Fox Sign USD1.1bn 13-Year Deal for Big 12 Conference

Fox Sports Media Group has secured a broadcast deal with the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Big 12 Conference in the United States, a college athletic conference of twelve schools located in the Central United States, in a deal worth an estimated US$1.1bn over 13 years.

The 12 schools compete in a variety of different sports for both men and women including baseball, basketball, cross-country, American football, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.

Under the terms of the agreement, Fox will air 40 American football games each season from late 2012. The conference’s overall TV revenues, including the eight-year, $480m deal with ABC and ESPN that runs through to 2016, will increase to an average of about $150m per year for the competition.

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe stated: “In the total context of media arrangements, we think we’re in an as favourable position as anyone in the country.”

Fox Sports Networks president Randy Freer added: “There is no question that there is upward pressure on the value of sports rights. Sports and college sports have been undervalued comparatively to other content in the marketplace, and this is going to create the opportunity for collegiate sports to create a better marketplace.”

The agreement increases the number of games covered per season on Fox by 20, although Freer has not confirmed whether the new deal includes the option of sub-licensing games to networks such as ESPN and Versus as currently allowed under the existing deal.