The B1G was reportedly seeking double the current rate from ESPN in its media rights deal negotiations.

In the current deal between ESPN and the B1G, ESPN pays $190 million annually to air B1G games. The B1G Conference asked for $380 million per year from ESPN for a total of 7 years. ESPN backed out of the negotiations for a new media rights contract with the B1G.

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If ESPN agreed to the B1G’s final offer, the company would have paid more than $1 billion over the next 7 years to broadcast B1G games. The deal would have doubled ESPN’s financial investment in broadcasting games, but it would not have guaranteed the best games for ESPN to broadcast.

ESPN has split B1G games with Fox Sports on a weekly basis for many years. With this new deal, ESPN would not have taken precedence over Fox’s deal with the B1G. Fox currently airs weekly B1G games and has the broadcasting rights to the B1G Championship Game.

The media rights deal between ESPN and the B1G Conference was one of the longest media deals in sports broadcasting history. This will result in the B1G potentially adding another network to its broadcasting slate.

The next network that buys the rights to broadcast B1G games will share the broadcasting load with Fox Sports.