BE TV deal. Next week will be telling.

[Gismo]

Not sure why some seemed surprised by this.

We knew the Big East wasn't going to do anything between September 1 - November 1.

+1

[usfgrad84]

I really don't expect any kind of announcements until at least mid December. It wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if the new deal isn't announced until the week of the National Championship Game in January.

[Quo Vadis]

It is starting to look like turning down that $13.8m per school offer from ESPN last year was a really dumb move.

[Joe]

It is starting to look like turning down that $13.8m per school offer from ESPN last year was a really dumb move.

Too early to say that.

[DELdaBull]

big week next week is

[NewEnglandBull]

It is starting to look like turning down that $13.8m per school offer from ESPN last year was a really dumb move.

IMO, I think you are wrong.

[Quo Vadis]

It is starting to look like turning down that $13.8m per school offer from ESPN last year was a really dumb move.

IMO, I think you are wrong.

Why? Ok, since i asked you that, I should first lay out my reasons for thinking we will get less than what was offered to us by ESPN in 2011:

1) Losing WVU, Pitt, and Syracuse hurts our TV appeal in both football and basketball more than adding Temple, SMU, Houston, Boise, and UCF helps it. On balance, the schools that make up today's Big East do not have the media/fan appeal that the schools that left had. If the new schools like SMU and Temple were more valuable to media outlets than schools like WVU and Syracuse were, then it stands to reason that conferences like the ACC and Big 12 would have taken SMU and Temple themselves. But no, they took WVU and Syracuse.

2) While many of us might think ESPN's name is dirt, in media circles they are vastly respected as one of the most successful media companies of all time, and easily the most successful sports media company of all time. What this means is that executives of other companies like FOX and NBC are likely to think twice before offering us significantly more than what ESPN offered during this two-month negotiating window. The thinking could very well be "nobody knows what they are doing in this area more than ESPN, and if they value the Big East at "x" dollars per year, that's probably pretty close to what they are worth", meaning how much they can pay us and still make a profit from advertisers, etc. If you are an executive at NBC sports and you pay us a lot more than ESPN offered and the deal costs NBC money, it is going to be very hard to explain to a Board of Directors why you thought the Big East was worth a lot more than ESPN did, and executives like to keep their jobs.

3) I think that the new members are likely to be willing to settle for what from USF's perspective will be a low-ball offer. Why? Because these schools have been receiving peanuts from their C-USA and MWC media deals, which means that if the "competing" networks are trying to get us to accept, say, $8 million per year for all-sports teams (which from my POV would be disappointing for USF), the new guys like Memphis and Temple are likely to vote "yes" because this would be far, far more than they have gotten in the past. What to us would be a let-down will look like a huge wind-fall to them.

Anyway, those are my reasons.

Edited October 27, 2012 by BatonRougeBull87

[Reliable Source]

First off, Aresco knows where NBC is starting at, ESPN has no clue. If you want to compare the most successful sports media cos. of all time, no matter how you slice it, ESPN comes out 4th. NBC has more at stake than just FB revenues. They are building a Sports Network and CFB is only one element of it, albeit an important one. In this situation there is a multiplier effect gained by NBC in obtaining the last remaining CFB media property. With a long term deal, not only does the Big East become more valuable day one, it will be able to build on that value going forward. Schools will be able to build new facilities, Big East will have other ways to promote its sports(other than the constant barrage of negative propaganda from ESPUTUM), A new bowl during Jan 1 prime programming hours will come on., Big East will now have marquee games on Saturday. ESPN loses some of the Top BB programming in the country. NBC also has the clout to bully it's way to the negotiating table for NC consideration. Comcast/NBC Universal have vast political wherewithal and are cash rich off of the most successful Olympics ever in terms of media(double quaterly net revenues) and they hold the rights to the next 4 Olympics. Don't forget Comcasts ability to enhance the deal as they are the hose the water get's pumped through. Imagine if NBC Sports winds up just before ESPN in channel order. Hold on to your hats ladies. I expect we will get some well placed leaks starting late this week to try to help the negotiations along.

[Quo Vadis]

First off, Aresco knows where NBC is starting at, ESPN has no clue. If you want to compare the most successful sports media cos. of all time, no matter how you slice it, ESPN comes out 4th. NBC has more at stake than just FB revenues. They are building a Sports Network and CFB is only one element of it, albeit an important one. In this situation there is a multiplier effect gained by NBC in obtaining the last remaining CFB media property. With a long term deal, not only does the Big East become more valuable day one, it will be able to build on that value going forward. Schools will be able to build new facilities, Big East will have other ways to promote its sports(other than the constant barrage of negative propaganda from ESPUTUM), A new bowl during Jan 1 prime programming hours will come on., Big East will now have marquee games on Saturday. ESPN loses some of the Top BB programming in the country. NBC also has the clout to bully it's way to the negotiating table for NC consideration. Comcast/NBC Universal have vast political wherewithal and are cash rich off of the most successful Olympics ever in terms of media(double quaterly net revenues) and they hold the rights to the next 4 Olympics. Don't forget Comcasts ability to enhance the deal as they are the hose the water get's pumped through. Imagine if NBC Sports winds up just before ESPN in channel order. Hold on to your hats ladies. I expect we will get some well placed leaks starting late this week to try to help the negotiations along.

First off, Aresco knows where NBC is starting at, ESPN has no clue. If you want to compare the most successful sports media cos. of all time, no matter how you slice it, ESPN comes out 4th. NBC has more at stake than just FB revenues. They are building a Sports Network and CFB is only one element of it, albeit an important one. In this situation there is a multiplier effect gained by NBC in obtaining the last remaining CFB media property. With a long term deal, not only does the Big East become more valuable day one, it will be able to build on that value going forward. Schools will be able to build new facilities, Big East will have other ways to promote its sports(other than the constant barrage of negative propaganda from ESPUTUM), A new bowl during Jan 1 prime programming hours will come on., Big East will now have marquee games on Saturday. ESPN loses some of the Top BB programming in the country. NBC also has the clout to bully it's way to the negotiating table for NC consideration. Comcast/NBC Universal have vast political wherewithal and are cash rich off of the most successful Olympics ever in terms of media(double quaterly net revenues) and they hold the rights to the next 4 Olympics. Don't forget Comcasts ability to enhance the deal as they are the hose the water get's pumped through. Imagine if NBC Sports winds up just before ESPN in channel order. Hold on to your hats ladies. I expect we will get some well placed leaks starting late this week to try to help the negotiations along.

I do not see what the multiplier effect would be for NBC gaining the "last available" college football conference. NBC is likely to gain what any network gains: Advertising revenues from showing the games. Yes, Big East basketball is valuable, but obviously ESPN did not think it so valuable that they would over-pay for Big East football, and that is because football drives the bus in these media deals. I doubt NBC executives will think otherwise. The fact that they and their parent company had a great revenue year does not mean they will be profligate with that money.

I would dearly like to be wrong about this because obviously I would like USF to get maximum media dollars. But, the reality seems to be that our football product is significantly less attractive than it was before the realignment (raids) of the past year, and thus we can expect the offers we get from NBC or FOX to reflect that, just as it did for ESPN.

Edited October 28, 2012 by BatonRougeBull87

[usfgrad84]

First off, Aresco knows where NBC is starting at, ESPN has no clue. If you want to compare the most successful sports media cos. of all time, no matter how you slice it, ESPN comes out 4th. NBC has more at stake than just FB revenues. They are building a Sports Network and CFB is only one element of it, albeit an important one. In this situation there is a multiplier effect gained by NBC in obtaining the last remaining CFB media property. With a long term deal, not only does the Big East become more valuable day one, it will be able to build on that value going forward. Schools will be able to build new facilities, Big East will have other ways to promote its sports(other than the constant barrage of negative propaganda from ESPUTUM), A new bowl during Jan 1 prime programming hours will come on., Big East will now have marquee games on Saturday. ESPN loses some of the Top BB programming in the country. NBC also has the clout to bully it's way to the negotiating table for NC consideration. Comcast/NBC Universal have vast political wherewithal and are cash rich off of the most successful Olympics ever in terms of media(double quaterly net revenues) and they hold the rights to the next 4 Olympics. Don't forget Comcasts ability to enhance the deal as they are the hose the water get's pumped through. Imagine if NBC Sports winds up just before ESPN in channel order. Hold on to your hats ladies. I expect we will get some well placed leaks starting late this week to try to help the negotiations along.

First off, Aresco knows where NBC is starting at, ESPN has no clue. If you want to compare the most successful sports media cos. of all time, no matter how you slice it, ESPN comes out 4th. NBC has more at stake than just FB revenues. They are building a Sports Network and CFB is only one element of it, albeit an important one. In this situation there is a multiplier effect gained by NBC in obtaining the last remaining CFB media property. With a long term deal, not only does the Big East become more valuable day one, it will be able to build on that value going forward. Schools will be able to build new facilities, Big East will have other ways to promote its sports(other than the constant barrage of negative propaganda from ESPUTUM), A new bowl during Jan 1 prime programming hours will come on., Big East will now have marquee games on Saturday. ESPN loses some of the Top BB programming in the country. NBC also has the clout to bully it's way to the negotiating table for NC consideration. Comcast/NBC Universal have vast political wherewithal and are cash rich off of the most successful Olympics ever in terms of media(double quaterly net revenues) and they hold the rights to the next 4 Olympics. Don't forget Comcasts ability to enhance the deal as they are the hose the water get's pumped through. Imagine if NBC Sports winds up just before ESPN in channel order. Hold on to your hats ladies. I expect we will get some well placed leaks starting late this week to try to help the negotiations along.

I do not see what the multiplier effect would be for NBC gaining the "last available" college football conference. NBC is likely to gain what any network gains: Advertising revenues from showing the games. Yes, Big East basketball is valuable, but obviously ESPN did not think it so valuable that they would over-pay for Big East football, and that is because football drives the bus in these media deals. I doubt NBC executives will think otherwise. The fact that they and their parent company had a great revenue year does not mean they will be profligate with that money.

I would dearly like to be wrong about this because obviously I would like USF to get maximum media dollars. But, the reality seems to be that our football product is significantly less attractive than it was before the realignment (raids) of the past year, and thus we can expect the offers we get from NBC or FOX to reflect that, just as it did for ESPN.

The thing that no one beyond the offices at NBC Sports Network knows as of right now is what their plans and strategy is. That's the wild card in this entire process. If they are indeed trying to build a network to rival ESPN they will invest in the BE. Right now they are showing Ivy League football on Saturdays.

It all depends on what they are trying to do. If they are trying to make NBC Sports Network big time then they will spend and invest.