Ohio State’s first Peacock game could be coming sooner than later.
According to a report by The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, Ohio State’s Oct. 7 home game against Maryland is expected to kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be broadcast only on Peacock, marking the first time the Buckeyes would play a game exclusive to the streaming platform.
Additionally, Ohio State’s Oct. 14 game against Purdue is tentatively scheduled to be a noon game on FOX, per McMurphy’s report. Neither of those kickoff times or TV network designations are official, however, and remain subject to the possibility of being flexed to other networks.
More B1G TV schedules on FOX & Peacock (P), sources told @ActionNetworkHQ, if no games flexed to other networks. Times ET
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 15, 2023
Sept 23 Oklahoma at Cincinnati, noon (FOX)
Sept 30 Michigan at Nebraska, noon (FOX)
Sept 30 Mich State at Iowa 3:30 (P)
Oct 7 Rutgers at Wisconsin noon (P)
NBC Sports confirmed Wednesday that it is planning for Ohio State to have a game broadcast exclusively on Peacock this season, though it did not specify which game it expects to be exclusive to Peacock.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told Eleven Warriors earlier this summer that he did not believe the Buckeyes would have a game on Peacock in year one of the Big Ten’s new seven-year media rights deal. He expressed concern about the fact that some areas of Ohio have limited Wi-Fi access, but he felt it was necessary for the Big Ten to include a streaming component in its new media rights deal with the changing landscape of how sports are broadcast.
“We had to get into it to some degree. We were not going into it wholesale, but we have to get into it,” Smith said. “And so I think having a platform like NBC, for a linear partner, and then they control the Peacock part of it, gives us a chance to test the waters in that. And so I'm excited about it.”
Kickoff times and TV networks have been officially announced for five of Ohio State’s 12 games this season: Indiana (Sept. 2, 3:30 p.m., CBS), Youngstown State (Sept. 9, Noon, Big Ten Network), Western Kentucky (Sept. 16, 4 p.m., FOX), Notre Dame (Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m., NBC) and Michigan State (Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m., NBC). Ohio State’s Oct. 28 game against Wisconsin is reportedly in line to be a 7:30 p.m. game on NBC, though that kickoff time is also subject to change as it has not been officially announced.
