Yesterday, the Big 12 and media service Peacock announced a new deal. Over a multiyear partnership, Peacock will be streaming 20 Big 12 Men's Basketball games a year that will be produced by NBC Sports.
Will Kansas be involved?
Well, the slate hasn't been officially announced on what teams and games will be shown on Peacock.
What does the Big 12 and Peacock have to say about this?
Below are two excerpts from the press release given out yesterday via the NBC Sports website
“The Big 12 is thrilled to partner with NBC Sports and Peacock as we continue to expand access and coverage of Big 12 men’s basketball,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “Alongside our portfolio of existing media partners, NBC Sports and Peacock will provide our league with unprecedented promotion and storytelling.”
“The Big 12 is one of the most successful conferences in college basketball, enjoying a recent run of excellence on top of a storied history for many of its prestigious programs,” said Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports. “We look forward to partnering with the Big 12 to showcase its top-tier college basketball players, teams, and rivalries, and promoting our slate of men’s games on Peacock alongside NBC Sports’ extensive portfolio of college sports and world-class events.”
Final Thoughts/Predictions
According to Nock Schultz of On3, who published a piece on this yesterday, "NBC said it would include both conference and non-conference games."
As we know, Kansas is set to take on the University of North Carolina (Nov.7) and the University of Connecticut (Dec.2). Both of those are currently unassociated games (unlike when Kansas and Duke square off in the State Farm Champions Classic), which could mean broadcasting rights are in the air.
When you look towards the conference slate, a date against the Jayhawks is bound to be a prize point for Peacock to snag, possibly a matchup against Houston or Texas Tech could be something to look at?
The Jayhawks have taken five straight matchups against the Tar Heels, with the last two being nail-biting wins, including that NCAA National title game in the 2021-22 season.
Against Texas Tech, things have fallen a little short as of late. The Red Raiders have snagged the last two against the Jayhawks. The last being a 78-73 loss in Lawrence, Kan.
Finally could we see one of the pivotal matchups against Kelvin Sampson and Houston?
This will obviously be one of the highest-touted matchups in the college basketball season. The Cougars have won the last three matchups against Kansas, by margins of 30 in the 2023-24 season, and a 92-86 double-overtime loss last season. Lastly, a six-point 65-59 loss towards the latter end of last season.