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The Wichita Eagle: Why ESPN reportedly breaking up with the Big Ten could mean good news for Big 12

TopFrog

TopFrog

Lifelong Frog

Why ESPN reportedly breaking up with the Big Ten could mean good news for Big 12​

KELLIS ROBINETT
Wichita Eagle
Two of the biggest names in college sports are breaking up, but you won’t find many tears being shed about the separation in Big 12 country.

ESPN has reportedly ended negotiations with the Big Ten for its next media rights contract. After decades of carrying Big Ten games on its networks, ESPN balked at the price tag that came along with renewing its deal with the conference, according to the Sports Business Journal. The Big Ten was reportedly asking for $380 million a year for seven years. ESPN said no thanks.

With ESPN no longer in the picture, that means CBS and NBC are now expected to team up with Fox as the Big Ten’s new media partners.

That could be a good development for the Big 12.

Read more at https://www.aol.com/news/why-espn-r...emYzB0C89cn0edSbCQF2VsqJCQ3jK9p6WyPS810k8b_D8
 
BrewingFrog

BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
So, that was $380 mil. for the 2nd tier rights. Wow. They got their pee-pees thwacked...

It might be nice to have rivals bidding for our 1st tier rights, and on down the line. The key is, methinks, to keep the contract at 5-6 years and thus retain at least a little flexibility.
 
BrewingFrog

BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
Hemingway said:
Isn’t espn the group that just tried to break us up?
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Yes. Yes it is. And while Bowlsby passed up the opportunity to annihilate them via tampering allegations, it is instructive to know what type of entity one is dealing with. They are ruthless, untrustworthy, rank, vile, and like pumpkin flavorings in their martinis. But their money spends just as good as anyone else's, so if the opportunity is presented to get a better deal than expected from other quarters it should be pounced upon just as ruthlessly. These people are not our friends.
 
This Ain't Chopped Liver

This Ain't Chopped Liver

Active Member
Seems that the Big 12 will need a serious over-the-air broadcast bidder(s) to get fair value from ESPN, so I assume the Big 12 may be disdvantaged to be last in line, after the PAC gets their new deals. CBS and NBC might want more content than what they are getting with the Big Ten, but may fill their plate with PAC games. Then there is only FOX left to compete with ESPN, maybe, and they may not want Tier 1 since they have that with the Big Ten. I say “only,” because I get the feeling that any option other than over-the-air TV channels or ESPN is not going to get you the dollars you want for Tier 1, and I wonder about Tier 2 and 3. And will ESPN even want any Big 12 central time Tier 1 games when they already have the SEC and ACC Tier 1 to fill that out? But they will likely want some Pacific coast night games to fill their ESPN day.

Seems that CBS and NBC spending their money in the Big Ten and then possibly the PAC next is not good for the Big 12. Those two potential over-the-air TV bidders competing for the Big 12 Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 rights, might not be there now.
 
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asleep003

Active Member
This Ain't Chopped Liver said:
Seems that the Big 12 will need a serious over-the-air broadcast bidder(s) to get fair value from ESPN, so I assume the Big 12 may be disdvantaged to be last in line, after the PAC gets their new deals. CBS and NBC might want more content than what they are getting with the Big Ten, but may fill their plate with PAC games. Then there is only FOX left to compete with ESPN, maybe, and they may not want Tier 1 since they have that with the Big Ten. I say “only,” because I get the feeling that any option other than over-the-air TV channels or ESPN is not going to get you the dollars you want for Tier 1, and I wonder about Tier 2 and 3. And will ESPN even want any Big 12 central time Tier 1 games when they already have the SEC and ACC Tier 1 to fill that out? But they will likely want some Pacific coast night games to fill their ESPN day.
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Hmmm ... ?%?#?$?
 
HG73

HG73

Active Member
The B1G will finalize their TV deal shortly. Next year the PAC will get the final news on their contract and it will be well short of what the Big12 will get, mainly because of the instability of having every member of the PAC trying to escape. At that point they will all be coming here.

I don't believe any TV network will overpay for the PAC just because their negotiations begin a year before ours. They all know the value of those teams. And the after dark games won't be so valuable when they lose a few teams and have some competition.
 
HG73

HG73

Active Member
BrewingFrog said:
Yes. Yes it is. And while Bowlsby passed up the opportunity to annihilate them via tampering allegations, it is instructive to know what type of entity one is dealing with. They are ruthless, untrustworthy, rank, vile, and like pumpkin flavorings in their martinis. But their money spends just as good as anyone else's, so if the opportunity is presented to get a better deal than expected from other quarters it should be pounced upon just as ruthlessly. These people are not our friends.
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Bowlsby still has the right to sue espn, doesn't he?
That may be a trump card to play during the TV negotiations.
 
BrewingFrog

BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
HG73 said:
Bowlsby still has the right to sue espn, doesn't he?
That may be a trump card to play during the TV negotiations.
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Well, the New Guy does, as it is the BIGXII which was damaged by ESPN's actions. We were contractural partners, which means that they have certain obligations to uphold beyond a simple carriage contract. Among these is the duty to inform of negotiations to change the relationship, or destroy the Conference. (Full Disclosure: I am not an Attorney. I am a drunk.) So, yes, there is a very good case to be made should the BIGXII choose to pursue it, and it could make for a dandy bludgeon in Contract negotiations.
 
Spike

Spike

Full Member
Does this mean ESPN will stop singing the praises of tOSU and Michigan? Someone else can get some love?

Also, if someone like Purdue or Rutgers became consistently competitive for the title would they suddenly say that the Big 10 was down? Asking for a friend.
 
BrewingFrog

BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
Spike said:
Does this mean ESPN will stop singing the praises of tOSU and Michigan? Someone else can get some love?

Also, if someone like Purdue or Rutgers became consistently competitive for the title would they suddenly say that the Big 10 was down? Asking for a friend.
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ESPN will just use their 24/7 blowhorn to run down the B1G. It'll be fun to watch!

Remember that ESPN has packed the voting members of all the major Awards with their employees, so they will have undue influence on who wins the Heisman, or the O'Brien Award. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the B1G hasn't got a chance at a post-season award.
 

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