The Big Ten has entered into a multiyear partnership with DIRECTV to bring subscribers exclusive access to year-round programming dedicated to the college sports conference.
DIRECTV subscribers will be able to access exclusive Big Ten content with expanded coverage for the conference’s men’s and women’s teams, including football, basketball, volleyball and more.
“We want our brand to be where the sports fans are,” says DIRECTV chief marketing officer Vince Torres. “We need to deliver the content that those customers want… So, associating ourselves with the Big Ten is a bit of a no-brainer for us.
“[The Big Ten] is a nationally recognized brand that, come next year, is also going to have a national footprint once USC and UCLA come into the mix… This alignment between these two brands makes a lot of sense for us, both from a content perspective, but also from a brand presence perspective.”
DIRECTV’s “all-access” broadcast programming will include the upcoming Iowa women’s basketball trips to Italy and Croatia, Volleyball Day at Nebraska and more.
Programming will also include exclusive insight into the conference’s rivalries, including the annual Michigan/Ohio State games.
“We are truly trying to cover the year… and be there with the college sports fans through the course of the year,” Torres says. “[The exclusive content] will live on both DIRECTV digital and social platforms, but also show up on the Big Ten Network… This will evolve as the relationship evolves.”
As an official conference partner, DIRECTV will also sponsor diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the conference and be a presenting sponsor of an upcoming Big Ten Championship event.
The company also recently entered in with broadcast partnerships with Notre Dame and the UFC to further the sports access that DIRECTV customers will receive.