Helena Frye
Big Ten basketball games have been available on FS1 since 2017, when Fox added coverage of selected Big Ten Conference games as part of a larger six-year contract. However, in 2017, a dispute between Sling TV and FS1 over carriage fees resulted in blackouts of Big Ten games for Sling TV subscribers. This issue was resolved in 2020 when Sling TV and its parent company DISH reached a new agreement with Fox, allowing Sling TV to air the games. In 2022, Fox renewed its rights to the Big Ten, maintaining 45 men's basketball games per season on Fox and FS1. The 2024-25 season will feature increased coverage of Big Ten women's basketball, with games televised on FS1, FOX, NBC, and CBS.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Will Big Ten basketball be blacked out on FS1? | In 2017, Sling TV subscribers were unable to watch Big Ten games on FS1 due to a dispute over carriage fees. However, as of 2020, Sling TV has reached a deal with Fox to remove Big Ten blackout restrictions. |
| Big Ten Network Owner | The Big Ten Network is owned by Fox Corporation, which holds a 61% stake as of 2021. |
| Fox College Hoops | Fox College Hoops is the branding used for Fox Sports broadcasts of college basketball on Fox, FS1, and FS2. |
| Fox Sports Contract | Fox has a contract with the Big Ten Network until 2032 and holds the media rights to the conference's football and basketball games. |
| Comcast Dispute | In August 2024, Fox sought higher carriage fees for the Big Ten Network from Comcast, resulting in a temporary blackout for Xfinity subscribers in certain regions. |
| 2024-25 Women's Basketball | The 2024-25 women's basketball schedule includes games broadcast on FS1, with the first game featuring Duke visiting Maryland on November 10, 2024. |
| 2024-25 Men's Basketball | The 2024-25 men's basketball season will feature hundreds of Big Ten games broadcast on FS1. |
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What You'll Learn
Sling TV and FS1 fee dispute
Sling TV and FS1 have been involved in a fee dispute, which has resulted in blackouts of Big Ten games for Sling TV subscribers. This dispute first arose in 2017 when FOX acquired the rights to air Big Ten home games on FS1 and FOX. FOX charged an extra fee for Big Ten games on FS1, which all other companies agreed to pay, except for Sling TV. As a result, Sling TV subscribers missed out on over 40 Big Ten football and basketball games during the 2017 season.
This dispute between Sling TV and FS1 is an example of a larger issue in the television industry, where blackouts over carriage fees are becoming more common. In these disputes, television providers and streaming services argue over the fees they will pay to carry specific channels, which can result in channels being temporarily or permanently removed from a provider's lineup.
In the case of Sling TV and FS1, the fee dispute specifically centred around the extra cost for carrying Big Ten games on FS1. Sling TV argued that their customers had already paid for these games when they were part of ESPN's lineup, and they were not willing to pay the additional fee to FOX. As a result, Sling TV was the only pay-TV operator not carrying the Big Ten games on FS1 during the 2017 season.
It is important to note that this fee dispute between Sling TV and FS1 did not affect all Big Ten games. For example, Pac-12 games that aired on FS1 were still available to Sling TV subscribers. Additionally, the dispute did not affect Big Ten games that aired on FOX. However, with FOX's continued involvement in broadcasting Big Ten games, it is unclear if Sling TV and FS1 will reach an agreement in the future to avoid further blackouts for Sling TV subscribers.
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FOX charging extra for Big Ten games
The Big Ten Network was launched in 2006 as a joint project between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Entertainment Group. The network was the first cable channel dedicated to a single collegiate conference. In 2017, Fox added coverage of selected Big Ten Conference games as part of a larger six-year contract, which included rights to the conference's top football package.
In 2019, BTN content moved from Fox Sports Go to the main Fox Sports website and apps due to the Fox Sports Go platform being divested as part of the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney. This transition also included the BTN2Go app changing to an app for Big Ten Plus, a subscription streaming service for non-televised Big Ten events.
In 2022, it was announced that Fox had renewed its rights to the Big Ten under a seven-year, $7 billion media rights agreement, which is set to run through the 2029-30 athletic year. This deal includes 45 men's basketball games per season on Fox and FS1.
However, in 2017, Sling TV subscribers were surprised to find that the Big Ten game on FS1 was blacked out. It was discovered that this was due to Fox charging an extra fee for Big Ten games on FS1, which Sling TV was arguing against. As a result, Sling TV subscribers missed out on over 40 Big Ten football and basketball games that season. It is important to note that this fee fight only affected Big Ten games on FS1 and not any other conference games or Big Ten games on other channels.
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Big Ten games on FOX
Big Ten basketball games are available to watch on FOX. In 2017, the network renewed its rights to the Big Ten Conference, adding coverage of selected games as part of a larger six-year contract. FOX has been the primary television rightsholder of regular-season Big Ten football games since 2017, and this contract was extended through 2032.
FOX has aired Big Ten women's basketball games since the 2024-25 season, with a nine-game slate that year. The games are also televised on NBC and CBS. FOX's coverage of the 2024-25 season began on December 7, with a matchup between Iowa and Tennessee.
In the past, there have been issues with Sling TV customers accessing Big Ten games on FS1 due to a dispute over fees. However, as of 2020, Sling TV has confirmed that with their new Fox contract, which includes FOX and FS1, Big Ten blackout restrictions have been removed.
In addition to the women's games, FS1 will also broadcast hundreds of Big Ten men's college basketball games during the 2024-25 season.
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Big Ten games on FS1
Big Ten games have been broadcast on FS1 since 2017, when Fox added coverage of selected Big Ten Conference games as part of a larger six-year contract. Fox renewed its rights to the Big Ten in 2022, maintaining 45 men's basketball games per season on Fox and FS1.
In 2017, Sling TV subscribers were surprised to find that Big Ten games on FS1 were blacked out on the service. This was due to a dispute over an extra fee that Fox was charging for the games. Sling TV was the only pay TV operator not carrying these games, with all other companies agreeing to pay the extra fee. However, as of 2020, Sling TV and its parent company DISH reached a deal to lift the blackout restrictions, allowing Sling TV customers to watch Big Ten games on FS1.
In the 2024-25 season, FS1 will broadcast hundreds of Big Ten college men's basketball games. The season will also see the debut of Big Ten women's basketball on the network, with a doubleheader on November 10, 2024.
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Blackouts affecting single conferences
In 2017, Sling TV subscribers were unable to watch Big Ten games on FS1 due to a dispute between Sling TV and FS1 over carriage fees. This was one of the first times that a blackout affected a single conference and not a channel as a whole. All other companies agreed to pay the extra fee for Big Ten games on FS1, but Sling TV refused. This dispute did not affect any other conference games, such as the Pac-12, and it also did not affect Big Ten games that aired on FOX.
FOX has had the rights to air Big Ten home games on FS1 and FOX since 2017. FOX Sports continues to operate the Big Ten Network, which has carried Big Ten games since its launch in 2007. In 2022, FOX renewed its rights to the Big 12 Conference, adding rights to a package of basketball games for FOX and FS1. For the 2024-25 season, FOX will add regular Friday primetime games as part of a strategy to dedicate Friday nights to FOX Sports programming.
The Big Ten Conference released the start times and television assignments for its 2024-25 women's basketball schedule, with all 162 conference games to be nationally produced and distributed for the 11th consecutive season. Twelve Big Ten matchups, including eight regular-season games, will be televised on broadcast platforms via NBC or FOX, the most in conference history. The Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament championship will be televised on CBS on March 9, 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
In the past, Sling TV subscribers experienced blackouts during Big Ten games on FS1 due to a dispute over carriage fees. However, as of 2020, Sling TV has reached a new contract with Fox, which includes FS1 and BTN, lifting the blackout restrictions. Therefore, Sling TV customers can now watch Big Ten games without any issues.
Blackouts during sports broadcasts are often a result of carriage fee disputes between the television provider and the network. In the case of Big Ten games on FS1, Sling TV initially refused to pay an extra fee charged by Fox for the broadcasting rights. As a result, Sling TV subscribers missed out on Big Ten games during the 2017 college football season.
Big Ten basketball games are primarily broadcast on FS1, BTN, and other Fox Sports channels. You can watch these games by subscribing to a television provider that carries these channels, such as Sling TV or Dish Network. Additionally, the Fox Sports app offers streaming services with a free 60-minute preview for watching FS1 and BTN games without a subscription.
