Can Turner deepen its presence in college sports? Pro sports are done for a while - Turner tried to get the NHL on TruTV, but that ultimately went to NBC and NBCSN. The NBA has been renewed, but ESPN/ABC still have the lion's share of that package.

Since the NCAA Tournament is locked up for a while, it would make sense to concentrate on college basketball:

Missouri Valley - available starting 2016-17
Colonial Athletic - available starting 2017-18
West Coast - available starting 2018-19
Atlantic 10 - available starting 2021-22

Does Turner have a shot, or even any interest? They have 3 networks at their disposal, not counting something odd happening like putting sports on CNN.

Turner has done the NBA justice since I can remember. I don't know if they are ready and able to go all in on a sports station. I mean their previous attempt was CNNSI(?) but that was basically a 24hour ESPN sportscenter/ESPNEWS clone (granted ESPNEWS was not around at that time).

I have liked their partnership with CBS on doing the tourney and prefer their on-air personalities over the CBS talking heads.

TBS broadcast Pac-10 and Big 12 football games about 10-15 years ago.

They still have MLB playoffs and a few regular season games in addition to their NBA package.

Fox made a bid to buy Time Warner last year, but later gave up on it. If they had bought Time Warner, the combination of the two companies' sports assets would have made a stronger competitor to ESPN. Maybe someday that deal will happen in another form, such as Time Warner selling one or more of its TV channels to Fox or CBS. No doubt Fox Sports would like to acquire Turner's NBA and March Madness packages, and almost any major content provider would like to buy HBO if the price was right.

You don't pay a premium for the CAA. Whose even left from there? Everyone else has graduated to the A-10. Grab the WCC and you could end up with a lemon. Same for the MVC if Wichita and/or Gregg Marshall leaves.

I think Turner is happy with what they have, I'm guessing if they would want anything it would be a football presence. Regular season college hoops isn't that enticing from a TV standpoint, unless you can get a piece of the bluebloods.

(04-11-2015 01:01 AM)FargoBison Wrote:  I think Turner is happy with what they have, I'm guessing if they would want anything it would be a football presence. Regular season college hoops isn't that enticing from a TV standpoint, unless you can get a piece of the bluebloods.

A10 I believe was only getting 350K per team with there TV Contract. If Turner could get teams to 500K - 700K, I think they would be getting a good deal. I actually think A10, MVC and CAA could draw higher then Big East on FS1 with Turner.

The only college package that Turner might plausibly have an interest in is the Big Ten package. They have been solely focused on high end sports rights. TNT and TBS are two of the highest-rated networks on cable TV - non-power conferences don't fit their needs at all.

(04-11-2015 09:05 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  The only college package that Turner might plausibly have an interest in is the Big Ten package. They have been solely focused on high end sports rights. TNT and TBS are two of the highest-rated networks on cable TV - non-power conferences don't fit their needs at all.

What about TruTV?