NBC/Comcast Would Like To Make You All Very Rich

[Limey Frog]

Explain to me how you can fit more than 2 games between 11am and 6pm CT.

You can't. But NBC has room to add one extra game alongside its current commitment to ND. The important thing is not how many games the BE could place on NBC [as opposed to NBC Sports] but which games and when. Presently the Big East's headline conference match-ups are played largely on Thursdays. Those that ESPN does run on Saturdays invariably kickoff at 11am. ESPN/ABC commitments to the Big Ten, SEC, and Longhorn Conference are now such that there is literally no room to put BE games on Saturdays any later than 11am. Sign with ESPN and you can guarantee that #5 TCU vs. #7 WVU is going to be played on a Thursday night. Sign with NBC and it goes national on Saturday afternoon or evening.

You might only be talking about 4-6 games a year, but those are the 4-6 games a year that voters, fans, recruits, etc. will pay attention to and thus judge the entire conference upon. No one raves about the SEC because they just dig those Thursday night games in Starkville. It's all about Florida vs. Bama Saturday afternoons on CBS.

 

[Rabble Rouser]

You can't. But NBC has room to add one extra game alongside its current commitment to ND. The important thing is not how many games the BE could place on NBC [as opposed to NBC Sports] but which games and when. Presently the Big East's headline conference match-ups are played largely on Thursdays. Those that ESPN does run on Saturdays invariably kickoff at 11am. ESPN/ABC commitments to the Big Ten, SEC, and Longhorn Conference are now such that there is literally no room to put BE games on Saturdays any later than 11am. Sign with ESPN and you can guarantee that #5 TCU vs. #7 WVU is going to be played on a Thursday night. Sign with NBC and it goes national on Saturday afternoon or evening.

You might only be talking about 4-6 games a year, but those are the 4-6 games a year that voters, fans, recruits, etc. will pay attention to and thus judge the entire conference upon. No one raves about the SEC because they just dig those Thursday night games in Starkville. It's all about Florida vs. Bama Saturday afternoons on CBS.

Good post.

 

[Delmonico]

You can't. But NBC has room to add one extra game alongside its current commitment to ND. The important thing is not how many games the BE could place on NBC [as opposed to NBC Sports] but which games and when. Presently the Big East's headline conference match-ups are played largely on Thursdays. Those that ESPN does run on Saturdays invariably kickoff at 11am. ESPN/ABC commitments to the Big Ten, SEC, and Longhorn Conference are now such that there is literally no room to put BE games on Saturdays any later than 11am. Sign with ESPN and you can guarantee that #5 TCU vs. #7 WVU is going to be played on a Thursday night. Sign with NBC and it goes national on Saturday afternoon or evening.

You might only be talking about 4-6 games a year, but those are the 4-6 games a year that voters, fans, recruits, etc. will pay attention to and thus judge the entire conference upon. No one raves about the SEC because they just dig those Thursday night games in Starkville. It's all about Florida vs. Bama Saturday afternoons on CBS.

I don't disagree with any of that. As far as time slots on OTA or primary cable networks are concerned, NBC may not offer the quantity some may desire, but it'll certainly trump anything the Disney family of networks can offer. With the added benefit of the belief that Comcast/NBC may be willing to overpay to get their foot in the door AND ESPN wanting to keep college basketball, and you have a potentially lucrative bidding war brewing.

 

[Genbukan]

You can't. But NBC has room to add one extra game alongside its current commitment to ND. The important thing is not how many games the BE could place on NBC [as opposed to NBC Sports] but which games and when. Presently the Big East's headline conference match-ups are played largely on Thursdays. Those that ESPN does run on Saturdays invariably kickoff at 11am. ESPN/ABC commitments to the Big Ten, SEC, and Longhorn Conference are now such that there is literally no room to put BE games on Saturdays any later than 11am. Sign with ESPN and you can guarantee that #5 TCU vs. #7 WVU is going to be played on a Thursday night. Sign with NBC and it goes national on Saturday afternoon or evening.

You might only be talking about 4-6 games a year, but those are the 4-6 games a year that voters, fans, recruits, etc. will pay attention to and thus judge the entire conference upon. No one raves about the SEC because they just dig those Thursday night games in Starkville. It's all about Florida vs. Bama Saturday afternoons on CBS.

+1

Obviously $$$$$ drives everything and by all accounts the Beast will get some very good $$$$$ no matter where they land. But as perhaps the least respected of all the BcS conferences exposure is almost as important as the money. As Limey said we might only be talking about 4 or 5 Beast games showing up on NBC on Saturdays but you might have a Beast tripleheader on Versus every Saturday. The weeknight games are killers and should be avoided at if at all possible.

 

[gohornedfrogs]

I don't think there is any doubt there will be a bidding war for the Big East. We couldn't have timed this any better, really. The ESPN kingdom is under attack and we are one of the last pawns to be able be moved in the next half decade or so.

That is why I doubt there is a specific offer on the table. The legal ramifications aside, it just doesn't take a rocket scientest to know taking our rights to the open market is likely to pay off in this environment. Every league has way surpassed expectations recently.

Not to be contrary, but ESPN did, indeed, make an offer. I guess you could call it a preemptive strike. Score one for the Big East leadership for not accepting it and knowing that they have leverage in these negotiations.

 

[KillerFrog InD KitchenSink]

Not to be contrary, but ESPN did, indeed, make an offer. I guess you could call it a preemptive strike. Score one for the Big East leadership for not accepting it and knowing that they have leverage in these negotiations.

Yeah, I meant an offer from Comcast. The OP suggests that we have an offer from Comcast via ND. I think we have some industry consultant's estimates and this (I think correct) sense that we could strike a much better deal, but nothing "in hand".

 

[angelo's frog]

I'm aware of that. And that's 8 games a year, the vast majority being day games. And that doesn't take into account multiple golf tournaments NBC televises - NBC has the rights to the FedEx Cup tournaments in September.

That's okay with me. There's still room to do at least 6-7 Big East games a year on NBC in October and November or in September if ND has a road game in September. I realize most of these will be early starts since ND will most likely have the 2:30 slot for its home games but so long as it's on NBC, I don't care. I just don't want to put in ESPN's mid-week ghetto.

 

[Delmonico]

Yeah, I meant an offer from Comcast. The OP suggests that we have an offer from Comcast via ND. I think we have some industry consultant's estimates and this (I think correct) sense that we could strike a much better deal, but nothing "in hand".

I do think its certainly plausible that Jack Swarbuck made a call to Rockefeller Center and asked 'What do you think?' and Dick Ebersol (before he resigned) said 'They shouldn't take it'. That's all they would really need.

 

[WVUFan]

BE can in no way have any contact with any other TV network so a contract or a feeler can not be on the table as this would violate BE ESPN contract and I am sure ESPN would sue of this if it happend

 

[Genbukan]

BE can in no way have any contact with any other TV network so a contract or a feeler can not be on the table as this would violate BE ESPN contract and I am sure ESPN would sue of this if it happend

Your right..... but it's very easy to get around. Its the same way coaches have plausible deniability when there names are mentioned at other jobs. It's probably true that they have not had contact with the other party when they say they have had "no contact". But that doesn't mean a friend of a friend, or a consultant or agent, hasn't been laying the ground work for some time.

Is there some small amount of risk in not taking ESPN's early offer? Sure - nothing is written in stone and markets can go down as well as up. But most reasonable analysts expect the price of the contact to be higher than what ESPN offered and I'd be shocked if those "analysts" had based their opinion on pure speculation, rather than informed conversations with responible industry players.

 

[BABYFACE]

Why can't it be a combination of both?

NF

I like combos. a brunette and a blonde, surf and turf, whiskey and a beer. All winners in my book.

 

[Rabble Rouser]

I like combos. a brunette and blonde, surf and turf, whiskey and a beer. All winners in my book.

When I am at a Mexican joint I always go with a beer and a house marg on the rocks. Pour a little of the beer in the marg and I am good to go. Or if I am feeling frisky I add a patron shot along with for the triple threat...

 

[FungoFrog]

People, think about this...

Right now, TV revenue is < $5million a year....

A year from now, we will be looking at a future of...

$11 million? Maybe $15 million? Maybe $20 million?

Lets say, for optimist sake, that the entire contract gives TCU $20 million a year in TV revenue.

That is almost half of TCU's total athletic revenue for FY 2009-2010.

NBC, Versus, ESPN... WHATEVER!

A school of 8000 undergrad, 100K alumni and a 40,000 seat stadium will have a athletic budget that almost hits about $80 million in revenue?

Big time people. Big time.

 

[Froggy Style]

I'd prefer to be on NBC or versus on Saturday. However, if the Big East signs with NBC, ESPN/Disney (the Cartel Pimp) will be pushing the other members to boot the Big East out of auto qualifier status ASAP. Watch, it will happen. I would actually like to see that fight...let's do it.

 

[txfrog87]

TV has changed so much over the years. I'm guessing that production of a live football broadcast is cheaper and more reliable for Saturday night ratings, than multiple hour-long dramas.

I'm not saying NBC would ditch its Saturday night lineup for football, but ABC does.

A network can spend a lot of money buying rights to a show and spend a lot of money promoting it, only to have the ratings faulter and the show gets cut early or mid season.

Look at all the news programs and broadcasts that have filled the space where regular TV shows used to sit prominently.

If NBC sees college football as a revenue generator, I expect we'll see changes like this.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I am kinda digging this Marinato guy. We gave ESPN the Heisman in the MTN (due to Hair) and we may do it again in the BE but for much greater riches,

 

[mtmedlin]

Chew on this for a bit...

ALL THE TALK was about Houston and UCF, which are both markets that ESPN/Disney would want. An offer is made for almost $11 million per team. The Big East turns it down...turns down making over 3.5 times as much money.
Shortly after, its talked about BYU being contacted, who just so happened to sign a 6 year deal with Notre Dame. Then the talk is about Army and Navy being added. . My first reaction was, "they suck, why would we want them?" Then I started to research and looked up Notre Dames long time rivalries... USC, Michigan, Michigan St, Purdue...Pitt, Army and Navy. Is it odd to think that maybe NBC/Comcast is attempting to build a conference that will help feature their big expenditure. I dont think Notre Dame is going to join, but I can see them extending their number of games against us. Those additions gurantee 4 Notre Dame games a year.

Notre Dame has talked about starting a network and their likely partner was NBC. Marinatto has acknowledged contact by Comcast and in the past has said the BE goal was to get a network. A hybrid of the two would be very profitable. They can play all the BE olympic sports and historical games from ND (BYU also, along with all our other members that were started 100 years ago) Notre Dame could get a special licensing fee for their old footage, then collect revenue from a BE network, collect the $15 million they get from NBC and make another $6 million for playing Basketball. All the while, they strengthen the BE, which gives them a home to staying independent.

Another point, one of NBCs lowest rating times is during March Madness, and the other time slots when the ACC and BE are playing basketball. It really hurts NBCs ratings in the Northeast markets... um, well, the BE is the premier BBall conference and would fill in that whole quite nicely. Is it just me or is looking more and more like Comcast/NBC is a likely partner.

As far as contact...Notre Dame can talk to NBC all they want. Notre Dame can talk to "independent" consultant Tagliabue all they want. Nothing illegal. What Tag says to the Commish isnt negotiation. Its just a consultant telling him what he is hearing in the market.

 

[toadallytexan]

Why can't it be a combination of both?

NF

Just noticed that your sig pic has a float going past a business that says 'TATOOING'...now if you could just photo shop Jim Tressel, and a few of his 40-or-so OSU players on that float, you'd have an updated, topical sig pic, instead of your retro one.

 

[NORMLFROG]

Just noticed that your sig pic has a float going past a business that says 'TATOOING'...now if you could just photo shop Jim Tressel, and a few of his 40-or-so OSU players on that float, you'd have an updated, topical sig pic, instead of your retro one.

Well since Tressel doesn't even rise to the level of a pimple on the arse of ol' Adolph then I'll just stick with my groovy retro sig pic.

NF

 

[njustus7]

Chew on this for a bit...

ALL THE TALK was about Houston and UCF, which are both markets that ESPN/Disney would want. An offer is made for almost $11 million per team. The Big East turns it down...turns down making over 3.5 times as much money.
Shortly after, its talked about BYU being contacted, who just so happened to sign a 6 year deal with Notre Dame. Then the talk is about Army and Navy being added. . My first reaction was, "they suck, why would we want them?" Then I started to research and looked up Notre Dames long time rivalries... USC, Michigan, Michigan St, Purdue...Pitt, Army and Navy. Is it odd to think that maybe NBC/Comcast is attempting to build a conference that will help feature their big expenditure. I dont think Notre Dame is going to join, but I can see them extending their number of games against us. Those additions gurantee 4 Notre Dame games a year.

Notre Dame has talked about starting a network and their likely partner was NBC. Marinatto has acknowledged contact by Comcast and in the past has said the BE goal was to get a network. A hybrid of the two would be very profitable. They can play all the BE olympic sports and historical games from ND (BYU also, along with all our other members that were started 100 years ago) Notre Dame could get a special licensing fee for their old footage, then collect revenue from a BE network, collect the $15 million they get from NBC and make another $6 million for playing Basketball. All the while, they strengthen the BE, which gives them a home to staying independent.

Another point, one of NBCs lowest rating times is during March Madness, and the other time slots when the ACC and BE are playing basketball. It really hurts NBCs ratings in the Northeast markets... um, well, the BE is the premier BBall conference and would fill in that whole quite nicely. Is it just me or is looking more and more like Comcast/NBC is a likely partner.

As far as contact...Notre Dame can talk to NBC all they want. Notre Dame can talk to "independent" consultant Tagliabue all they want. Nothing illegal. What Tag says to the Commish isnt negotiation. Its just a consultant telling him what he is hearing in the market.

Interesting logic, so you're suggesting the expansion could be Army, Navy, and BYU? Isn't BYU already committed to ESPN?

With potential 15-20M on the table, I don't know why we don't just blow up the Big1-2 and take KU, KST, and Missouri