Fox Sports and the Big 12 Conference have finalized a 13-year deal that will make Fox’ cable properties the conference’s exclusive cable home for football. Sources say Fox has agreed to pay $90M per year over 13 years. Fox had been paying $20M per year for the rights. In exchange for that fee, Fox will pick up the exclusive cable rights to 40 football games (up from 20 in the current contract) and all online, mobile and wireless rights.

Most of the games will be available on FSN, though several also will be scheduled for FX. As part of the deal, Fox will get cable exclusivity for 40 Olympic sports events. "This landmark agreement positions the Conference with one of the best television arrangements in collegiate sports," Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe said in a release. "It exceeds the benchmarks as we move forward with our 10 members by providing significant revenue growth, increased exposure while allowing institutions to retain selected rights."

There is no word on a proposed Big 12 channel, though the rights retained by the schools (which include one football game each), could be used to support such a channel, which sources say could carry up to 60 basketball games and Olympic sports. The channel would not include programming from the Univ. of Texas, which has partnered with ESPN on the new Longhorn Network, or the Univ. of Oklahoma, which is planning its own channel as well.

The NBA today said that it “has yet to make a decision on whether the summer games will be played,” disputing a report claiming that its Las Vegas summer league “will be canceled due to a potential July 1 shutdown over its labor dispute with players.” NBA Senior VP/Basketball Communications Tim Frank “declined to discuss the league's timetable for making a decision.” The Las Vegas league in '10 started July 9, which this summer would fall “just days after an expected lockout would begin” (ESPN.com, 4/13).

Evidence from documents indicates the NFL's proposal to players for a rookie compensation system would divert about $300M a year "from first-round draft picks' contracts to veterans and player benefits." The offer would free more than $1.2B by '16 and "slow the growth rate of guaranteed payments to first-rounders." The system "would not include a rookie wage scale and would allow for individual contract negotiations." Contracts "would have a fixed length of four years" for players chosen in rounds 2-7 and "would not affect salaries for those rounds" (AP, 4/13).

PowerPlay Golf (PPG) today announced plans for "Ignition," the first in a series of televised golf tournaments that feature a shortened version of a traditional 18-hole event. The tourney, sponsored by Saab, will be held at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales on May 30. The field will include Gary Player, Graeme McDowell and Paula Creamer (PPG).

PPG hopes the new format, which will see "top male and female players competing against each other," will "make the game more exciting and attract younger golfers." PPG also plans on "taking the format to the United States later this year." Paul Casey and Colin Montgomerie will face off in the opening match (REUTERS, 4/13).

ESPN today distributed to all commentators an updated policy on endorsements. The new guidelines address situations in which ESPN personalities “would be compensated by a third party to endorse or promote a product or service through commercials, personal appearances or in other ways.” The document also outlines “some areas that may be particularly problematic,” including “athletic equipment, apparel or footwear companies.” Starting Monday, ESPN.com will “publicly list any relevant, approved endorsements involving ESPN commentators” (ESPNFRONTROW.com, 4/13).

ESPN today hit the two-year anniversary of its local online initiative, and the company said its current roster of five ESPN Local sites combine for 8.7 million unique visitors, more than double the group's combined audience in early '10. ESPNNewYork.com, the newest of the five, generates the largest amount of user traffic in the group with an average of 4.6 million unique visitors per month, according to comScore. An additional 1.4 million visits per month arrive through mobile devices, ESPN said.

Advertising on the ESPN Local sites has also shifted in the past year, as a split of 60% national advertising to 40% local buys in the network a year ago has now become one with nearly 80% local buys and roughly 20% national ones. "Perhaps more than anything else, we've been really encouraged and pleased by the strong response from the local marketplace," said Jim Pastor, ESPN Senior VP and ESPN Local GM.

Pastor also expressed a growing open-mindedness toward creating additional ESPN Local sites after many months of company execs not showing any interest in growing beyond the current five. "We're exploring different options under the idea of expansion, and I'm hopeful we'll be able to announce something there at some point," he said. "We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we weren't looking out for additional opportunities."

MLS today formally announced an extension of its deal with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The Four Points by Sheraton brand will remain as the official hotel of the league, a sponsorship that began last year. Soccer United Marketing President Kathy Carter said, "We did a test run with them to get to know the property and to see if [Four Points] was interested in a broader deal." Starwood Senior VP/Specialty Select Brands Brian McGuinness said that MLS fans' "willingness to travel to away games" was a "selling point" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/11 issue).

Coca-Cola today announced that it has reached a deal to become the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider to Kentucky Speedway. Coca-Cola and the SMI-owned track will collaborate to create a series of entertainment and promotional programs to enhance the fan experience and generate exposure for the venue's six-event, two-weekend '11 season. Coca-Cola's motorsports portfolio includes a deal as the official soft drink of NASCAR (Coca-Cola).