Thursday saw the Big East fully announce its new media deals. Those deals, which will run from 2025-26 through 2030-31, will see Fox continue as the conference’s lead TV partner, but will see NBC and TNT Sports join for basketball coverage as well (and CBS Sports, which had been a previous partner with Fox, exit). And they’ll also see a significant boost for the coverage of the conference’s women’s basketball games:
We covered the TNT details earlier Thursday , including more than 65 men’s and women’s regular season games each season. Here are some details on the Fox (at least 80 men’s and women’s games each season, including most of the postseason tournaments) and NBC/Peacock (25 men’s regular season games and five men’s postseason games in 2024-25, then more than 60 games beginning in 2025-26) packages from a conference release.
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.
Peacock 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, Peacock and NBC Sports will present more than 60 men’s and women’s regular season and BIG EAST Tournament games.
Here are some quotes on the overall deal from that release :
“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,” said Creighton University President and BIG EAST Conference Board of Directors Chair Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD. “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.”
“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,” said Eric Shanks, CEO & Executive Producer, FOX Sports. “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.”
“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,” said Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports. “The BIG EAST has a storied basketball history, and we look forward to showcasing these games as the conference creates more memorable moments.”
As noted in our coverage of the TNT deal , Andrew Marchand of The Athletic first reported earlier this month that these three companies would likely wind up with Big East rights. And Sports Business Journal’s Austin Karp and Ben Portnoy reported earlier this week that the conference would sign with these three companies, leaving CBS on the outside looking in . And as AA’s Chris Novak wrote earlier this week , there look to be significant benefits for the conference here in exposure and money, including with women’s basketball:
In expanding their distribution, the Big East can get more national attention and recognition again. NBC (and Peacock) are building a strong home for college sports, especially college basketball. TNT is best known for its NBA coverage. While college might not be in their arsenal, some of their talent roster is quite acquainted with it. Contracts and new media deals might throw everything into a loop once the new NBA media rights deal is agreed upon, and the fallout there will be fascinating. But TNT’s basketball prowess should be trusted, and the WBD networks have aired college basketball games within the last two years or so anyway.
The Big East has had its games on FS1 and FS2 over the last ten years. CBS and CBS Sports Network have also aired their games, and Marchand notes that CBS might also want a piece of the pie there. However, three broadcast options provide way more opportunity for games to be televised nationally and attract an audience.
…Big East women’s basketball is reportedly also on the table to join the conference’s television arsenal. With women’s college basketball erupting over the last two years, it makes sense why the Big East would want it on the table. And it also makes sense why the networks would see it as valuable.
It’s notable to see these details officially announced, and to see them include so much women’s basketball. We’ll see how these deals wind up working out for the conference.
[ Big East ]
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