Big East Signs New Media Deal with Fox, NBC and TNT Sports; CBS Loses Rights Amidst Paramount Cost-Cutting

The Big East is expanding its media partnerships. The conference last signed a broadcasting deal with CBS and Fox in 2013, but those contracts expire following the 2024-25 season, and this time around there are some new partners coming to the table. CBS is no longer in the mix, but Fox and its sibling cable networks will welcome NBC and TNT as new allies in Big East basketball broadcasting until 2031.

Key Details:

• Fox will offer at least 80 men’s and women’s basketball games per season in the new deal, as well as the Big East Men’s Tournament.
• Peacock and NBC Sports will present more than 60 men’s and women’s regular season and some Big East Tournament games.
• TNT Sports gets more than 65 games per season, all of which will stream on Max.

The new Big East deal will see the conference’s games spread across more channels and streaming services than the last one did. That will likely cause some annoyance amongst fans, but for the conference and its member schools it likely means more revenue. More than 150 men’s basketball games will be distributed by broadcasters in the deal, and women’s basketball coverage will be greatly enhanced, as each network has agreed to at least triple the number of women’s basketball games they offer.

Big East Olympic Sport team championship contests will be carried annually as part of the new package, including men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, volleyball, baseball and softball. On the basketball front, Fox will continue to remain the conference’s leading partner. It will carry more than 80 men’s and women’s games per season, and will be the home of the Big East Men’s Tournament for the length of the deal.

NBC and Peacock are new to Big East basketball, but not to college sports broadcasting. Peacock and NBC Sports will begin their relationship with the Big East in the 2024-25 season, getting 25 regular season games and five early round and quarterfinal conference tournament contests. Beginning in 2025-26, NBC Sports will expand its coverage to encompass more than 60 games per season, as well as tournament games. Peacock already offers a selection of Big Ten basketball games each season, as well as football from that conference and Notre Dame.

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TNT Sports will get over 65 regular season games each year beginning in 2025-26, which will air on TNT, TBS and truTV. The games will also stream on Max. TNT’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is still trying to determine its future as an NBA broadcasting partner, but continues to make other live sports deals in the meantime.

“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 Big East Conference Board of Directors Chair Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson. “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.”

Because Big East basketball games will air on TNT and Fox, they will also be available on the Venu Sports joint venture platform. Venu will carry livestreams of 14 channels, including TNT, TBS and truTV, as well as Fox, FS1 and FS2, so any Big East games appearing on these channels will be available to its customers. Unfortunately, Venu won’t carry NBC’s package of Big East games, but adding a Peacock subscription for $7.99 per month extra to watch them all is unlikely to be a deal-breaker for fans of the conference.

CBS Sports will no longer be a Big East broadcasting partner following the 2024-25 season. The decision not to re-up with the conference is likely tied in with cost-cutting measures at CBS’s parent company Paramount Global. The company is currently trying to slash $500 million in spending from its budget, and rights to Big East basketball may have been too expensive to justify.