If Big East gets act together, big TV deal still in reach

[Joe]

I'll remain cautiously optimistic. If the Big East is able to land around the ball park of the ACC give or take a few million per school, it'll be a huge accomplishment.

We'll do better than the ACC.

The ACC was stupid. They put all their eggs in the ESPN basket and will end up being the only conference to go with one network.

The Big East has a very minor second tier deal with ESPN that expires the year after our first tier rights do. Look for the Big East to expand their second tier lineup and not give all rights to one network.

I also expect we may split up our basketball and football deals just like the Big Ten does. CBS carries Big Ten basketball. And Fox, NBC, and CBS are also looking to beef up their basketball offerings for their sports stations when football is off the air.

We'll get at least $18M a year - and I think that when you couple first tier, second tier, basketball, and the creation of a Big East network all together that it will be $20M or more per school per year.

With Pitt and Cuse being added, the ACC is down to $11M per school per year. But they have become ESPN's lapdog and ESPN is about to be knocked off its college football perch. My bet is that they'll lose the BCS contract after 2013 and will be left with only the ACC as an exclusive. All the other conferences will have games on their competition. But ESPN made its own bed. They grew the college football market and flooded it with cash - but the conferences are getting greedier and ABC/ESPN can't afford to pay everybody. So now Fox, NBC, and CBS want pieces of the action on network and on cable.

ESPN's days as the dominate and controlling force in college football are nearing an end. That's why they reacted so badly when the BE rejected their offer. Disney won't let them spend whatever they want while Comcast, Viacom, and Fox are willing to spend more money right now.

The ACC is reworking their deal.

[Joe]

Re: ESPN-BCS

No. Just two years ago Fox basically handed ESPN the rights to the BCS. ESPN is well established and will forever be the dominant force in college football. Fox tried to jump in twice and they've lost millions.

Even if we get that NBC deal, I'd expect (and hope) we maintain some presence on ESPN.

[Joe]

I'll remain cautiously optimistic. If the Big East is able to land around the ball park of the ACC give or take a few million per school, it'll be a huge accomplishment.

We'll do better than the ACC.

The ACC was stupid. They put all their eggs in the ESPN basket and will end up being the only conference to go with one network.

The Big East has a very minor second tier deal with ESPN that expires the year after our first tier rights do. Look for the Big East to expand their second tier lineup and not give all rights to one network.

I also expect we may split up our basketball and football deals just like the Big Ten does. CBS carries Big Ten basketball. And Fox, NBC, and CBS are also looking to beef up their basketball offerings for their sports stations when football is off the air.

We'll get at least $18M a year - and I think that when you couple first tier, second tier, basketball, and the creation of a Big East network all together that it will be $20M or more per school per year.

With Pitt and Cuse being added, the ACC is down to $11M per school per year. But they have become ESPN's lapdog and ESPN is about to be knocked off its college football perch. My bet is that they'll lose the BCS contract after 2013 and will be left with only the ACC as an exclusive. All the other conferences will have games on their competition. But ESPN made its own bed. They grew the college football market and flooded it with cash - but the conferences are getting greedier and ABC/ESPN can't afford to pay everybody. So now Fox, NBC, and CBS want pieces of the action on network and on cable.

ESPN's days as the dominate and controlling force in college football are nearing an end. That's why they reacted so badly when the BE rejected their offer. Disney won't let them spend whatever they want while Comcast, Viacom, and Fox are willing to spend more money right now.

I agree. I don't think people realize how much the majors want to get into college sports programming.

Fox and CBS own the NFL. NBC has sunday night games. ESPN was always the fringe sports broadcaster. they picked up stuff the majors didn't want.that's how they started.

live sports advertising is exploding. it's tivo proof. people watch sports live more than any other programming and it's not even close. College football has grown to be one of the most popular sports in the U.S.

they need the live sports programming especially if they are going to expand their channel offerings. they will push ESPN aside just like they have in any other sports programming they have wanted.

What?

[jvwvu]

Re: ESPN-BCS

No. Just two years ago Fox basically handed ESPN the rights to the BCS. ESPN is well established and will forever be the dominant force in college football. Fox tried to jump in twice and they've lost millions.

Even if we get that NBC deal, I'd expect (and hope) we maintain some presence on ESPN.

There will be presence with ESPN but it will be for less money, Football will be on Wed and Fridays, Basketball would probably keep Big Monday 7 pm time slot, but ACC could come a knocking on that.

[Held_AccountaBull]

Re: ESPN-BCS

No. Just two years ago Fox basically handed ESPN the rights to the BCS. ESPN is well established and will forever be the dominant force in college football. Fox tried to jump in twice and they've lost millions.

Even if we get that NBC deal, I'd expect (and hope) we maintain some presence on ESPN.

There will be presence with ESPN but it will be for less money, Football will be on Wed and Fridays, Basketball would probably keep Big Monday 7 pm time slot, but ACC could come a knocking on that.

The Big East is not agreeing to play football on Wednesday nights.

[Bull94]

I'll remain cautiously optimistic. If the Big East is able to land around the ball park of the ACC give or take a few million per school, it'll be a huge accomplishment.

We'll do better than the ACC.

The ACC was stupid. They put all their eggs in the ESPN basket and will end up being the only conference to go with one network.

The Big East has a very minor second tier deal with ESPN that expires the year after our first tier rights do. Look for the Big East to expand their second tier lineup and not give all rights to one network.

I also expect we may split up our basketball and football deals just like the Big Ten does. CBS carries Big Ten basketball. And Fox, NBC, and CBS are also looking to beef up their basketball offerings for their sports stations when football is off the air.

We'll get at least $18M a year - and I think that when you couple first tier, second tier, basketball, and the creation of a Big East network all together that it will be $20M or more per school per year.

With Pitt and Cuse being added, the ACC is down to $11M per school per year. But they have become ESPN's lapdog and ESPN is about to be knocked off its college football perch. My bet is that they'll lose the BCS contract after 2013 and will be left with only the ACC as an exclusive. All the other conferences will have games on their competition. But ESPN made its own bed. They grew the college football market and flooded it with cash - but the conferences are getting greedier and ABC/ESPN can't afford to pay everybody. So now Fox, NBC, and CBS want pieces of the action on network and on cable.

ESPN's days as the dominate and controlling force in college football are nearing an end. That's why they reacted so badly when the BE rejected their offer. Disney won't let them spend whatever they want while Comcast, Viacom, and Fox are willing to spend more money right now.

I agree. I don't think people realize how much the majors want to get into college sports programming.

Fox and CBS own the NFL. NBC has sunday night games. ESPN was always the fringe sports broadcaster. they picked up stuff the majors didn't want.that's how they started.

live sports advertising is exploding. it's tivo proof. people watch sports live more than any other programming and it's not even close. College football has grown to be one of the most popular sports in the U.S.

they need the live sports programming especially if they are going to expand their channel offerings. they will push ESPN aside just like they have in any other sports programming they have wanted.

What?

read up on the subject.

Starz sold it's streaming rights to netflix for $30M per year in 2008.

It helped netflix grow by 17M customers.

when it cam time to renew Netflix was willing to pay $250M per year(that's more than an 800% increase from 3 years earlier). Starz declined.

The bidding for content is absolutely insane. ESPN makes up 1/4 of Disney's profits. That will only increase as advertisers pay more for live sporting events. The majors are going after that content. ESPN made it's bread and butter by carrying content the big networks didn't want. there is a reason why ESPN shows pro bowling at 1 pm on sundays.

ESPN was willing to pay Texas $10M per year for it's THIRD TIER rights and somehow you don't think they will pay up big for the big east's first and second tiers. there is a reason their opening offer was $11M per. they don't want it to get to the open market.

a couple of quotes for you.

“Even as we sit here today, as gloomy as it may appear, the Big East can still have a nice outcome for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is supply and demand,’’ said Chris Bevilacqua, a New York-based sports media consultant who helped the Pac-12 make its landmark $3 billion television deal with Fox and ESPN earlier this year.

The other five BCS automatic qualifying conferences — the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, the Big 12, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pac-12 — are all in the midst of, or are about begin long-term television deals. All are worth more than a billion dollars, with the Pac-12’s deal setting the standard at $3 billion.

and

If the Big East survives, and ESPN wants its back — and ESPN can never get enough college football — it will now have to compete with Fox, NBC and its cable entity, Versus, and CBS, which is looking to build its cable channel, CBS Sports Network.

Plus, there are cable distributors such as Time Warner, Comcast and Cox that are delving more into providing content.

http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-31/sports/30342928_1_commissioner-john-marinatto-pac-12-big-east/2

[macphisto]

Re: ESPN-BCS

No. Just two years ago Fox basically handed ESPN the rights to the BCS. ESPN is well established and will forever be the dominant force in college football. Fox tried to jump in twice and they've lost millions.

Even if we get that NBC deal, I'd expect (and hope) we maintain some presence on ESPN.

Because two years ago it was just Fox and ESPN that were bidding and Fox had no other college football presence to build up to the BCS.

Fox now has PAC-12 and Big XII football.

NBC is now owned by Comcast and has NBC Sports Network and will be expanding their Comcast Sports inside the NBC tree. They have consolidated all their sports into one entity.

And CBS is looking to expand, having rebranded CSTV into CBS College Sports Network and now making a big push to expand. CBS also has two broadcast networks that they run between CBS and The CW (and that brings Time-Warner into the fray because they own half of it and are looking to expand their sports cable offerings).

CBS is looking to expand their offerings. They are a good option for second tier programming between their over-the-air network access and their cable outlet. NBC is a better first tier bidder because of their stronger presence in cable broadcasting.

The Comcast deal finalized at the end of January of this year, giving NBC stability in management for the first time in several years and bringing a greater focus into sports.

As I've said elsewhere, I bid out the first tier and let all four take shots raising each other's bids, reminding them that they won't get to bid on regular season college football again for four years. I think NBC will come in very high in this. I then go to CBS, who we have a minor second tier deal with that expires in 2013, and offer them an exclusive extension of the second tier deal in light of whatever the bids were for the first tier. I then announce the creation of a Big East Network and bid out a management deal for it from all networks. And then I offer the basketball side of things, completely split from football, and let all the networks bid.

ESPN can still be a part of the Big East's plans if they want to pay in. If not, their loss. They'll have the gaps in programming - and they have benefited from good BE ratings on Thursday nights over the past several years.

I also have a sense that CBS and NBC will combine a bid on the BCS and greatly widen the payout, alternating the years for the BCS title game on a four or six year deal. Whichever network gets the BCS title game, the other will get to pick which two BCS bowl games it wants to air based on matchups. Each year the BCS Title game will jump between CBS and NBC. Reality is that the two of them combined can do more than ESPN/ABC can financially, especially with Disney transitioning to new management soon with Iger departing.

ESPN will not forever be in charge of college football. In a couple of years they will be no more than a standard player on par with Fox, CBS, and NBC. If we split up our rights, then the only conference they will have full control of will be the ACC. And they would be looking at losing Big XII rights entirely when their first tier is up for bid in 2016.

ESPN's day is about to be over and a new era of increased competition begins next year with Fox airing PAC-12 and Big XII games. NBC will fight like crazy to get our contract and will begin airing Big East games on Saturday nights in prime time. CBS will air SEC. ABC will air Big Ten.

And the ACC will be relegated to cable on ESPN, if that. Airing on primetime on a broadcast network will change the perception of our league and it will happen. It might not be NBC's favorite option, but it's their only option. They'd have to wait until 2017 to broadcast the Big XII or anyone else.

[Bull94]

Re: ESPN-BCS

No. Just two years ago Fox basically handed ESPN the rights to the BCS. ESPN is well established and will forever be the dominant force in college football. Fox tried to jump in twice and they've lost millions.

Even if we get that NBC deal, I'd expect (and hope) we maintain some presence on ESPN.

Because two years ago it was just Fox and ESPN that were bidding and Fox had no other college football presence to build up to the BCS.

Fox now has PAC-12 and Big XII football.

NBC is now owned by Comcast and has NBC Sports Network and will be expanding their Comcast Sports inside the NBC tree. They have consolidated all their sports into one entity.

And CBS is looking to expand, having rebranded CSTV into CBS College Sports Network and now making a big push to expand. CBS also has two broadcast networks that they run between CBS and The CW (and that brings Time-Warner into the fray because they own half of it and are looking to expand their sports cable offerings).

CBS is looking to expand their offerings. They are a good option for second tier programming between their over-the-air network access and their cable outlet. NBC is a better first tier bidder because of their stronger presence in cable broadcasting.

The Comcast deal finalized at the end of January of this year, giving NBC stability in management for the first time in several years and bringing a greater focus into sports.

As I've said elsewhere, I bid out the first tier and let all four take shots raising each other's bids, reminding them that they won't get to bid on regular season college football again for four years. I think NBC will come in very high in this. I then go to CBS, who we have a minor second tier deal with that expires in 2013, and offer them an exclusive extension of the second tier deal in light of whatever the bids were for the first tier. I then announce the creation of a Big East Network and bid out a management deal for it from all networks. And then I offer the basketball side of things, completely split from football, and let all the networks bid.

ESPN can still be a part of the Big East's plans if they want to pay in. If not, their loss. They'll have the gaps in programming - and they have benefited from good BE ratings on Thursday nights over the past several years.

I also have a sense that CBS and NBC will combine a bid on the BCS and greatly widen the payout, alternating the years for the BCS title game on a four or six year deal. Whichever network gets the BCS title game, the other will get to pick which two BCS bowl games it wants to air based on matchups. Each year the BCS Title game will jump between CBS and NBC. Reality is that the two of them combined can do more than ESPN/ABC can financially, especially with Disney transitioning to new management soon with Iger departing.

ESPN will not forever be in charge of college football. In a couple of years they will be no more than a standard player on par with Fox, CBS, and NBC. If we split up our rights, then the only conference they will have full control of will be the ACC. And they would be looking at losing Big XII rights entirely when their first tier is up for bid in 2016.

ESPN's day is about to be over and a new era of increased competition begins next year with Fox airing PAC-12 and Big XII games. NBC will fight like crazy to get our contract and will begin airing Big East games on Saturday nights in prime time. CBS will air SEC. ABC will air Big Ten.

And the ACC will be relegated to cable on ESPN, if that. Airing on primetime on a broadcast network will change the perception of our league and it will happen. It might not be NBC's favorite option, but it's their only option. They'd have to wait until 2017 to broadcast the Big XII or anyone else.

good post. makes sense.

[Bull94]

here is another article Joe. sports ad spending at the top 50 companies was up 27% last year. 22% the year before. that's huge growth. Stronger than any other category of tv ad spending.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/05/02/Research-and-Ratings/Ad-spending.aspx

[Joe]

Because two years ago it was just Fox and ESPN that were bidding and Fox had no other college football presence to build up to the BCS.

Fox now has PAC-12 and Big XII football.

Not true. Fox has been the Pac-10's #1 carrier since the early 2000s, ESPN had 1st pick certain weeks in their deal with the conference. Recently the two signed a contract to give them both 1st tier rights, and allow ESPN a little more selectivity of their games and creating that mega contract that had NBC stopping at $200 mil a year.

Fox and the Big 10 have had a contract since 2006, when they formed the Big Ten Network.

And CBS is looking to expand, having rebranded CSTV into CBS College Sports Network and now making a big push to expand. CBS also has two broadcast networks that they run between CBS and The CW (and that brings Time-Warner into the fray because they own half of it and are looking to expand their sports cable offerings). CBS is looking to expand their offerings.They are a good option for second tier programming between their over-the-air network access and their cable outlet.

CBS's deal with the SEC is exclusive, and doesn't allow CBS to have another conference on their main network. CBS College Sports has been around for 4 years since changing from CSTV. There is nothing new there. If you can provide me a link saying they are going to expand feel free...sounds more like speculation. They haven't been involved in any major TV deals outside of a minor one with the Big Ten for olympic sports.

NBC is a better first tier bidder because of their stronger presence in cable broadcasting. The Comcast deal finalized at the end of January of this year, giving NBC stability in management for the first time in several years and bringing a greater focus into sports.

Completely agree, but they weren't willing to spend the type of money you think they're going to give the Big East on the Pac 12. (lhttp://www.voodoofive.com/2011/5/13/2169358/big-east-espn-fox-nbc-pac-12-tv-contract)

NBC would be great because, even if on Versus, we'd get a shot at having more Saturday games, and less off-day (Wed/Friday) games than we have.

But we've been through this money thing, I'm not going there again. This is more about your jaded belief that ESPN is going down...

As I've said elsewhere, I bid out the first tier and let all four take shots raising each other's bids, reminding them that they won't get to bid on regular season college football again for four years. I think NBC will come in very high in this. I then go to CBS, who we have a minor second tier deal with that expires in 2013, and offer them an exclusive extension of the second tier deal in light of whatever the bids were for the first tier. I then announce the creation of a Big East Network and bid out a management deal for it from all networks. And then I offer the basketball side of things, completely split from football, and let all the networks bid.

Our contract with CBS deals with basketball...and that is all. We aren't starting a BE Network yet, not until we regroup and get a bit more established. Nothing has suggested otherwise unless you can give me a link.

ESPN can still be a part of the Big East's plans if they want to pay in. If not, their loss. They'll have the gaps in programming - and they have benefited from good BE ratings on Thursday nights over the past several years.

No it's our loss. ESPN won't have any gaps, they'll fill it with something, that was the thinking of the Mountain West when they left and it backfired. There are plenty of college football games out there. And to say they've benefited from good Thursday nights...in 2006. Check the schedule. The Big East has basically been pushed off those nights in favor of other conferences, thus the reason for so many Wednesday/Friday Big East games.

It comes down to this. ESPN is way too popular to keep Big East games off of. I'm not saying sell the house, but the MWC has suffered immensly since leaving, and some schools really dislike the fact that they have no presence on ESPN (http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_19251824). We need at least a small deal.

That being said, I don't see ESPN crying over losing the Big East for football...Basketball, of course, but even then the ACC just got a lot stronger.

I also have a sense that CBS and NBC will combine a bid on the BCS and greatly widen the payout, alternating the years for the BCS title game on a four or six year deal. Whichever network gets the BCS title game, the other will get to pick which two BCS bowl games it wants to air based on matchups. Each year the BCS Title game will jump between CBS and NBC. Reality is that the two of them combined can do more than ESPN/ABC can financially, especially with Disney transitioning to new management soon with Iger departing.

No. You'll probably see the BCS on ESPN from here on out. This is just rash speculation on your part. The networks (ABC...with ESPN and Fox) tried and pretty much every bowl game besides the National Championship wasn't worth a weeknight shot that could be filled with some talentless reality show. Fox handed the BCS over to ESPN, and almost did a year early because it was a ratings killer...http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2009/03/fox-allegedly-considering-giving-up.html

The deal will always be 4 years until they up the number of bowls, so if Dallas joins the fray in 2014 you'll see a 5 year deal...on ESPN.

Making things even stronger, the Rose Bowl has their own deal that puts them on ESPN forever, so even if CBS or NBC got the BCS they wouldn't get the biggest game (outside of the title) in the package, and would lose the National Championship game when played there as Fox did in 2009.

ESPN will not forever be in charge of college football. In a couple of years they will be no more than a standard player on par with Fox, CBS, and NBC. If we split up our rights, then the only conference they will have full control of will be the ACC. And they would be looking at losing Big XII rights entirely when their first tier is up for bid in 2016.

No. Gameday. 4 networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ABC). The 5 largest leagues locked up for at least 5 years...A large online catalog. ESPN is college football right now, and it will stay that way. You know how many networks have tried to knock them off this throne? Fox tried in early 2000s and failed. Miserably. Versus/NBC has supossibly been ready to take ESPN down for years, and never has.

It's the reality, they grabbed college football when it was very regional and turned it into a multi-billion dollar product with their image wrapped around it.

ESPN's day is about to be over and a new era of increased competition begins next year with Fox airing PAC-12 and Big XII games.

Why? The most popular title game (SEC) has never been on ESPN. And all the most popular regular season games? About 80% on ESPN/ABC, that's what really matters (the rest are on CBS and occaionally Fox regional).

NBC will fight like crazy to get our contract and will begin airing Big East games on Saturday nights in prime time. CBS will air SEC. ABC will air Big TenAgain, NBC will bid for the Big East, but I think it will be mostly cable related, with a few games on NBC. I don't think we have the draw to start demanding prime time spots against the Big Ten or SEC.

No. The SEC deal for the next 13 years practically gives ESPN a right every SEC night game. CBS gets one per year, they had to make concessions with ESPN to get a second game (Alabama vs. LSU) this year after showing Alabama vs. Florida earlier.

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/10/25/2511613/alabama-lsu-game-tv-schedule-2011-cbs-espn

As long as ESPN has those night SEC rights, along with the Big Ten, they'll be more than fine, and winning any rating battle out there.

Airing on primetime on a broadcast network will change the perception of our league and it will happen. It might not be NBC's favorite option, but it's their only option. They'd have to wait until 2017 to broadcast the Big XII or anyone else.

I agree, they have a great shot at getting us, but that ain't taking down ESPN