NBC, Warner Bros. Discovery Poised to Add Big East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Games Starting in 2024
Fox will retain a large package of Big East games, but it will be joined by NBC Sports and TNT Sports according to a new report.
The dust still hasn’t completely settled over who will be the NBA’s next broadcasting partners, but while observers wait for that news to drop, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBC are continuing to make live sports deals. Those two companies have been in hot pursuit of NBA rights, as NBC appears poised to steal the package currently owned by TNT Sports starting in 2025. However, The Athletic reports that the two companies will both be partnering with a different sports entity this season: The Big East conference. The report says that NBC and WBD are both nearing deals to acquire packages of Big East basketball beginning in 2024, and will be splitting the conference’s rights with Fox and CBS.
Key Details
- Fox will remain the top partner for Big East basketball, but NBC and WBD will both get large packages under the not-yet-finalized deal.
- NBC would reportedly send a large portion of games to its streamer Peacock, and WBD could stream games on Max.
- TNT Sports recently agreed to a deal for broadcast rights to the French Open, as NBC continues to work toward finalizing an NBA pact.
There aren’t many details available about the new broadcast arrangements for Big East basketball yet, as deals have not been completely finalized. But The Athletic reports that NBC and WBD are both set to join Fox as broadcast partners for the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball games this season, though Fox will stay the top partner of the Big East. CBS is still in discussions with the conference over what its package will look like.
The report states that “most” games in NBC’s forthcoming package will also be available to stream on Peacock. WBD’s streaming service Max shows sporting events airing on TNT, TBS and truTV in its Bleacher Report Sports add-on, which is still free for all Max subscribers to watch.
If the Big East does sign with NBC and WBD, it will add to the college basketball inventory of both companies. NBC currently offers Big Ten football and basketball games on Peacock, while WBD provides a big selection of contests from the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on its cable channels.
Does Big East Deal Have Any Implications for NBA Rights?
The new deal with the Big East could be another indication that WBD thinks it’s about to lose the NBA. TNT Sports’ current deal with the Association ends after the 2024-25 season, and it appears WBD’s options to retain the league are dwindling. NBC has bid $2.5 billion for the rights package that WBD currently holds, and though contracts still need to be signed, it looks as if that bundle of games will indeed shift to NBC/Peacock,
That leaves WBD with the option of trying to carve out another package of NBA games for itself, or invoking its matching rights and potentially entering into a court battle over what “matching rights” really mean. Neither option is particularly appealing, but WBD has seemed determined not to pay what it thinks of as too much for the NBA.
That hasn’t stopped it from seeking out other live sports deals. Late last week, WBD agreed to a deal to broadcast the French Open tennis tournament starting in 2025, and in May the company announced a deal to sublicense a package of College Football Playoff games in ESPN which takes hold this season. WBD has insisted that it would be seeking out new sports deals regardless of its status with the NBA, but it still appears as if the company is scrambling to make up for the looming departure of the league.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.