One football game from most Big 12 schools each season will move to ESPN+ behind a paywallGETTY IMAGES
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby "declined to say" whether the conference's revamped deal with ESPN "could be the precursor to a much bigger media agreement" with the network, according to Chuck Carlton of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. While the new deal "sets up the Big 12 for the next round of media rights" after '24-25, the move "will be a major adjustment for fans." One football game, a "handful of men's basketball games and various Olympic sports from each Big 12 school" outside of Texas and Oklahoma "will move to ESPN+ behind a paywall." Bowlsby acknowledged that this will "cause viewer habits to change," but noted that "unlike some conference networks, it is not dependent on cable companies or satellite providers." Bowlsby said, "We now control some things we didn't before. From a cohesiveness standpoint, this is the best our properties have been aligned in many, many years" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/11).
GRADES ARE IN: SBJ's John Ourand tabbed ESPN a winner in the Big 12 deal. With no real competition in the market, ESPN picked up the rights to the three Big 12 title games, plus conference streaming rights, at a big discount. The AAC is also a winner after the conference took a risk when it committed much of its sports schedule to ESPN+. The Big 12 deal should validate the AAC’s decision. Every deal ESPN has cut recently has included ESPN+ rights, but the Big 12 is the biggest conference so far to commit its rights to the platform. The deal is a push for the Big 12. While the conference didn’t get the dollars it wanted, it managed to deepen its relationship with ESPN and find a consistent home for its live events on ESPN+ (John Ourand, SBJ Media). In Austin, Brian Davis noted the Big 12 has "found a backdoor way to create its own league TV network without disrupting the Longhorn Network or Oklahoma’s deal with Fox." The Longhorn Network is "contractually obligated to air 200 Texas events per year." An ESPN spokesperson said that is "not expected to change." OU "sold its third-party TV rights to Fox" (HOOKEM.com, 4/10).
