College basketball fans are about to see two completely different approaches to watching their favorite teams. The Big East Conference just pulled the plug on its own streaming service and handed everything over to ESPN+, while the Big 12 is doubling down on traditional TV through CBS Sports.
These moves couldn’t be more different, and they’re setting up a fascinating test of where college sports media is headed. With just over four months until college basketball season begins, let’s take a look at these TV deals.
Why Did the Big East Choose Streaming Over Traditional TV?
Nearly a decade after launching the Big East Digital Network, the conference is shutting it down and moving everything to ESPN+. Starting in the 2025-26 season, ESPN+ becomes the exclusive digital home for more than 300 annual Big East events, including all non-Fox men’s and women’s basketball games.
ESPN 🤝 @BIGEAST
ESPN+ will now be the home of 300+ Olympic sports events annually – incl. select @BIGEASTMBB & @BIGEASTWBB matchups
Details: https://t.co/qYKSfEHNsW pic.twitter.com/db7dCDiJbZ
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) July 8, 2025
This means Big East fans will need an ESPN+ subscription to watch games not picked up by Fox Sports. The conference is betting big on the streaming-first model to gain consistent platform control and connect with younger, digital-first audiences.
Under this new arrangement, ESPN+ will carry at least 25 men’s basketball games, 75 women’s basketball games, and over 200 Olympic sports events annually from the Big East.
Commissioner Val Ackerman called the ESPN partnership “exciting,” emphasizing how it will prominently feature Big East teams on the leading digital sports platform.
“Streaming on ESPN+ gives all 22 of our sports, especially women’s basketball and Olympic sports, the visibility they’ve earned and the access our fans expect,” Ackerman said. She also highlighted the benefit of “delivering elevated coverage and a streamlined viewing experience to fans and family members who want to follow Big East action.”
How Does the Big 12’s CBS Deal Keep Traditional TV Alive?
Meanwhile, the Big 12 is taking the opposite approach. Through its expanded CBS Sports sublicensing deal, the conference continues to blend old-school TV with new streaming options.
This partnership includes men’s and women’s regular-season basketball and the women’s postseason tournament, distributed across CBS, CBS Sports Network, and Paramount+. The inclusion of cable and broadcast platforms means the Big 12 retains broad accessibility for fans who haven’t made the streaming jump yet.
CBS Sports is committed to this strategy, with Dan Weinberg, executive vice president for programming, saying, “This is a tremendous opportunity to add 20 high-quality games from a premier conference to our schedule, and we are thrilled to increase the number of Big 12 basketball games across our CBS Sports platforms.”
This deal strengthens CBS’s commitment to showing live college sports across its various outlets, keeping the Big 12 visible to traditional TV viewers who haven’t adopted streaming services.
What Do These Different Strategies Mean for College Basketball Fans?
These two agreements show completely different strategic priorities. The Big East fully embraces the streaming model, while the Big 12 keeps a foothold in traditional TV to maintain mass-market exposure.
The Big East’s streaming-first move brings potential engagement and long-term revenue upside, particularly if ESPN+ continues to expand its subscriber base. However, it also places a cost burden on fans who are used to watching their teams through basic cable.
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Conversely, the Big 12’s hybrid model could appeal to a wider demographic, including traditional TV viewers who haven’t adopted streaming yet. This approach maintains accessibility while still offering digital options through Paramount+.
As other conferences weigh their media futures, the success or shortcomings of each approach could serve as a blueprint for the entire college sports landscape.
The next few seasons will reveal whether digital exclusivity or multi-platform flexibility best delivers the exposure, accessibility, and audience growth leagues seek in college sports broadcasting.
