ABC network package of college football beats Fox's network package. Big Ten and ACC along with similar games as Fox for Big 12 and Pac 12.

Appreciate the info about the ESPiN colverage. I still believe Fox has the advantage with access to the Super Bowl.

(07-18-2014 05:03 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Let's see what happens with the Big 10 rights. I'm betting on Fox getting at least part if not the whole banana.

The reason I think it happens is the Big 10 wants the love it feels is due and right now ABC/ESPN in the prime afternoon slot has regionalized coverage. ABC OTA gets the local team and the other games go to ESPN/ESPN2. Meanwhile CBS is showing SEC coast-to-coast in that slot. Big 10 is going to want that sort of lovin' and Fox can give it to them.

Fox has capacity for more games. ERSPN already has more inventory than it can use. And the Big 10 probably wants to get more of the prime time slots. 2 of the P5 use Fox, but all 5 use ESPN.

(07-18-2014 05:03 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The reason I think it happens is the Big 10 wants the love it feels is due and right now ABC/ESPN in the prime afternoon slot has regionalized coverage. ABC OTA gets the local team and the other games go to ESPN/ESPN2.

FYI, those games are not regional coverage. They all get full national TV. What they did was actually a favor to the Big Ten. Instead of each team just getting one slot (ABC, ESPN, or ESPN 2), they localize which team was on OTA, and alternate the other two games. It actually increases potential viewership. That is actually something Fox cannot match unless they start using non-sports channels to show games.

(07-21-2014 11:48 AM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(07-18-2014 05:03 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The reason I think it happens is the Big 10 wants the love it feels is due and right now ABC/ESPN in the prime afternoon slot has regionalized coverage. ABC OTA gets the local team and the other games go to ESPN/ESPN2.

FYI, those games are not regional coverage. They all get full national TV. What they did was actually a favor to the Big Ten. Instead of each team just getting one slot (ABC, ESPN, or ESPN 2), they localize which team was on OTA, and alternate the other two games. It actually increases potential viewership. That is actually something Fox cannot match unless they start using non-sports channels to show games.

Agreed, Fox (or CBS or NBC, if they get in the game) doesn't have an all-sports channel that draws anywhere close to as many viewers as ESPN2, so even if they wanted to have their own "reverse mirror" it would be a poor alternative to ABC/ESPN2.

OTOH, I don't think that will be an issue for the next Big Ten contract because I think the Big Ten, whether they're dealing with Fox or ABC/ESPN, will demand a full national OTA broadcast every week (like the SEC gets on CBS).

(07-21-2014 11:58 AM)Wedge Wrote:  I think the Big Ten, whether they're dealing with Fox or ABC/ESPN, will demand a full national OTA broadcast every week (like the SEC gets on CBS).

They could probably have that now. I am almost positive the Big Ten is the one who wanted it that way. Remmebering that the Big Ten deal is the oldest of the major conferences, when this set up was created nearly ten years ago, ESPN 2 wasn't near as settled in as it is now.

(07-21-2014 12:53 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(07-21-2014 11:58 AM)Wedge Wrote:  I think the Big Ten, whether they're dealing with Fox or ABC/ESPN, will demand a full national OTA broadcast every week (like the SEC gets on CBS).

They could probably have that now. I am almost positive the Big Ten is the one who wanted it that way. Remmebering that the Big Ten deal is the oldest of the major conferences, when this set up was created nearly ten years ago, ESPN 2 wasn't near as settled in as it is now.

Yeah, there's a story about the Pac-10 and ESPN2. When the Pac had its old dinosaur commissioner Tom Hansen, he wouldn't let ABC/ESPN reverse-mirror Pac games because he thought ESPN2 was too small-time. After Larry Scott took over, he had a get-to-know-you meeting with ESPN execs and asked them why other conferences got their ABC regional games reverse-mirrored on ESPN2 but the Pac didn't. The ESPN guys explained what Hansen had done. Scott facepalmed and told them they could reverse-mirror any Pac game at no extra charge for the remainder of that TV contract.

Truth be told, depending on how long ago that conversation was, he might have been right about ESPN 2 being too small time. football on ESPN 2 has come a long way. Remember when MLB used to throw a fit when Sunday Night baseball got bumped to ESPN 2 for Sunday Night football? That wasn't that long ago. NBC took over SNF in 2006, so it was probably 2003 or 2004 when those issues came up.

But today, there is so little difference in availability, it doesn't matter.

I would prefer that NBC/Comcast be the ones to seriously challenge ESPiN. They've done a great job with the EPL and even made MLS look good when they had games to air on, even with their ratings issues. Unless they can convert CNBC to all-sports on Saturday I don't know if the B1G would seriously entertain an offer from them. I would like to see this:

NBC - Noon before the Notre Dame game at 3:30 and then a night game every week through the first week of November
NBCSN - Tier 2 game at 3:30
CNBC - Reverse mirror noon game
BTN - Noon, 3:30 and 7:00 pm games when available

The EPL and NASCAR make this very complicated for NBC/Comcast. They could schedule around the EPL but not when NASCAR is included.

(07-21-2014 02:51 PM)Transic_nyc Wrote:  I would prefer that NBC/Comcast be the ones to seriously challenge ESPiN. They've done a great job with the EPL and even made MLS look good when they had games to air on, even with their ratings issues. Unless they can convert CNBC to all-sports on Saturday I don't know if the B1G would seriously entertain an offer from them. I would like to see this:

NBC - Noon before the Notre Dame game at 3:30 and then a night game every week through the first week of November
NBCSN - Tier 2 game at 3:30
CNBC - Reverse mirror noon game
BTN - Noon, 3:30 and 7:00 pm games when available

The EPL and NASCAR make this very complicated for NBC/Comcast. They could schedule around the EPL but not when NASCAR is included.

I agree. Fox's sports reporting is not as professional as ESPN.

But NBC (and CBS) are both way behind Fox as far as sports inventory. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that inventory-wise, NBC and CBS are both behind Time Warner as well.

(07-21-2014 04:51 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(07-21-2014 02:51 PM)Transic_nyc Wrote:  I would prefer that NBC/Comcast be the ones to seriously challenge ESPiN. They've done a great job with the EPL and even made MLS look good when they had games to air on, even with their ratings issues. Unless they can convert CNBC to all-sports on Saturday I don't know if the B1G would seriously entertain an offer from them. I would like to see this:

NBC - Noon before the Notre Dame game at 3:30 and then a night game every week through the first week of November
NBCSN - Tier 2 game at 3:30
CNBC - Reverse mirror noon game
BTN - Noon, 3:30 and 7:00 pm games when available

The EPL and NASCAR make this very complicated for NBC/Comcast. They could schedule around the EPL but not when NASCAR is included.

I agree. Fox's sports reporting is not as professional as ESPN.

But NBC (and CBS) are both way behind Fox as far as sports inventory. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that inventory-wise, NBC and CBS are both behind Time Warner as well.

Do people remember when the NFL was on CBS & NBC? No one ever dreamed a startup 4th network would ever take it away from one of those networks either. It all depends how bad Murdoch wants it.