleyball, baseball and softball.

“Big East Basketball is among the most prestigious in all of college sports, and we’re proud to be able to feature the men’s and women’s teams across our NBCUniversal platforms,” Rick Cordella, president, NBC Sports, said via the network.

“The Big East has a storied basketball history, and we look forward to showcasing these games as the conference creates more memorable moments.”

Fox Sports will feature at least 80 Big East men’s and women’s basketball contests across the regular season and postseason beginning in 2025-26. In addition, the Fox broadcast network will remain the home of the Big East Men’s Tournament Final through 2031.

“Big East basketball has historically delivered some of the most thrilling teams and moments in college sports."

NBC’s Peaco*ck will launch its coverage of Big East men’s basketball in 2024-25 with a package of 25 regular season games and five early round and quarterfinal conference tournament games. Beginning with the 2025-26 season, Peaco*ck and NBC Sports will present more than 60 men’s and women’s regular season and Big East Tournament games.

TNT Sports will feature more than 65 regular season Big East basketball games airing on TNT — as its primary network — along with TBS, truTV and Max, beginning with the 2025-26 season.

“Big East basketball has historically delivered some of the most thrilling teams and moments in college sports, including its most recent accomplishments, and we are excited to showcase the conference and its fantastic men’s and women’s college basketball programs on all of our TNT Sports platforms,” Luis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO, TNT Sports, said via the network.

“This agreement further adds to TNT Sports’ portfolio of premium live sports content, featuring championship-caliber college basketball programs and student athletes, and we will utilize all of our assets to elevate the fan experience.”

The Big East pact follows recent deals that show the rising value of college sports properties.

In March, ESPN and the College Football Playoff signed a pair of media agreements that “ensures ESPN will continue as the exclusive, worldwide rights-holder to college football’s premier post-season event through the 2031-32 season.” The new six-year pacts were valued at $7.8 billion.

In January, the NCAA and ESPN unveiled an eight-year extension agreement for NCAA championships media rights, put at $920 million by industry analysts, about three-times the value of the previous pact..

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ESPN, NCAA Sign $920M Extension: Record 40 Men’s, Women’s Championships

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