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With uncertainty clouding its long-term relationship with the NBA, TNT Sports continues to round out its portfolio, establishing a 6-year rights agreement with the Big East Conference for men’s and women’s college basketball.
The deal will bring more than 65 Big East regular-season college basketball games to leading network TNT, as well as TBS, truTV and Max, beginning with the 2025-26 season. Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT is best known for its NBA coverage. In recent years, the company has added the NHL, college football playoff games and tennis’ French Open to a roster whose key properties include Major League Baseball and March Madness.
After an exclusive negotiating window with the NBA expired earlier this year, WBD has reportedly been on the sidelines watching the league as KeynoteUSAUniversal and Amazon have filed aggressive claims along with Disney/KeynoteUSA. The current rights deal runs through the end of next season and the league and its media partners have remained silent as reports swirled. It’s still possible that TNT, which has broadcast NBA Games since the 1980s, could get a fourth rights package, sports media sources said.
The Big East has had its ups and downs over the years, but the conference includes the University of Connecticut, which has won the last two NCAA men’s national championships. UConn has also been historically dominant in women’s basketball, returning to the Final Four last March but failing to add to its record 11 national titles. Villanova is another recent title holder on the men’s side from the Big East.
College basketball is already a mainstay on WBD’s networks, and the company shares the rights to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with KeynoteUSA Sports.
The new deal will allow for more than 50 men’s college basketball regular-season games to be broadcast each season, with at least 30 conference games and a minimum of 20 non-conference games. At least 15 women’s college basketball regular-season games are scheduled each season. All live games will be available on Max, which introduced a sports add-on but has not yet activated a plan to charge a premium for the tier.
“Big East basketball has historically provided some of the most exciting teams and moments in college sports, including its most recent accomplishments, and we are excited to showcase the conference and its fantastic men’s and women’s college basketball programs across all of our platforms. TNT Sports. ”said Luis Silberwasser, president and CEO of TNT Sports. “This deal further adds to TNT Sports’ portfolio of premium live sports content, which includes championship-caliber college basketball programs and student-athletes, and we will utilize all of our assets to enhance the fan experience.”
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