Media Rights Update

[Mr. Nielsen]

Beat me to it. Disapointed CBS could not be in the mix.

Fox will continue as the lead "A" network in the new deal, as it had previously when it initially signed on with the Big East prior to the 2013-14 school year. Sources tell SBJ the rankings for selections of games have already been decided among the conference's new media partners.

[brewcity77]

The numbers don't quite add up yet. 2026-2032 would be 7 years.

[Mr. Nielsen]

The numbers don't quite add up yet. 2026-2032 would be 7 years.

Must have been an edit. It's 2030-31

The Big East is on the cusp of formally signing a new set of six-year media rights pacts as soon as this week with Fox, NBC and TNT that will begin with the 2025-26 school year (taking it through the 2030-31 term), sources tell SBJ.

[Tums Festival]

Ernie Johnson is staying with TNT (he already said he was). Shaq Kenny and Charles are most likely going to NBC.

Barkley is retiring from broadcasting after next season.

[brewcity77]

Must have been an edit. It's 2030-31

The Big East is on the cusp of formally signing a new set of six-year media rights pacts as soon as this week with Fox, NBC and TNT that will begin with the 2025-26 school year (taking it through the 2030-31 term), sources tell SBJ.

Definitely edited then. Made the classic mistake of just adding 6 to the original year, which doesn't take into account the first year.

[Herman Cain]

Beat me to it. Disapointed CBS could not be in the mix.

Fox will continue as the lead "A" network in the new deal, as it had previously when it initially signed on with the Big East prior to the 2013-14 school year. Sources tell SBJ the rankings for selections of games have already been decided among the conference's new media partners.

Mr.Nielsen:
Is it possible that CBS buys a subset of the Fox deal after the primary deal closes?

[79Warrior]

Mr.Nielsen:
Is it possible that CBS buys a subset of the Fox deal after the primary deal closes?

Why? If they wanted a deal they would have made a competitive offer. Paramount is a sh##show right now. Other than NFL, they are not paying a premium for anything.

[Uncle Rico]

Why? If they wanted a deal they would have made a competitive offer. Paramount is a sh##show right now. Other than NFL, they are not paying a premium for anything.

Herm was hoping the Big East would end up on the CW

[Mr. Nielsen]

Mr.Nielsen:
Is it possible that CBS buys a subset of the Fox deal after the primary deal closes?

I don't see it. While FOX will have the "A" package and they will be picking the top games and have the most games by paying the most, there is now other media partners in NBC & TNT. FOX is picking up the Big 12 in 2025. While the amount of games we still don't know, one could guess anywhere from 25 to 50 games, to off set the loss of Pac-12 (22 games) and maybe around (50) games from the Big East on these new TV deals.

[Shooter McGavin]

Is 6 years better for the Big East?  Or would it have been better with a longer deal in place?

[Nukem2]

Is 6 years better for the Big East?  Or would it have been better with a longer deal in place?

In the current media rights environment, 6 years is almost an eternity. Need to be flexible as well.

[TallTitan34]

Disapointed CBS could not be in the mix.

While I will miss the occasional national CBS game, I won't miss the D-team announcing on CBS Sports Network.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Is 6 years better for the Big East?  Or would it have been better with a longer deal in place?

I think flexibility is good.... though part of me was hoping the deal would go past the 2032 season.  The NCAAT contract ending in 2032 has me a tad paranoid

[Shooter McGavin]

I think flexibility is good.... though part of me was hoping the deal would go past the 2032 season.  The NCAAT contract ending in 2032 has me a tad paranoid

Yeah that's what I was thinking as well.  I do not like this tenuous landscape.   

[The Sultan]

Yeah that's what I was thinking as well.  I do not like this tenuous landscape.   

There is not much anyone can do about it, so we may as well enjoy the next six or seven years.

My guess is that after that we are going to see a lot of changes, but they may end up being more lucrative for schools like Marquette if the Big East can still remain competitive.

[Herman Cain]

I don't see it. While FOX will have the "A" package and they will be picking the top games and have the most games by paying the most, there is now other media partners in NBC & TNT. FOX is picking up the Big 12 in 2025. While the amount of games we still don't know, one could guess anywhere from 25 to 50 games, to off set the loss of Pac-12 (22 games) and maybe around (50) games from the Big East on these new TV deals.

I guess replacing the CBS Broadcast games with NBC Broadcast games would be a wash .

While I will miss the occasional national CBS game, I won't miss the D-team announcing on CBS Sports Network.

Combination of a)bad color with Lappas, Gillen and Fraschilla and b) play by play announcers who sometimes don't know the team make CBS Sports Network not helpful to the cause

I think flexibility is good.... though part of me was hoping the deal would go past the 2032 season.  The NCAAT contract ending in 2032 has me a tad paranoid

The League will have to keep performing well on the court. Winning solves a lot of problems.

[GoldenWarrior11]

If there ever was a mistake made by the BE leadership, it was tying themselves to a 12-year deal in 2013.  With so many unknowns at the time, it is a minor critique in the long-term of things, but power conferences keep short-term TV deals because the value of live sports programming continues to sky rocket over time.  By renegotiating once, possibly twice, per decade, it guarantees the opportunity to negotiate for market value.  IMO, the two gravest mistakes in conference media rights over the past decade are 1) the ACC TV contract and 2) the AAC TV contract.  The ACC is locked into a long-term, below market, deal until 2036; it sacrificed, at the time, long-term market value for near term security and stability - which ironically has caused irrefutable division within the league and has multiple members seeing a way out to earn more.  The AAC TV deal, which caused UConn to finally bolt, also is another long-term TV deal until 2032 (but signed in 2020).  Both conference packages are below market, but there's nothing that its membership can do about it (having chosen the security of ESPN association). 

Having a short-term deal that is up before the NCAAT contract (is another extremely undervalued property) is a smart thing, IMO.  The Big East is not going to be excluded, given that the tournament is expanding and that we have the most championships in the past decade. 

[Shooter McGavin]

There is not much anyone can do about it, so we may as well enjoy the next six or seven years.

My guess is that after that we are going to see a lot of changes, but they may end up being more lucrative for schools like Marquette if the Big East can still remain competitive.

Very true.  Hand wringing will not help.  With Shaka, MU will be putting its best face forward. The Big East looks poised to as well with the coaches in place. This media deal can only help as well.  Hope everything shakes out well six years from now.

[MU82]

The Big East is not going to be excluded, given that the tournament is expanding and that we have the most championships in the past decade.

Yeah, nothing bad could every happen to the conference of champions.

[MUDPT]

I guess replacing the CBS Broadcast games with NBC Broadcast games would be a wash . Combination of a)bad color with Lappas, Gillen and Fraschilla and b) play by play announcers who sometimes don't know the team make CBS Sports Network not helpful to the cause The League will have to keep performing well on the court. Winning solves a lot of problems.

Fraschilla>>>>>>>> Lappas or Gillen

[muwarrior69]

Yeah, nothing bad could every happen to the conference of champions.

Like the PAC 12?

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39862064/which-ncaa-mens-conference-most-basketball-titles

[The Sultan]

Yeah, nothing bad could every happen to the conference of champions.

The Pac 12 wasn't "excluded" from anything. It broke apart because it was mismanaged internally.

[MU82]

I was joking.

[brewcity77]

Is 6 years better for the Big East?  Or would it have been better with a longer deal in place?

It's an interesting choice. Ends a year before the current NCAA deal runs out. The Big Ten will need a new deal in 2030 that will set the standard, then the B12 & Big East come up in 2031. Either way, better than the ACC waiting until 2036 lol.

If there ever was a mistake made by the BE leadership, it was tying themselves to a 12-year deal in 2013.

I actually think it was the right move at the time. I wouldn't want them to do it again, but it guaranteed more than a decade of stability for a league ESPN pronounced dead.

It proved to be great business for Fox, getting four national champions in that stretch and a stronger league than probably anyone thought at the time, but it also gave us the stability to be in a stronger bargaining position now.

[The Sultan]

You could probably question the length of the deal in retrospect, but people need to remember how much uncertainty surrounded the C7 break away at the time. There wasn't a single soul here who questioned that Fox deal at the time. They needed the certainty.