• Loading stock data...
Friday, May 3, 2024
  • -
    days
  • -
    hours
  • -
    minutes
  • -
    seconds

Big Ten Finalizes Landmark Media Rights Deal Worth At Least $7B

  • The Big Ten has finalized a blockbuster partnership with NBC, Fox, CBS, and Peacock.
  • The deal is likely the largest in college sports history.
Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

After much anticipation, the Big Ten has finalized a blockbuster media rights partnership that is the largest in all of college sports.

The deal is at least $7 billion total, sources confirmed to Front Office Sports. The rights will be shared between FOX, CBS, NBC, and NBC’s Peacock, and include not only football and basketball but all olympic sports. They’ll run from July 1, 2023 to the end of the 2029-30 season.

In total, the deal will reach the mid-$7 billion range, a source told FOS. But it will slowly increase throughout the seven years. The first year, before USC and UCLA join the conference, each existing school will receive about the same amount as it does in the final year of its current deal. Then, with the additions of the Bruins and Trojans, the value will go up to the $90 million a year range.

It’s a major coup for Commissioner Kevin Warren, whose initial tenure with the Big Ten began with controversy over the handling of college football during COVID-19.

“The Big Ten Conference media rights agreements are more than just dollars and deals,” Warren said in a statement. “They are a mechanism to provide stability and maximum exposure for our student-athletes, member institutions and partners during these uncertain times in collegiate athletics.”

The Big Ten says it will “dominate” Saturday football. It will include marquee games at noon ET on Fox, 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, and primetime on NBC. NBC will attempt to make the Big Ten the “NFL” of college football, using the Saturday night window as a complement to Sunday night football, as FOS previously reported. NBC games will be “simul-streamed” on Peacock. The Big Ten football championships will be split between the networks.

The Big Ten Network, owned by Fox, appears to hold the majority of olympic sports content. CBS will host men’s and women’s basketball, and broadcast the women’s basketball championship for the first time. Fox will also carry men’s basketball.

The deal also marks the first time in four decades that ESPN will not be part of the Big Ten’s media rights. The Worldwide Leader in Sports will now look to renew NCAA championships including women’s basketball and the College Football Playoff, sources previously told FOS. It’s also looking at Big 12 and Pac-12 media rights.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

House v. NCAA: Settlement Doesn’t Address Biggest Issue in College Sports

The House v. NCAA case puts the NCAA and power conferences on the hook for billions in damages.

Just Like We Drew It Up? Stadium Renderings Can Excite, Confound, and Anger

During a historic wave of development, drawings wield more power than ever.
The scene in the green room behind the NFL Draft Theater in Detroit on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Thirteen college players who will be picked in the first round will be waiting in this large room with friends, family, agents and college coaches on Thursday night.

More NFL Draft Prospects Are Staying Home, and TV Networks Are Adjusting

Whether making or missing out on millions, more prospects are staying home.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

How Red Bull Laps the F1 Competition and Builds the Brand

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

Everything You Need To Know About the Legal Attempts To Kill the ACC

Four lawsuits involving the conference, Clemson, and FSU could determine the future.
April 20, 2024

A Bare-Knuckle Fighter Won His Pro Debut. The Far Right Scored a Marketing Win

With Proud Boys sponsoring him, experts say extremist groups will use his success to elevate their ideologies and recruit new believers.
April 7, 2024

Women’s Basketball Finally Has a TV Deal to Match the Excitement. Now What?

A lucrative new media-rights contract could rectify problems of the past, but the future of March Madness media rights is anyone’s guess.
Mar 16, 2024; Washington, D.C., USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward DJ Burns Jr. (30) cuts the net after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels for the ACC Conference Championship at Capital One Arena.
April 6, 2024

How Two College Seniors Helped DJ Burns Cash In on a Final Four Run

Two college seniors are facilitating deals for NC State’s big man.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
FanDuel
Multiple - USA Careers

Charles Barkley: the Richest Free Agent in Sports TV History?

If TNT loses its NBA media rights, the ‘Inside the NBA’ star has an out clause.
May 1, 2024

Phil Simms’ War on Football Clichés Will Continue After CBS Exit

CBS’s dropping Simms went over like a lead balloon in many quarters.
May 1, 2024

‘Massive Disruption’ for MLB, NHL Teams: Comcast, DSG Deal Expires

Bally Sports parent and the second-largest U.S. cable distributor fail to come to terms.
Sponsored

Rapid Returns: How Technology Is Getting You Back to Your Seat

How Oracle’s POS technology is helping fans get back to their seats faster.
April 30, 2024

Even Galveston’s Defenders Admit Charles Barkley Has a Point About the Water

Galveston officials are mostly taking Barkley’s jokes about their sediment-filled water in stride.
April 30, 2024

NBA Appears to Be on Track to Double Media-Rights Fee Intake

The league’s negotiations with broadcasters are heating up.
April 30, 2024

NBC Ready to Spend Billions to Elbow Turner Out of NBA

NBC’s reported offer is more than double what Warner Bros. Discovery currently pays.
April 29, 2024

Former Eagles Center Jason Kelce Joining ESPN

The recently retired center was pursued by several networks.