Big Ten closing in on $1 billion media rights deal
On Monday night John Ourand of Sports Business Journal published a story entitled “Big Ten talks in the home stretch.” It reports that following the expiration of the current media rights deal in 2023, the Big Ten Conference’s football and basketball games will not air on ESPN for the first time in 40 years. Instead, CBS, FOX Sports, and NBC appear to be the leaders regarding a new media deal with the conference. The article further states,
Fox agreed to the “A” package months ago. As part of its deal, it will carry a football game on the broadcast network at noon ET, plus football games on its cable channels FS1 and BTN, in which it holds a 60% stake.
The deals with CBS and NBC are not yet complete, but Ourand reports that the “B” package would be divided between networks. CBS would receive the rights for the 2:30 pm central time kickoffs, while NBC and its streaming service Peacock would carry primetime broadcasts. It’s also reported that,
The Big Ten is expected to be the first college conference to eclipse $1 billion per year in rights fees once all is said and done.
Ourand notes that while ESPN is not officially out of the running, they would need help from parent company Disney to increase their bid. The report further states that Disney CEO Bob Chapek graduated from Michigan State and may have a personal interest in keeping the Big Ten part of the Walt Disney Company family. That combined with the fact that Disney’s broadcast network ABC has produced Big Ten games since 1966 and ESPN has had a relationship with the league since 1982. That history could see the “House of Mouse” increase its bid in the next couple of days.
The current media rights deal for the league will expire in 2023. Of course, anything can change, but it appears that the Big Ten will be working with new broadcast partners in the foreseeable future.
Scroll below to view social media reactions to the first-of-its-kind collegiate broadcasting deal.
Big Ten deals could be reached by the end of this week or push into next. CBS and NBC have emerged as the clear front runners.https://t.co/p7BVat3fcl
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) August 8, 2022
You can see it now starting in 2023:
Noon: Big Ten on Fox
3:30: Big Ten on CBS
7:30: Big Ten on NBCAnd starting a year later, ESPN will be able to counter-program with:
Noon: SEC on ABC/ESPN
3:30: SEC on ABC/ESPN
7:30: SEC or ACC on ABC/ESPN— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) August 9, 2022
Big Ten finalizing media rights deal w/Fox Sports, CBS & NBC, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. 1st reported by @Ourand_SBJ. Unless there’s a last minute change, this will be 1st time in 40 years Big Ten football & basketball games will not be on ESPN, @Ourand_SBJ reports
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 9, 2022
Big Ten on verge of $1 billion in TV deals that will exclude ESPN https://t.co/Ts3pe6aQEA pic.twitter.com/HhEGdig7Z8
— New York Post (@nypost) August 9, 2022
We're waiting for the Big Ten's new media rights deal to be finalized, and so much attention has focused on the total annual revenue. But I'm also extremely curious to see *who* the Big Ten's partners are — and who they aren't. What if the Big Ten doesn't have an ESPN package?
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 8, 2022
Big Ten media rights negotiations: What we know as negotiations enter final stretch
via @TheAthletic https://t.co/AnqGsP4k65
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 9, 2022
In 2020, ESPN paid $300M a year for the No. 1 game currently on CBS.
In 2022, CBS is reportedly paying $350M a year for, at best, No. 2 Big Ten game to fill that spot.
There is no inflation quite like sports TV rights inflation.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) August 9, 2022
CBS is expected to pay in the $350 million per year neighborhood for the 3:30 Big Ten games, according to sources. https://t.co/D0nGwB4PXJ
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) August 9, 2022
Wait. If CBS is paying $350 million for 13 good Big Ten games, how much would seven Notre Dame home games be worth?
Again, a lot to unpack. https://t.co/yXyuC5z7Gc
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) August 9, 2022
Can’t believe that the Big Ten just got the most important piece of content in all of CFB: the CBS theme song.
— Josh Peterson (@joshtweeterson) August 9, 2022
Fox Big Noon
3:30 CBS Kickoffs
NBC Primetime gamesI like the move for the Big Ten
— jbook™ (@jbook37) August 9, 2022
This is all basically set up for Notre Dame to join the Big Ten in a few years. The question then becomes, is Stanford their partner? And who do they add when they inevitably go to 20? Oregon/Washington or UNC/UVA?
— Scott Greene (@TerrapinNation) August 9, 2022
Big Ten/Pac-12 media deals getting done by September/October could make George Kliavkoff’s comment about the door still being open for early CFP expansion a little more notable.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) August 9, 2022
The Big Ten's media rights expire after the 2023 season. DP discusses the possibility of NBC making a run at the Big Ten in a conjunction with Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/saS8Zpdup2
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) August 4, 2022
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