It’s new and it’s huge, reportedly worth more than $1 billion per year. Let’s dive into the details of today’s massive Big Ten media rights pact.
Today marks a new era for the Big Ten and its media partners. The college sports conference announced it has reached distribution agreements with FOX, NBC/Peacock, and CBS/Paramount+. According to multiple outlets, the deal will last seven years and is worth upwards of $7 billion — with the opportunity to get even bigger if the conference continues to expand.
NBC, FOX, and CBS will share football’s Big Ten Championship Game over the seven seasons of the deal. NBC will get the game in 2026, FOX will have rights for 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029, with CBS taking 2024 and 2028.
The news marks the end of the relationship between ESPN and the Big Ten after 40 years. As of now, the upcoming collegiate athletic season will be the last featuring Big Ten events on the Worldwide Leader.
Check out the key details of the new Big Ten media rights deal as noted in the conference’s official announcement:
- Big Ten Network (BTN) will continue airing football, basketball, and Olympic sports.
- Starting in 2023, CBS will air seven football games, regular season and postseason men’s basketball, the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament final, and the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinals. Starting 2024, CBS will air 15 Big Ten football games.
- Paramount+ will stream every Big Ten football and basketball broadcast scheduled for CBS.
- FOX and FS1 will continue to air football and men’s basketball games, with other sports expected be added.
- NBC will produce 14-to-16 games on broadcast television each season as it introduces college football fans to Big Ten Saturday Night.
- Peacock will stream every Big Ten game scheduled for NBC, plus eight exclusive football games, 47 men’s basketball games, and 30 women’s basketball games.
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As Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said on the occasion:
“The Big Ten Conference media rights agreements are more than just dollars and deals. 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. We are very grateful to our world-class media partners for recognizing the strength of the Big Ten Conference brand and providing the incredible resources we need for our student-athletes to compete at the very highest levels, and to achieve their academic and athletics goals.”
Added CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus:
“The Big Ten has been a valued partner for more than three decades and we are thrilled to expand that relationship by adding Big Ten football to our portfolio of marquee properties. The combination of CBS Sports’ proven record in elevating college conferences to new heights, our standard of excellence, and the strength and reach of Paramount Global’s linear and digital platforms, will create a powerful showcase for the Big Ten and its student-athletes. Together with Kevin Warren and the team at the Big Ten, we look forward to growing the conference to the highest of levels, reaching the widest audience.”
The deal continues the Big Ten’s ongoing and impressive growth trend, with both USC and UCLA expected to join the conference from the Pac-12 as early as 2024.
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