Marquette University and the University of Connecticut will meet in the Big East basketball tournament finals at Madison Square Garden.
Photo: Sarah Steer/Getty Images
In the biggest media rights deal in college basketball, the Big East signed new long-term agreements with Fox Sports, NBC Sports and TNT Sports.
The new deal will run through the 2030-2031 season and will make Fox the primary broadcast partner.
But perhaps the most important part of the new deal is the addition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports. The network will broadcast at least 65 games each season, including 50 men’s games and 15 women’s games. All games will be streamed on Max, and the company has secured highlight rights for Bleacher Report and other digital platforms.
TNT Sports broadcasts the March Madness tournament, but its deal with the Big East allows it to broadcast the entire season, including major teams such as champions UConn, Marquette, Villanova and St. John’s. The deal also comes amid uncertainty over TNT Sports’ future with the NBA. The NBA is expected to name ESPN, NBC and Amazon as new broadcast rights partners, but TNT is exploring some avenues to continue as an NBA partner.
“Big East basketball has historically delivered some of the most thrilling teams and moments in college sports, including recent accomplishments, and we are excited to showcase the conference and its incredible men’s and women’s college basketball programs across all TNT Sports platforms,” said Lewis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO of TNT Sports. “This agreement further adds to TNT Sports’ portfolio of premium live sports content featuring championship-level college basketball programs and student-athletes, and we will leverage all of our assets to enhance the fan experience.”
Fox will retain exclusive rights to the Big East Finals, while NBC will add 25 games to its Peacock streaming service in addition to broadcasting them on television.
“The new agreement, which provides broadcast coverage by FOX Sports, NBC Sports and TNT Sports, will allow the Big East to maintain its already high level of national broadcast and cable exposure while providing the first-ever streaming broadcast of men’s basketball games and expanded coverage of women’s basketball games,” said Father Dr. Daniel S. Hendrickson, president of Creighton University and chairman of the Big East Conference board of directors.
Hendrickson added, “This arrangement will increase revenue for the conference, provide long-term stability, benefit our student-athletes and ensure we remain nationally competitive in our flagship sport of basketball. We are especially pleased to continue our unique relationship with Fox Sports and look forward to building on the excellent foundation we’ve built together over the past 11 years.”
