Big 12 Extension with ESPN and FOX Now Being Reported by CBS

STILLWATER –  “We are not going to go backwards, we are going forward and we will make more with our next multi-media rights deal,” said Brett Yormark about his recent efforts to get an extension with current television partners ESPN and FOX Sports with Big 12 Conference. Pokes Report reported a month ago that Yormark was already in motion with discussions with high level officials at both entities and that the Big 12 was not going to sit back and wait on the Pac-12 or any other entity that they were going to be aggressive with their efforts. 

Pokes Report repeatedly told you that Yormark and the Big 12 were making inroads and that a deal could be done relatively soon. Yormark was in constant communication updating his school leaders and the Big 12 Board of Directors met in Irving last week and were further briefed on the negotiations.

This week in Kansas City Yormark divuldged even more about the process he was engaged in and CBS Sports and Dennis Dodd, their lead college sports reporter and columnist released a story this morning reflecting the status of the negotiations. 

This was the lead for Dodd’s story:

The Big 12 could have a new media rights deal in place with ESPN and Fox within a matter of weeks, sources tell CBS Sports.

The league has been aggressively pursuing a new deal ahead of the conference's formal negotiating window in 2024. The Big 12's current contract with ESPN and Fox expires after the 2024-25 academic year.

While a new deal this far ahead of the expiration of the current contract is not assured, it could position the Big 12 ahead of the Pac-12 in terms of securing more lucrative broadcast windows. The Pac-12 is currently on the open market for a new contract as its current deal expires in 2024.

Yormark said on Wednesday in Kansas City that the ESPN and FOX Sports folks were “bullish” on the Big 12 and the direction that the conference was going including the new members Cincinnati, Central Florida, Houston, and BYU.  

USA TODAY Sports

FOX Sports will be a part of the next Big 12 deal along with ESPN, the two current partners with the Big 12.

“I love ESPN and FOX and I believe in digital too and streaming,” Yormark expressed to Sirius-XM and Big 12 This Morning on Tuesday. “I believe it is imperative we continue to have a relationship with ESPN and FOX because of how broad their platform is and the consumers they reach, and how they can elevate and amplify everything that we are doing. That is my focus right now. Can I get a deal done now that is in our best interest or do I wait 16 months, I am having meaningful conversations right now and I hope I can get there. If we collectively decide we love where we are going and want to bet on ourselves and wait, then I think we will make that decision in the next week or two.”

I would bet on the deal getting done soon and the Big 12 not waiting. The rumored numbers for a deal are somewhere between $350-400 million annually. I think it will be even more. Yormark said he wants people to doubt him and the Big 12 because it will make it look all the more spectacular and strong for the Big 12 when the story is finally completed and out. He will want all the doubters to check it out and then admit how wrong they were about Yormark and the conference he represents. 

The other aspect of all this is that Yormark is going to engage in other revenue streams.

Oklahoma State Athletics

Yormark visited all of the Big 12 schools and liked what he found at Oklahoma State.

“For me it’s how do we diversify revenue? How do we do things very differently and take advantage of this great platform with the Big 12? That is what we are analyzing,” Yormark said. “I’ve got a view and a strategy that is shared by our Board, and I think that strategy is uniquely positioned for the Big 12. My biggest concern when I wake up every morning is how do I position the Big 12 to be the best version of itself? That is what I’m focused on day in and day out regardless of what other conferences are doing.”

He is focused and he is in full engagement mode.