The Big 12 is Coming to TNT!
Get ready for a new era.
As part of a settlement between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery, the Big 12 will transfer 13 of its football games each year from ESPN’s streaming service to traditional television on WBD channels TNT and TBS. Additionally, ESPN will sublicense 15 Big 12 men’s basketball games, which will also be broadcast on TNT or TBS.
This sublicensing agreement will begin in the fall of 2025 and will last for six seasons, running alongside the Big 12’s new television contracts with ESPN and FOX, as confirmed by Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark to Yahoo Sports.
The Big 12’s involvement is part of a larger arrangement involving the NBA, WBD, and ESPN. The settlement addresses litigation that WBD filed regarding the NBA’s decision to award its future broadcasting rights to ESPN, Amazon, and NBC. In a notable “trade,” TNT’s popular show “Inside the NBA,” featuring Charles Barkley, will move to ESPN starting next NBA season.
WBD will acquire 28 Big 12 football and basketball games to fill time slots that would have previously been used for NBA games. While specific kickoff times are yet to be determined, it’s expected that 10 out of the 13 games will feature Big 12 conference teams. These games will also be available on the streaming platform MAX (formerly HBO Max), which is part of WBD.
Though it may be overshadowed by the NBA news, this agreement represents a significant win for the Big 12. The move to linear television means that football games previously available only on ESPN+ will now reach a broader audience, adding a fourth network partner for the conference and strengthening its position for future television contract negotiations, Yormark noted.
ESPN and FOX continue to be the Big 12’s “flagship partners,” with both networks committed to broadcasting their agreed-upon number of football and basketball games. There will be no reduction in content on the linear platforms for ESPN and FOX. Additionally, CBS Sports will expand its agreement by airing 26 men’s basketball games each year, following a previous deal announced by the conference in September.
“This is an enhancement to what ESPN and FOX provide us. That’s why this deal is so beneficial,” Yormark told Yahoo Sports. “Any addition to both networks is complementary and will promote and market the Big 12 and its brands even more effectively.”
At a time of significant changes in college sports media rights, the Big 12 stands out as the only power conference with partnerships with both ESPN and FOX. FOX has a longstanding, profitable relationship with the Big Ten, while also sublicensing games to NBC and CBS. In contrast, the SEC and ACC are exclusively aligned with ESPN, broadcasting on their own ESPN-owned networks.
The new sublicensing agreement with WBD helps to fill linear broadcast slots just as the Pac-12 and Mountain West are preparing to negotiate new rights packages. Two years ago, the Big 12 preemptively sought a new agreement with ESPN and FOX, a move that some experts believe led to troubles for the Pac-12, which has struggled to secure a solid TV contract for its members, culminating in a split that left only Washington State and Oregon State.
This season marks the Big 12’s first football season with former Pac-12 teams Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State. Deion Sanders and his 8-2 Buffaloes are on track for the Big 12 football championship game, which could translate into significant ratings for the league. FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” show has already broadcast from the site of four Big 12 games this season, three of which featured Sanders’ Colorado team.
The new sublicensing deal positions the Big 12 favorably for its upcoming television negotiations. Yormark is considering a unique approach by potentially selling the football and men’s basketball rights separately, rather than as a single package, which is typical. This thought is sparked by the Big 12’s basketball success, prompting the commissioner to explore this bifurcated strategy.
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