The second season of the new Big 12 features expanded broadcast partnerships, with TNT joining ESPN and Fox as the third prong in the conference’s content-delivery machinery.
Except it’s not really three prongs.
Combine linear TV (over-the-air and cable) with streaming services, and Big 12 games will be available across nine networks throughout the regular season.
No other conference comes close.
The SEC has an exclusive agreement with ESPN and its family of linear and streaming platforms, including ABC.
The ACC is also all-in with ESPN, which sub-licenses games to The CW.
The Big Ten? It has three media partners, like the Big 12, but fewer streaming options.
The arrangement allows the Big 12 to establish proof of performance across multiple platforms, potentially generating enhanced interest for its media rights when they become available in the early 2030s.
But for the uninitiated, the addition of TNT to the lineup this season could make locating games a tad tricky at the outset.
As such, the Hotline corralled as many details as possible to offer fans a summary of where, and when, to find Big 12 games.
Please note:
The following information excludes the Week 0 games (Aug. 23): Iowa State vs. Kansas State in Dublin and Fresno State at Kansas.
Nor have we included the shoulder and supplementary content available this season. (TNT will broadcast an inside-access show, XII Uncovered, for example.) Those details can be found on the networks’ websites.
The information below is specific to the games themselves, starting with Week 1.
(All times Pacific)
— Kickoff times and TV assignments for the first three weeks of the season and all special date games (e.g., Friday nights) were released months ago.
Details for the remaining games will be revealed each Monday beginning Sept. 8.
The start times are usually announced 12 days before kickoff, but the Big 12’s network partners have a handful of six-day selection options (which are often held for late in the season).
— Big 12 games will air on linear television via ESPN/ESPN2/ABC, Fox/FS1 and TNT, plus the streaming platforms for each network: ESPN+, Fox One, which is new, and HBO Max. (In some cases, the TNT games will be simulcast on truTV.)
— There will be 27 games on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC. (ESPNU is no longer part of the contract.) Look for the Big 12 games on ABC to air in the 9 a.m. window or in primetime (4:30 p.m. on the West Coast).
— There will be 35 games on Fox and FS1, with a minimum of seven required for Fox. Most games on Fox’s over-the-air network will occupy one of three windows: 9 a.m. (i.e., Big Noon), 12:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.
Additionally, there could be a handful of Big 12 games on Fox at 7:15 p.m.
— TNT will air 13 games over the 14-week season as part of its sub-licensing agreement with ESPN. The only Saturday without a Big 12 game on TNT is Sept. 20.
Games on TNT will typically start early, at 9 a.m., in order to avoid going head-to-head with the marquee SEC game of the week later in the day.
(Note: The TNT inventory was originally scheduled for ESPN+, before the sub-licensing agreement was struck last year.)
— In the first three weeks of the season, the Big 12 will have four games on broadcast TV (each on Fox): South Dakota at Iowa State, Iowa at Iowa State, Delaware at Colorado and Oregon State at Texas Tech.
Those same Saturdays will feature three games on ESPN, three on TNT and 12 on ESPN+.
— Eight games will be televised on Friday nights, including Arizona-Kansas State on Sept. 12, which does not count in the conference standings.
Four Friday night games will air on ESPN, with three on Fox and one each on FS1 and ESPN+.
Additionally, there are two games on Black Friday: Utah at Kansas (9 a.m. on ABC/ESPN) and Arizona-ASU, which has not been set.
Again, the in-season selection process will begin Sept. 8, for the games scheduled on Sept. 20.
Previously published season preview content:
— My AP preseason ballot
— Bowl projections for Pac-12 legacy schools
— Forecasting the Big 12 race
— Big 12 Hot Seat breakdown
— Ranking the Big 12 quarterbacks
— Why the Big 12 killed its preseason poll
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