Big Ten Conference announces MAJOR new Media Deal

The 2022 season is right around the corner, but much like the rest of the off-season the focus on “actual football” has been overshadowed by off-the-field moves. The Big Ten has been at the forefront of those headlines with their conference expansion West, adding USC and UCLA in 2023. Now they’re once again dominating the headlines as they announced their new media deal earlier this morning. Let’s just say, the Big Ten GOT. A. BAG.

The new media deal is suspected to be somewhere between seven and eight BILLION dollars. Just a casual billion-dollar range. We’re talking billions, with a B. Kevin Warren essentially went to the negotiating table like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers.

Big Ten competition will now be aired across five different networks, with some streaming services also in the fold. The new deal will begin July 1st, 2023, and will give “the most comprehensive coverage in all of college sports”, according to a released statement from the Big Ten.

The Big Ten will now have football coverage on Fox, CBS, NBC, the Big Ten Network, and NBC’s new streaming service, Peacock. The conference will host 15 games on CBS and up to 16 games between Fox and NBC. Peacock will get exclusive rights to 8 games a season according to the statement. Get ready for Rutgers @ Illinois, exclusively on Peacock. CBS and NBC will also get access to the Big Ten Championship game which previously was only aired on FOX.

Big Ten Men’s and Women’s basketball will play their games on CBS, FOX, and the Big Ten Network with CBS airing both the men’s tournament semifinals and finals, as well as the women’s tournament final for the first time ever, which is awesome to see. CBS’s Paramount + will also have access to basketball games with the new deal.

This new deal is a huge win for the Big Ten and puts them at a huge advantage in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. Now the attention likely shifts to further expansion as the Big Ten tries to continue to be on the forefront of change among the conferences.