About 2 weeks ago, FOX Sports revealed plans to convert its 24-hour motorsports channel SPEED as FOX Sports One & the extreme sports channel Fuel TV as FOX Sports Two starting August 17th. Today in New York, FOX Sports held another press conference. This was to officially announce a brand new TV deal with a new conference rich in basketball tradition.

On the same day that Butler University, Xavier & Creighton officially announced their additions along with the "Catholic 7" of DePaul, Marquette, Seton Hall, Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova & Providence College to create the new Big East, FOX Sports Co-President/COO Randy Freer, FOX Sports Executive Vice President Larry Jones along with presidents of the member schools officially announced a 12 year multi-platform deal. Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

Under terms of the new deal, FOX Sports One will televise over 100 men's basketball games in the new look Big East, selected women's basketball games as well as extensive rights for highlights & ancillary programming. The new deal includes the entire Men's Basketball Tournament, which will continue to take place at New York's Madison Square Garden. Since 1983, the Big East has held its postseason tourney annually at the "World's Most Famous Arena" and is the longest running such tournament played at the same venue.

On DIRECTV, FOX Sports One can be found on Channel 607, while FOX Sports Two can be found on Channel 618 starting August 17th.

Will they still be in basic cable/satellite packages or do you have to spring for the sports package? Why do you always list DirecTV channel #s and not comcast/cable #s? Do you have a bias towards DirectTV/Comcast that we should know about when you do your reporting?

_________________

That part I don't know. For the record, SHARK has DIRECTV, not Comcast. I don't have a bias towards Comcast cable.