Football's Big Ten Conference has reached a media agreement with Fox Sports to serve as the official broadcast partner of the new Big Ten Football Championship games from 2011-16, Fox announced Wednesday.
The deal is between the two sides who also partner on the Big Ten Network. Fox Sports' coverage of the championship game will allow the Big Ten Network to play a prominent role at the site of the game, including the possibility of shared talent. In addition to this latest agreement with Fox Sports, the conference currently has media agreements with ABC, ESPN, CBS Sports and CBS College Sports Network.
Fox Sports will promote the Big Ten Championship game across all of its platforms, including FoxSports.com, Fox Sports Radio and during its coverage of major fall sports events, including the NFL and MLB postseason.
"We are excited to announce that Fox Sports will be the official broadcast partner for the 2011-16 Big Ten Football Championship Games," said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. "Fox Sports is known for carrying the biggest sporting events in the country and is a leader in the acquisition, creative production and cutting-edge promotion of national events. Big Ten sports have achieved broad coverage in the American sports landscape through agreements with ABC, ESPN, CBS Sports, CBS College Sports Network and the Big Ten Network. We look forward to the addition of Fox Sports, which is committed to promoting Big Ten football and will air the Big Ten Championship Games to more than 115 million homes."
"Since our inception in 1994, our goal has been to provide viewers with the biggest, most prestigious sporting events in America and the acquisition of the Big Ten Football Championship Game continues that tradition," said David Hill, chairman & CEO, Fox Sports Media Group. "We are thrilled to bring this contest to the network and we're looking forward to providing it an unprecedented, multi-platform promotional effort while maximizing the synergistic opportunities between Fox Sports and the Big Ten Network."
The inaugural Big Ten Championship game will be played during primetime Dec. 3, 2011 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The winner will earn the Big Ten Championship title and a chance to play in the Rose Bowl tournament or Bowl Championship Series National Championship game.
