Report: NBC, TNT nearing deal to join FOX as Big East basketball TV partner

NBC and TNT are reportedly nearing a deal to join FOX as the Big East Conference’s basketball TV partner, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. He later reported this will begin during the 2025-26 season.

“While Fox Sports will remain the top partner, both NBC, which will feature most of its games on Peacock, and TNT Sports, which operates the streaming service Max, are anticipated to add a large number of games,” Marchand wrote.

“The financial terms of the expected new agreements are not yet known. The agreement is not yet formalized and the other incumbent, CBS Sports — which does a smaller package of games — is still holding discussions.”

NBC and TNT joining forces on college basketball is ironic amid the NBA television rights negotiations. TNT is currently broadcasting the NBA while NBC wants to get back in.

As Marchand reported, NBC is very close to landing the NBA once again.

“The potential moves by NBC Sports and TNT Sports continue their buying sprees, that are centered around the competition over the rights to the NBA,” Marchand wrote. “NBC is joining ESPN and Amazon Prime Video in completing legal paperwork to make it partners with the NBA on 11-year deals.”

Big East latest venture for NBC, TNT

“TNT Sports, which has owned NBA rights for nearly four decades, is still trying to hang on to the league with either a smaller regular-season and postseason package or it may try to invoke matching rights that potentially could lead to a legal confrontation with the league,” Marchand wrote. “TNT Sports has one season remaining on its current NBA rights agreement.”

The Big East is the latest acquisition by the networks. TNT recently got in on the college football fun by adding a sublicense for College Football Playoff games from ESPN. That’ll begin this season.

Big East basketball will be shown on TNT just like the French Open next year. The tennis grand slam was on NBC for long time before signing off after this past tournament.

So while NBC and TNT get in on the Big East basketball fun, FOX Sports is expected to hang onto the Big East Tournament championship and games. However, NBC/Peacock could get some tournament competition, according to Marchand. That network already has the rights to Big Ten basketball in addition to FOX.

The Big East isn’t TNT’s first rodeo with college basketball considering the network just added the Hall of Fame college basketball tipoff this season. It’ll feature the South Carolina women against Michigan and Texas playing Ohio State in men’s basketball.