“That’s really positive.” Big East Conference Announces New 6-Year Media Rights Agreement

The Big East Conference announced a new six-year media rights agreement Thursday that will ensure the league remains one of the most televised conferences in college athletics.

Fox Sports, the Big East’s television partner for the past 11 years, will continue to be the conference’s primary network provider, while NBC Sports and TNT Sports will provide additional comprehensive Big East basketball coverage for the first time, according to a press release.

“Everyone at FOX Sports is excited to continue our long-standing relationship with the BIG EAST, one of the nation’s premier basketball conferences and a pillar of our college basketball lineup,” said Fox Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks , in a statement. “It is a privilege to showcase these spectacular student-athletes and institutions alongside our new partners, NBC Sports and TNT Sports, as we strengthen our role as a leader in college sports.”

The new agreement will begin during the 2025-26 season and last until 2030-2031. Includes coverage on Fox Sports (Fox, FS1, FS2), NBC Sports (NBC, Peacock) and TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, truTV and Max). The Big East’s current deal with Fox Sports will expire after the 2024-25 school year.

“This is a really positive for Big East basketball and Xavier, ensuring we maintain the best TV platform in college basketball,” Xavier athletics director and vice president of institutional strategy Greg Christopher told The Enquirer. “It also shows that relationships are important. We have a strong partnership with Fox and our performance on the court speaks for itself.”

There is a new direct-to-consumer streaming element to the new deal, in addition to major national and cable broadcasts of Big East men’s and women’s basketball games and Olympic competitions. Fox Sports will feature at least 80 Big East men’s and women’s basketball games beginning in 2025-26.

Although the deal doesn’t begin until this school year, Peacock will launch its Big East basketball coverage this upcoming season with a package of 25 regular-season games and five conference tournament games in the early rounds and quarterfinals, according to a communicated. When the new agreement begins during the 2025-26 season, Peacock and NBC Sports will carry more than 60 men’s and women’s regular season games along with Big East Tournament contests.

“BIG East Basketball is among the most prestigious in all of college sports and we are proud to be able to showcase the men’s and women’s teams on our NBCUniversal platforms,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said in a statement. “The BIG EAST has a storied basketball history and we look forward to showcasing these games as the conference creates more memorable moments.”

More: Xavier’s Revenge Tour: Why Musketeers Are Top 25 Teams in 2024-25

TNT Sports will feature more than 65 Big East regular-season games broadcast on TNT, TBS, truTV and Max when the deal begins.

More than 150 regular-season men’s basketball games will be distributed across the networks’ various platforms, including all league contests and conference tournament games. The league’s women’s basketball coverage will be significantly improved under the new deal, with the network scheduled to at least triple its commitment under the current deal.

This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: “That’s really positive.” Big East announces new 6-year TV contract