Five Years Ago

[MUPanther]

I would be shock if CBS doesn't renew the deal with FOX/FS1 for Big East rights to 20+ games per year. Those are big games having the Big East on CBSSN.

Would CBS have the option, or would it be up to Fox?

I would think it would be up to FOX in whom to sub license too. Most sub license are going to CBSSN.

[MUPanther]

You know they had one right?

That wasn't a daily show and it was really more of a comedy sketch than a highlights show. I'm not counting it.

You must not of watched the first 2 years of FS1. They had a show just like SportsCenter and eventually ditched it in favor of just Jay and Dan.

Correct. Highlight show called FOX Sports Live. There was three versions of that show over the years.

[stever20]

I would be shock if CBS doesn't renew the deal with FOX/FS1 for Big East rights to 20+ games per year. Those are big games having the Big East on CBSSN.

Would CBS have the option, or would it be up to Fox?

I would think it would be up to FOX in whom to sub license too. Most sub license are going to CBSSN.

I think ESPN does some sub-licensing as well- I know they did with the MWC. I could easily see ESPN getting in the action next year. Frankly I could see them doing somewhat of a tradeoff- ESPN getting rights to show some Big East games, Fox getting rights to show some Big 12 games. I'd say this would be especially true if the AAC were leaving ESPN which could happen.

[gtmoBlue]

Sure Stever, right Steverino... AAC leaves ESPN,
...to go where...?

[GoldenWarrior11]

:lol: Sure Stever, right Steverino... AAC leaves ESPN,
...to go where...?

I've wrote about it on the other site, but here are the hurdles for the AAC's next TV deal:]

1. If money is equal, whatever value it is, the AAC would want to stay with ESPN.
2. If money is not equal, it would take much more prime exposure opportunities from another network in order for the AAC to leave. Fox has little-to-no use of AAC content (between B1G, PAC and Big 12, as well as the B1G Championship, the PAC Championship in even years, and the Big 12 Championship). ESPN already has B1G, SEC, PAC and the ACC. ABC, with ESPN, has the B1G, ACC, Big 12, PAC, select ND games as a package and the PAC Championship in odd years. CBS has the SEC, Navy home games against ND and Army/Navy games. NBC only has Notre Dame home games. The biggest opening I can see is at NBC, but will NBC really shell out money for the AAC just to lose in ratings to CBS (SEC), ABC (B1G, SEC, PAC, ACC) and Fox (B1G, PAC, Big 12)? I don't see it.
3. The AAC needs a true competitor to drive up the value for its TV deal with ESPN. ESPN, with all the content is has, doesn't need more content for ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU; it needs more streaming/ESPN3 content. Why would ESPN pay significantly more for AAC rights, where it will just be put on ESPN3, when it can easily supply that demand with MAC/MWC/Sun Belt games? If ESPN won't pay much for the content, why would NBC (or any other competitor) pay that much more for the content?

Fans can point to inflated ratings for AAC games on ESPN/ABC all they want, but ESPN can replace those with any other content fillers it has and not miss a beat. If the AAC was on CBS-Sports or NBC-SN, they would be very low. The AAC needs ESPN more than ESPN needs the AAC. ESPN has done nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, to market the AAC as a power conference. They view them as a G5 league, and promote them as such. They will not suddenly flip a switch and pay them $10 million per year and start showing more games on ESPN and ABC out of the kindness of their hearts. And that does not even take into account the political pressure the P5 will enact on the networks to keep their enterprise in tact. They want their club for football restricted, not expanded.

In the end, it will be a telling conclusion in one form or another for the AAC. They will either be paid and compensated as a true tweener league, where they will officially separate from the G5, or they will be paid once again as a G5 conference as a peer. If it is the latter, we will see a dramatic shift in the operating procedures for those athletic programs, because schools cannot spend another 8-10 years spending exuberant amounts of cash on the hope they hit eventually blackjack.

[stever20]

:lol: Sure Stever, right Steverino... AAC leaves ESPN,
...to go where...?

I've wrote about it on the other site, but here are the hurdles for the AAC's next TV deal:]

1. If money is equal, whatever value it is, the AAC would want to stay with ESPN.
2. If money is not equal, it would take much more prime exposure opportunities from another network in order for the AAC to leave. Fox has little-to-no use of AAC content (between B1G, PAC and Big 12, as well as the B1G Championship, the PAC Championship in even years, and the Big 12 Championship). ESPN already has B1G, SEC, PAC and the ACC. ABC, with ESPN, has the B1G, ACC, Big 12, PAC, select ND games as a package and the PAC Championship in odd years. CBS has the SEC, Navy home games against ND and Army/Navy games. NBC only has Notre Dame home games. The biggest opening I can see is at NBC, but will NBC really shell out money for the AAC just to lose in ratings to CBS (SEC), ABC (B1G, SEC, PAC, ACC) and Fox (B1G, PAC, Big 12)? I don't see it.
3. The AAC needs a true competitor to drive up the value for its TV deal with ESPN. ESPN, with all the content is has, doesn't need more content for ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU; it needs more streaming/ESPN3 content. Why would ESPN pay significantly more for AAC rights, where it will just be put on ESPN3, when it can easily supply that demand with MAC/MWC/Sun Belt games? If ESPN won't pay much for the content, why would NBC (or any other competitor) pay that much more for the content?

Fans can point to inflated ratings for AAC games on ESPN/ABC all they want, but ESPN can replace those with any other content fillers it has and not miss a beat. If the AAC was on CBS-Sports or NBC-SN, they would be very low. The AAC needs ESPN more than ESPN needs the AAC. ESPN has done nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, to market the AAC as a power conference. They view them as a G5 league, and promote them as such. They will not suddenly flip a switch and pay them $10 million per year and start showing more games on ESPN and ABC out of the kindness of their hearts. And that does not even take into account the political pressure the P5 will enact on the networks to keep their enterprise in tact. They want their club for football restricted, not expanded.

In the end, it will be a telling conclusion in one form or another for the AAC. They will either be paid and compensated as a true tweener league, where they will officially separate from the G5, or they will be paid once again as a G5 conference as a peer. If it is the latter, we will see a dramatic shift in the operating procedures for those athletic programs, because schools cannot spend another 8-10 years spending exuberant amounts of cash on the hope they hit eventually blackjack.

One point- CBS does NOT have going forward the Navy nome games against Notre Dame or 1 conference home game.

I could see Fox making a play for the AAC actually. Not so much for football(though I think there would be some holes that the AAC could fill)- but rather to help build up the basketball more. Right now for basketball it's only 3 conferences. I could see Fox wanting a 4th conference. Plus it would help expand somewhat in the southeast.

[Wizard of Westroads]

I could see Fox making a play for the AAC actually. Not so much for football(though I think there would be some holes that the AAC could fill)- but rather to help build up the basketball more. Right now for basketball it's only 3 conferences. I could see Fox wanting a 4th conference. Plus it would help expand somewhat in the southeast.

Right, good time to lock down East Carolina and Tulane markets.

[stever20]

I could see Fox making a play for the AAC actually. Not so much for football(though I think there would be some holes that the AAC could fill)- but rather to help build up the basketball more. Right now for basketball it's only 3 conferences. I could see Fox wanting a 4th conference. Plus it would help expand somewhat in the southeast.

Right, good time to lock down East Carolina and Tulane markets.

no, but would add Memphis, Orlando, Tampa which would be big. And frankly getting New Orleans wouldn't be too bad either.

[GoldenWarrior11]

I could see Fox making a play for the AAC actually. Not so much for football(though I think there would be some holes that the AAC could fill)- but rather to help build up the basketball more. Right now for basketball it's only 3 conferences. I could see Fox wanting a 4th conference. Plus it would help expand somewhat in the southeast.

Let's play this out.

Fox wants more content for basketball. If Fox wants more content for basketball, it would be easier (and cheaper) to give some cash to the Big East to expand. It would increase the total number of games, markets and tournament games at MSG. Adding one adds 18-conference games, with a number of OOC games; adding two adds 36-conference games, with a number of additional OOC games. Without going into the deep expansion-member topic, one school always floated around is UConn. Now, if Fox was truly serious about adding content, it would be cheaper to pay the Big East an increase in TV revenue, as well as a sweetened deal for UConn to join the Big East - not only to help increase that content, but also devalue the AAC deal (for which, in theory, they would pay less for). Now, since UConn is hypothetically gone from the AAC, their value gets lowered, and they are most likely barely above the other G5 programs in TV revenue opportunities (thus, they stay with ESPN). On the thought of expanding the Southeast, Tulane doesn't deliver the Southeast (behind LSU). East Carolina doesn't deliver the Southeast (behind UNC, Duke, NCST, WF). Neither does Memphis (behind UT/Vandy). Or USF, or even UCF (behind UF, FSU, MIA). Fox would "make a play" - spending more cash than ESPN - for programs that are 2nd, 3rd, 4th or even 5th in their respective regions? Doubtful.

At the end of the day - the EXACT same arguments/discussions taking place today about why the AAC will get a high television deal are the same five years ago. There is no blue blood to anchor them. Additionally, if any program exceeds their value, a network won't pony-up to pay the league more; they will simply have a power conference poach them and add to their collective.

[Xudash]

I could see Fox making a play for the AAC actually. Not so much for football(though I think there would be some holes that the AAC could fill)- but rather to help build up the basketball more. Right now for basketball it's only 3 conferences. I could see Fox wanting a 4th conference. Plus it would help expand somewhat in the southeast.

Let's play this out.

Fox wants more content for basketball. If Fox wants more content for basketball, it would be easier (and cheaper) to give some cash to the Big East to expand. It would increase the total number of games, markets and tournament games at MSG. Adding one adds 18-conference games, with a number of OOC games; adding two adds 36-conference games, with a number of additional OOC games. Without going into the deep expansion-member topic, one school always floated around is UConn. Now, if Fox was truly serious about adding content, it would be cheaper to pay the Big East an increase in TV revenue, as well as a sweetened deal for UConn to join the Big East - not only to help increase that content, but also devalue the AAC deal (for which, in theory, they would pay less for). Now, since UConn is hypothetically gone from the AAC, their value gets lowered, and they are most likely barely above the other G5 programs in TV revenue opportunities (thus, they stay with ESPN). On the thought of expanding the Southeast, Tulane doesn't deliver the Southeast (behind LSU). East Carolina doesn't deliver the Southeast (behind UNC, Duke, NCST, WF). Neither does Memphis (behind UT/Vandy). Or USF, or even UCF (behind UF, FSU, MIA). Fox would "make a play" - spending more cash than ESPN - for programs that are 2nd, 3rd, 4th or even 5th in their respective regions? Doubtful.

At the end of the day - the EXACT same arguments/discussions taking place today about why the AAC will get a high television deal are the same five years ago. There is no blue blood to anchor them. Additionally, if any program exceeds their value, a network won't pony-up to pay the league more; they will simply have a power conference poach them and add to their collective.

The only thing that is more enjoyable than this post is the contemplation of this idiot's reaction when what you wrote comes true. Will that reaction be one of crickets or additional insanity?