With the Big Ten’s media rights set to expire in 2023, major networks are gearing up to bid for some of the most sought-after packages in college sports.

NBC Sports is expected to make a major push for the Power 5 conference’s rights, sources tell Front Office Sports. The Big Ten could command fees of up to $1.1 billion annually on the open market, said sources. 

NBC views the combination of the Big Ten along with its existing deal with Notre Dame football as the “perfect one-two punch,” said one source. With its $100 million-per-year deal with the NHL off the books, NBC has the cash and ambition to boost its college portfolio.

“If I’m ESPN or Fox, I’m looking over my shoulder because NBC is going to go hard after the Big Ten,” said another source.

“We don’t comment on specific strategies of our company, but we’re always interested in high-quality sports with wide appeal,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told FOS.

The Big Ten is currently in an exclusive negotiating period with ESPN, Sports Business Journal reported. CBS, which will lose SEC football rights after the 2023-24 season, will reportedly also be particularly interested.

Media Rights Benchmarks

In 2017, the Big Ten inked a six-year, $2.64 billion package that pays out about $440 million each year.

But in 2020, a new bar was set with the SEC’s gargantuan 10-year, $3 billion deal with Disney that will commence in 2024.

Soccer players are joining sides with UEFA, the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A in their disapproval of a biennial World Cup.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed that the event take place every two years starting in 2024, and it’s pretty clear why. The governing body earned $6.4 billion between 2017 and 2020, and more than 70% of that came from 2018, when the last World Cup took place.

In a study conducted by the players’ representative body, FIFPRO, 75% of 1,000 players from 70 nationalities surveyed said they wanted to keep the tournament every four years.

• Europe and Asia saw 77% of respondents oppose the plan.
• In the Americas, 63% opposed it.
• Africa saw only 49% disagree with it.

Despite the strong results, only 21% of respondents said they believe their voice is respected and their wellbeing is considered by soccer governance. In October, more than a dozen UEFA teams raised the idea of quitting FIFA in protest if the proposal advances.

Falling Finances

Major European leagues are also at the risk of losing money from a biennial World Cup. A separate study commissioned by domestic leagues found that biennial World Cups would cost UEFA and domestic leagues a collective $9 billion.

It also found that the 40 biggest domestic leagues could lose up to $5.6 billion in media deals.

An emerging rival to the PGA Tour is taking shape: 17 players have reportedly signed on to the Super Golf League.

The breakaway league, backed by a group of investors from Saudi Arabia, is offering lucrative bonuses and prizes to lure golfers from the sport’s dominant institution. 

“I think there’s already been 17 guys that have jumped over [to the Super Golf League], and I can’t say who they are, but there’s going to be some big names,” said PGA Tour player Kramer Hickok on “The Stripe Show” podcast.

The new league could start in June.

• Top players including Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka have reportedly received offers of $30 million to $50 million to join the league.
• Bryson DeChambeau denied reports of a $135 million offer from the Super Golf League. He and Phil Mickelson are rumored to be leaving the PGA Tour.
• Investors backing the project are reportedly willing to spend up to $2 billion to draw in top players.

The Netflix Factor

The PGA Tour is turning to the example of  another international series of contests: Formula 1. Netflix and F1 docuseries producer Box to Box are collaborating on a new series on the PGA Tour.

While viewership of the Tour was up 30% year-over-year from the start of 2021 through March 11, 24% of 18-34 year-olds said in April 2021 that they had never heard of it.

The Professional Fighters League, a season-based MMA organization, is expanding its reach with a multiyear Latin American media rights agreement with DirecTV. 

DirecTV will be the exclusive provider of PFL content to consumers in 11 countries, including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, and Columbia, offering comprehensive coverage to old and new PFL fans in Latin America. 

• It will carry the entire 2022 season and the weekly PFL Challenger Series. 
• Localized content will be provided in both Spanish and Portuguese. 

The PFL’s deal with DirecTV for Latin American media rights follows the league extending its domestic rights deal with ESPN last month. The agreement will see the entire 2022 PFL playoffs air live on ESPN in the U.S. with additional coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN+. 

The PFL is also planning to incorporate pay-per-view coverage in the deal, which runs through 2023 with an option to extend.

Part of a New Era 

Last August, AT&T finalized its spinoff of DirecTV as part of a wholesale restructuring plan. The new entity combines DirecTV, AT&T, and U-verse, offering a range of channels including ESPN, Fox Sports, MLB Network, NBA TV, TBS, and TNT.

AT&T pocketed $7.1 billion in cash from the DirecTV spinoff, including $1.8 billion from private equity firm TPG. DirecTV borrowed $5.8 billion as part of the transaction.