The Big 12 Conference and Fox Sports reached a 13-year agreement for the exclusive cable rights to 40 regular season football games, along with a variety of Olympic sports events and conference championships.
According to the Sports Business Daily, the deal is worth an average of $90 million per year.
The new deal takes effect with the 2012 football season and nearly doubles the number of regular season games under its current agreement. A majority of the telecasts will be shown on Fox Sports Net and several other games will be scheduled on FX as part of its recently announced college football slate.
“This landmark agreement positions the Conference with one of the best television arrangements in collegiate sports,” said Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe. “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. Most importantly, the agreement signifies the long-term commitment of the member institutions to one another. The Conference is delighted to continue its partnership with FOX and build on the momentum the FSN network has generated for the Big 12 brand through our first 15 years. We are excited about extending our presence on other FOX platforms, especially on FX, a top network for male audiences.”
Starting with the 2012-13 academic year, every Big 12 home football game will be broadcast on ABC, Fox Sports/FX, or by institutional platforms.
Fox also has similar cable exclusivity for a minimum of 40 Olympic sports events, including Conference championship events and women’s basketball along with comprehensive multimedia rights to allow Fox to maximize online, mobile, and wireless opportunities for its Big 12 content.