The ESPN and WBD Sports (Turner Sports) deal
Somehow a group of college sports fans are under the misconception that the Big 12 broke away from ESPN for a package of sports on TNT. Back in November as part a legal settlement Warner Brothers Discovery Sports (Turner Sports) and ESPN announced a five-year deal with TNT Sports to sublicense the College Football Playoff and Big 12 games.
So, ESPN will transfer some of its content to Turner Sports.
Details Matter
TNT Sports aired the College Football Playoff First Round games on Saturday, Dec. 21, with the Penn State win over SMU. Followed by the broadcast of the Texas win over Clemson with both games seen on TNT, TBS, and truTV and streamed on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On.
Those CFP Playoff games were produced by ESPN including the broadcast teams and the only thing different was the mic flag that said TNT. Starting next year TNT Sports will add two quarterfinal games each year, through the 2028 season.
What about the Big 12
Part of the ESPN – Turner Sports deal begins this fall and spans six seasons, running concurrent to the Big 12’s new television contract with partners ESPN and Fox. It gives the conference expanded coverage on linear TV which is a good deal for everyone.
So, a combination of 28 football and basketball games that would have likely been streamed by ESPN+ will now be seen on Turner Sports. The games will be produced by ESPN complete with their on-air broadcast teams. It will look like an ESPN game just airing on Turner Sports.
Again, this is not a bad thing for the conference or Turner Sports it expands the reach of the conference.
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So what does ESPN get out of this deal?
ESPN will get the rights to the most entertaining pre and post-game show on television. Except when the show goes on the road, TNT Sports will continue to independently produce “Inside the NBA” from its Atlanta-based studios over the term of the agreement. Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaq O’Neal will remain with the show.
Conclusion
For those who think that ESPN is no longer in control of all the Big 12 conference media right would be wrong. It just means ESPN will still be in control of all the content but Turner Sports will air a package of games. As I said this is a good deal for the conference and their fans. But in the end, both ESPN and Fox control the broadcasts.
Washington based CEO & Founder of LJC. Media covering politics, sports, & entertainment A seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director, and podcast host. Digital Director and Washington Bureau Chief at News Talk Florida & The Daily Cable
