Article in the Athletic:
From the artice:
According to an industry source with knowledge of the negotiations, a decision and public announcement could happen by mid-July. Fox will extend its top-tier Big Ten package, which includes its highly rated Big Noon Kickoff coupled with a weekly game on FS1.
None of the other networks could be classified as a favorite quite yet, and the number of years on any contract remains undetermined. The league’s 14 presidents and chancellors will have a role in approving the final package.
The wild card is ABC/ESPN, which owns the SEC Network and just signed exclusive rights to the SEC. Big Ten football has appeared on ABC annually since 1987 with ESPN coming aboard in 1989. With the largest platform in sports television, ESPN owns exclusive College Football Playoff rights through 2025-26. But according to one league source, ESPN officials have made it clear the network is all-in with the SEC and ACC, conferences to which ESPN will own exclusive rights.
Two league sources have reiterated that ESPN is at the table.
“(ESPN is) still a very, very big part of this negotiation process,” according to the industry source. “They’re still firmly in the mix for everything that we’re talking about here.”
Another industry source said the prevailing expectation is that Fox and ESPN will remain primary partners, but that the league is tempted by that exclusive afternoon window on CBS, which already holds some of the conference’s men’s basketball rights.
Also just a retweet by Auerbach. I've said I think keeping a toe in ESPN is a good idea. I suppose you could spread inventory across 3 broadcast networks but I think Fox, ESPN and game a week to CBS and maybe one to Amazon on Friday is a better idea.