This year Big Ten reportedly became the first college athletic conference to earn more than $1 billion. They have a chance to make more dollars in their name. But old partners FOX are not on board yet.

According to Puck’s John Aurand, NBC is looking to sell its broadcasting rights for the 2026 Big 10 championship game for $70 million. The network is in talks with Amazon Prime Video for the sale. If this deal comes through, it would be the first time the platform streams a college football game. But NBC would have to get through FOX Sports first. Things have been frosty between the two networks despite being part of a historic media rights deal with the conference.

NBC is the minor partner in this agreement, which was signed in 2022. FOX continues to exercise its dominance by owning the majority stakes in the Big Ten Network. NBC gets to host only one championship game throughout this duration, which makes it an extremely valuable asset. However, the Big 10 reportedly sold the rights to the 2026 title game without FOX’s approval. The network also had to pay $40 million in compensation for this move.

FOX and Amazon already have a different contract in place. As per reports, approximately 60% of Fox One subscribers purchase the streamer through the Amazon platform. Moreover, Mike Hopkins, the head of Prime Video, spent 17 years at Fox, which could also help the ship steer in the right direction.

This development comes amid the growing dominance streaming platforms are exerting over sports broadcasting. Cable networks are burdened with paying immensely high prices for sports, as the viewership is being lured out by streamers. The Big 10 title game, having a $70 million price tag, is a big deal. Netflix is paying the same to stream the Christmas Day NFL games. Plus, the offer is one-fifth of the $350 million sum NBC pays for the Big 10 rights.

NBC is now trying to expand its playing area a little, since the offer to Prime Video is more than this compensation. However, even if the latter is on board, the sale can only come through if FOX greenlights it. NBC is trying to go to town with a one-of-a-kind opportunity, as it doesn’t quite enjoy being part of such an elite college football conference.

NBC doesn’t get a lot out of the multi-network agreement with the Big Ten

Under the multi-network agreement, NBC gets to host 14-16 games, while FOX gets to host 27 regular football games every year. However, the former was not notified of the special rules that exist in the conference. Ohio State and Michigan have the right to veto night games after the first week of November.  This year, NBC got to host 3 Michigan games, with the USC clash being the only big game for the network.

FOX, being the bigger shareholder, calls dibs on the major college football game. It’ll take the backlash for the Big Noon Kickoff, but it will have a bigger say in broadcasting marquee games. NBC being limited to one game per week makes it difficult for the network to get the more attractive names in college football. This season, Texas A&M-Notre Dame, Oregon-PSU, Notre Dame-USC, Ohio State-UCLA, and USC-UCLA were the bigger games broadcast by NBC

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NBC was seen as a profitable avenue because of its countrywide popularity with Sunday Night Football. But in college football, the network has to depend on the big names for some profit. Last season, NBC caught a break by hosting the Ohio State-Oregon game, which was among the most-watched clashes that season. NBC is clearly a frustrated party in this arrangement and is trying to get the best out of a really lucrative avenue by approaching Prime Video.