Big Sky announces multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN

By Kevin Kelley -

The Big Sky Conference has reached a multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN, the conference announced on Wednesday.

Under the new agreement, ESPNU will televise two Big Sky football games per season. The remaining conference football games will be streamed via ESPN+ and the ESPN app.

“This landmark agreement for the Big Sky and our membership rightfully aligns the nation’s preeminent FCS conference with the strongest media brand in sports,” Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “We are absolutely thrilled to join the ESPN family and deliver an elevated viewing experience with hundreds of Big Sky contests on ESPN+ each year. In addition, the numerous linear opportunities on ESPN networks now available to us is unprecedented among our peers, and yet another way that we will enhance the brand of the Big Sky.”

The first event that will air as part of the new agreement is the Big Sky Football Kickoff, which will be streamed live on ESPN+ on Monday, July, 26.

“The Big Sky Conference consistently delivers compelling storylines and high-caliber competition across all 16 of its sports, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to further highlight the student-athletes and member institutions as we showcase hundreds of matchups each year across our ESPN platforms,” said Dan Margulis, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions.

“Many thanks to our media rights consultant, CSMG, for the deliberate and strategic 18-month-long process on which they led us that resulted in greater exposure and revenue than ever before for our conference,” Wistrcill said. “We will continue to be aggressive about providing high-quality and easily accessible broadcasts for all Big Sky fans.”

Big Sky Football Schedule

Comments (6)

Great so I assume there goes the Pluto tv agreement so yet more $$$$ to be spent if we want to watch Big sky games when will it ever end? “Cord cutting” will be the worst thing to ever happen to the cable tv industry for the consumers in the end

When will it end? That seems an easy one: when there’s not enough product to be televised/played

Waaaaahhhhh
Waaaaahhhhh
Waaaaahhhhh

I pay less for the Disney bundle (Disney+, ESPN+. Hulu), Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount+, and Peacock combined than I did for cable, and it’s not even close.