Maximum Exposure: Big Ten Goes Big In $8B Media Deals With CBS, NBC, Fox

By Barry Janoff

August 18, 2022: Calling them “the most comprehensive in all of college sports,” the Big Ten Conference today said it has signed distribution agreements with CBS and Paramount+, Fox and FS1, and NBC and NBCUniversal's Peacock.

The seven-year deals begin July 1, 2023 and run through the 2029-30 season.

Financial terms were not shared, but were put at $1.2 billion annually by industry analysts.

Big Ten games also air on the Big Ten Network, which will continue to air as many as 50 football games from 2024-29, as well as Big Ten hoops and Olympic sports.

Of major importance: ESPN, which has had a four-decade alliance with the Big Ten, will not be part of the conference’s new landscape.

“The Big Ten Conference media rights agreements are more than just dollars and deals,” Kevin Warren, Big Ten Conference commissioner, said via the organization. “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.”

The deal comes on the heels of a major coop for the Big Ten, with UCLA and the University of Southern California planning to move to the conference from the Pac-12 in August 2024.

The Big Ten also includes Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin.

Among the highlights, CBS, Fox and NBC said they would “combine efforts to televise the seven Big Ten Football Championship Games during the term” as follows:
 
CBS: 2024, 2028
 
FOX: 2023, 2025, 2027, 2029
 
NBC: 2026

NBC and Peacock will become the exclusive home of Big Ten Saturday Night football, beginning in 2023, the first time that Big Ten Football will have a dedicated weekly prime time game on a national broadcast network.

Each Big Ten game on NBC broadcast will also be simul-streamed on Peacock, which will serve as the exclusive home for eight additional Big Ten Football games each season.

“These deals are a mechanism to provide stability and maximum exposure for our student-athletes, member institutions and partners."

“This is a major investment in our NBC broadcast platform, which also strengthens our streaming service, Peacock,” Mark Lazarus, chairman, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said via the company. “The Big Ten Conference is a powerful addition for both, and will deliver big and new audiences throughout the year.”

The new agreement extends CBS Sports’ 32-year partnership with the Big Ten for regular-season basketball, with an increased number of games on the schedule beginning with the 2024 season and continuing through the remainder of the deal.

CBS Sports will continue to present the Men’s Basketball Tournament each season, along with the men’s semi-final games — which they have done for 25 years — and for the first time the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament final.

Every CBS Big Ten football and basketball broadcast will also be streamed on Paramount+, Paramount Global’s direct-to-consumer streaming service.
 
Starting in 2024, CBS will televise up to 15 regular-season football games per season, including an annual Black Friday game in the afternoon. CBS is America's most-watched network for the past 14 years and the highest-rated college football network.

“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,” Sean McManus, chairman, CBS Sports, said via the company.

“The combination of CBS Sports . . . 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.”

Fox has renewed its agreement to televise football and men’s basketball games each season, with the opportunity to carry additional sports throughout the year.

Beginning 2023, Fox Sports’ package adds additional football and men’s basketball games to its schedule across its family of networks, while increasing Fox’s top game selections.

“We are proud to expand upon our long-standing partnership with the Big Ten Conference and further bolster our position as the premier rights holder of the conference,” Eric Shanks, Fox Sports CEO and executive producer, said via the company

“Commissioner Warren’s leadership and vision have resulted in the growth and recent market expansion of the Big Ten Conference. In an ever-evolving landscape, the Big Ten remains the most storied collegiate athletic conference in the country.”

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