Assumptions:
1. The McMurphy article is basically correct, that NBC Sports has an offer in for $20-25M per year for the total package.
2. ESPN has right-of-first-refusal rights, more or less as described by MAttSarz’ contact Curt.
3. The Big East contracts haven’t been delayed because Aresco was holding out for money that wasn’t there, they’ve been delayed because Aresco is trying to get untangled from the old ESPN contract.
The most important piece is the ESPN right-of-first-refusal piece. Matt Sarz and his contact argue that it is very much like the C-USA contract language. It’s not just that ESPN has a right to match, it’s that Aresco could only solicit bids on the exact same terms as the old contract. They legally couldn’t slice-and-dice the package beyond what ESPN, CBS and the Big East had done from 2006-13.
The old ESPN contracts had contracts guaranteeing Big East football around 14 ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 and 7 ESPN-U games, and 35 ESPN/2 and 40 ESPN-U basketball games. That created problems because it was hard to find a network that needed THAT much inventory and was arguably equivalent to ESPN. (I don’t think CBS-SN would qualify for the ESPN games, and I don’t think CBS-OTA wanted them.)
This also explains the strange McMurphy tweet
“They're locked into Catholic 7 RT @KenFowler86: @McMurphyESPN Is it possible that Fox Sports will go after the Big East?”
If going after Aresco League basketball means a 75 game commitment, then it’s either the Aresco League OR the C-7.
So two outcomes are possible: Either ESPN matches the NBC offer—in which case the Aresco League will have the same level of ESPN exposure as the old Big East in both football and basketball—or ESPN refuses to match the NBC offer, and ESPN’s power over the Big East is broken.
If ESPN matches, that's actually pretty good for the Aresco League. The money would suck, but they'd have football games on ESPN/2 and ESPN-U and TONS of basketball games on ESPN/2 and ESPN-U.
If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there
Bingo
Here's the Twitter "conversation" between Matt Sarz and Curt Pires on ESPN's matching rights:
https://twitter.com/mattsarz/status/300605658351431681
Quote:Matt Sarzyniak @mattsarz
@CAPSportsGroup I guess my question is whether they have to take every offer back to ESPN or only those they are willing to accept.
6:02 AM - 10 Feb 13
Curt Pires Curt Pires @CAPSportsGroup
@mattsarz all offers can be matched by ESPN ...
Matt Sarzyniak Matt Sarzyniak @mattsarz
@CAPSportsGroup Let me make sure I understand. NBC offers, Big East gives ESPN option to match & they match, but not binding at that point?
Curt Pires Curt Pires @CAPSportsGroup
@mattsarz nbc offers ... ESPN can match ... If they match ... Then it's done ... If they don't ... Then nbc has to buy that deal ...
Curt Pires Curt Pires @CAPSportsGroup
@mattsarz if they make one change the entire process begins again ... Nbc would need to make an offer that ESPN cannot match
Matt Sarzyniak Matt Sarzyniak @mattsarz
@CAPSportsGroup In contractual talk, a non-conforming term would start the dance over?
Curt Pires Curt Pires @CAPSportsGroup
@mattsarz correct ... Nbc cannot change their offer ... Of they do ESPN can match and Start it over
(02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]Assumptions:
1. The McMurphy article is basically correct, that NBC Sports has an offer in for $20-25M per year for the total package.
2. ESPN has right-of-first-refusal rights, more or less as described by MAttSarz’ contact Curt.
3. The Big East contracts haven’t been delayed because Aresco was holding out for money that wasn’t there, they’ve been delayed because Aresco is trying to get untangled from the old ESPN contract.
The most important piece is the ESPN right-of-first-refusal piece. Matt Sarz and his contact argue that it is very much like the C-USA contract language. It’s not just that ESPN has a right to match, it’s that Aresco could only solicit bids on the exact same terms as the old contract. They legally couldn’t slice-and-dice the package beyond what ESPN, CBS and the Big East had done from 2006-13.
The old ESPN contracts had contracts guaranteeing Big East football around 14 ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 and 7 ESPN-U games, and 35 ESPN/2 and 40 ESPN-U basketball games. That created problems because it was hard to find a network that needed THAT much inventory and was arguably equivalent to ESPN. (I don’t think CBS-SN would qualify for the ESPN games, and I don’t think CBS-OTA wanted them.)
This also explains the strange McMurphy tweet
“They're locked into Catholic 7 RT @KenFowler86: @McMurphyESPN Is it possible that Fox Sports will go after the Big East?”
If going after Aresco League basketball means a 75 game commitment, then it’s either the Aresco League OR the C-7.
So two outcomes are possible: Either ESPN matches the NBC offer—in which case the Aresco League will have the same level of ESPN exposure as the old Big East in both football and basketball—or ESPN refuses to match the NBC offer, and ESPN’s power over the Big East is broken.
If ESPN matches, that's actually pretty good for the Aresco League. The money would suck, but they'd have football games on ESPN/2 and ESPN-U and TONS of basketball games on ESPN/2 and ESPN-U.
If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
To be honest, 21 games on the ESPN family would be 100X better than the exposure the ex-CUSA teams got with thier CUSA contract. The only CUSA game on a network with the reach of ABC or ESPN was the championship game.
Frank the Tank has posted that McMurphy indicated to him that the the NBC bid is for ALL the nBE rights. I remain skeptical of McMurphys source on that fact--but if true, that is DRAMATICALLY lower than anything I have been led to believe we would eventually end up with.
(02-10-2013 04:50 PM)Attackcoog Wrote: [ -> ]To be honest, 21 games on the ESPN family would be 100X better than the exposure the ex-CUSA teams got with thier CUSA contract. The only CUSA game on a network with the reach of ABC or ESPN was the championship game.
I thought you'd like that part of it. Of course, that's also why ESPN will probably pass.
Quote:Frank the Tank has posted that McMurphy indicated to him that the the NBC bid is for ALL the nBE rights. I remain skeptical of McMurphys source on that fact--but if true, that is DRAMATICALLY lower than anything I have been led to believe we would eventually end up with.
I know. Lower than I thought too. ESPN having right-of-first-refusal is a killer. IF it's the same contract type that C-USA had, it meant anyone who wanted to bid on Big East games had to buy the same package that ESPN was buying from 2006-13, which was everything, with specifications built in for how many ESPN/2 games, how many ESPN-U games, how many Saturday and weeknight football games, how many games got syndicated, and the rest on ESPN-3 and syndication.
CBS or Turner couldn't match those specifications, I don't think Fox wanted to. Which left NBC and ESPN.
The only upside is that ESPN's deals with the Big EAst may have had a revenue-sharing thing for sublicenses like the CBS-Big East deal. (I think that CBS's money went to the Big East, but I'm not sure, maybe ESPN pocketed it.) IF that's the case, then you'll get something from NBC selling the stuff they either don't have enough airtime to show, or the stuff that's too valuable to let rot on NBC-SN but not quite good enough for NBC.
Or maybe NBC will sell it off piece by piece and just keep the money.
[/quote]
To be honest, 21 games on the ESPN family would be 100X better than the exposure the ex-CUSA teams got with thier CUSA contract. The only CUSA game on a network with the reach of ABC or ESPN was the championship game.
Frank the Tank has posted that McMurphy indicated to him that the the NBC bid is for ALL the nBE rights. I remain skeptical of McMurphys source on that fact--but if true, that is DRAMATICALLY lower than anything I have been led to believe we would eventually end up with.
[/quote]
Just 3 weeks ago, the Tulsa World had an article that include a quote from TU officials that BE sources had given an educated guess that the BE TV contract would be between 3.5/mil. & 4.5/mil. per school. Hard to believe they were that far off.
Quote:To be honest, 21 games on the ESPN family would be 100X better than the exposure the ex-CUSA teams got with thier CUSA contract. The only CUSA game on a network with the reach of ABC or ESPN was the championship game.
Frank the Tank has posted that McMurphy indicated to him that the the NBC bid is for ALL the nBE rights. I remain skeptical of McMurphys source on that fact--but if true, that is DRAMATICALLY lower than anything I have been led to believe we would eventually end up with.
Just 3 weeks ago, the Tulsa World had an article that include a quote from TU officials that BE sources had given an educated guess that the BE TV contract would be between 3.5/mil. & 4.5/mil. per school. Hard to believe they were that far off.
That is an end analysis figure once all of the bidding is complete, not the opening salvo.
Quite honestly, with the FB schools left in limbo and not sure even if they'll retain the name without being a contract conference, 2 million per school is a fairly solid offer. Fox only offered CUSA 580k per school while CBS offered the same amount.
What I see happening here is ESPN not matching NBC's offer but be willing to buy that secondary basketball content from NBC for another 1 million or so because UConn, Temple, UC, Memphis are huge brands. In the end analysis the contract will be worth 3 million a year.
Fox is offering the C7 3 million per school as a 10 team league, 3.3 million per school as a 12 team conference. The C7 will probably bite on 12 because of the money and the ability to split divisions for travel purposes.
It looks like the C7 and the Football league will be looking at the same kind of cash when its all said and done.
A deal with ESPN/NBC also hurts CUSA down the road because if that happens there is going be no interest in signing them by ESPN/NBC with overlapping markets.
Think about it. CUSA signed a TV contract worth the same exact value as their previous contract but with no ESPN exposure when they still had Houston, SMU, Memphis, Tulane, UCF, ECU all on board. That is probably what saved them from not having a TV deal in place at all.
I expect ESPN will retain BE basketball and sign MW football because of the west coast package. When the MAC reups in 2016, I'm figuring they'll go with ESPN football and a secondary deal with CBS Sports for about 1 mill per team (plus a per game appearance like the MW).
It makes sense for the MAC to have unequal revenue sharing to retain Northern Illinois, Ohio and Toledo as an established conference while for CUSA revenue sharing is equal to entice new members. Everything depends on where a schools athletic program is developmentally as to what is the better deal of where to play.
(02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]Assumptions:
1. The McMurphy article is basically correct, that NBC Sports has an offer in for $20-25M per year for the total package.
2. ESPN has right-of-first-refusal rights, more or less as described by MAttSarz’ contact Curt.
3. The Big East contracts haven’t been delayed because Aresco was holding out for money that wasn’t there, they’ve been delayed because Aresco is trying to get untangled from the old ESPN contract.
The most important piece is the ESPN right-of-first-refusal piece. Matt Sarz and his contact argue that it is very much like the C-USA contract language. It’s not just that ESPN has a right to match, it’s that Aresco could only solicit bids on the exact same terms as the old contract. They legally couldn’t slice-and-dice the package beyond what ESPN, CBS and the Big East had done from 2006-13.
The old ESPN contracts had contracts guaranteeing Big East football around 14 ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 and 7 ESPN-U games, and 35 ESPN/2 and 40 ESPN-U basketball games. That created problems because it was hard to find a network that needed THAT much inventory and was arguably equivalent to ESPN. (I don’t think CBS-SN would qualify for the ESPN games, and I don’t think CBS-OTA wanted them.)
This also explains the strange McMurphy tweet
“They're locked into Catholic 7 RT @KenFowler86: @McMurphyESPN Is it possible that Fox Sports will go after the Big East?”
If going after Aresco League basketball means a 75 game commitment, then it’s either the Aresco League OR the C-7.
So two outcomes are possible: Either ESPN matches the NBC offer—in which case the Aresco League will have the same level of ESPN exposure as the old Big East in both football and basketball—or ESPN refuses to match the NBC offer, and ESPN’s power over the Big East is broken.
If ESPN matches, that's actually pretty good for the Aresco League. The money would suck, but they'd have football games on ESPN/2 and ESPN-U and TONS of basketball games on ESPN/2 and ESPN-U.
If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
(02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]Assumptions:
1. The McMurphy article is basically correct, that NBC Sports has an offer in for $20-25M per year for the total package.
2. ESPN has right-of-first-refusal rights, more or less as described by MAttSarz’ contact Curt.
3. The Big East contracts haven’t been delayed because Aresco was holding out for money that wasn’t there, they’ve been delayed because Aresco is trying to get untangled from the old ESPN contract.
The most important piece is the ESPN right-of-first-refusal piece. Matt Sarz and his contact argue that it is very much like the C-USA contract language. It’s not just that ESPN has a right to match, it’s that Aresco could only solicit bids on the exact same terms as the old contract. They legally couldn’t slice-and-dice the package beyond what ESPN, CBS and the Big East had done from 2006-13.
The old ESPN contracts had contracts guaranteeing Big East football around 14 ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 and 7 ESPN-U games, and 35 ESPN/2 and 40 ESPN-U basketball games. That created problems because it was hard to find a network that needed THAT much inventory and was arguably equivalent to ESPN. (I don’t think CBS-SN would qualify for the ESPN games, and I don’t think CBS-OTA wanted them.)
This also explains the strange McMurphy tweet
“They're locked into Catholic 7 RT @KenFowler86: @McMurphyESPN Is it possible that Fox Sports will go after the Big East?”
If going after Aresco League basketball means a 75 game commitment, then it’s either the Aresco League OR the C-7.
So two outcomes are possible: Either ESPN matches the NBC offer—in which case the Aresco League will have the same level of ESPN exposure as the old Big East in both football and basketball—or ESPN refuses to match the NBC offer, and ESPN’s power over the Big East is broken.
If ESPN matches, that's actually pretty good for the Aresco League. The money would suck, but they'd have football games on ESPN/2 and ESPN-U and TONS of basketball games on ESPN/2 and ESPN-U.
If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
Which idiot from Providence signed this agreement?
(02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
Which is precisely why if all of this is true, that ESPN would almost gladly accept the lowball offer. They would not only be getting the BE for less than they are paying now, but could then bury the BE on ESPN3 or Tuesday nights for the duration of the deal and ensure that NBC stays out of college football for good. Remember, ESPN doesn't want NBC to have a piece of the pie - or at least a piece worth having.
(02-10-2013 10:23 PM)CommuterBob Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
Which is precisely why if all of this is true, that ESPN would almost gladly accept the lowball offer. They would not only be getting the BE for less than they are paying now, but could then bury the BE on ESPN3 or Tuesday nights for the duration of the deal and ensure that NBC stays out of college football for good. Remember, ESPN doesn't want NBC to have a piece of the pie - or at least a piece worth having.
The thing is- it sounds as if they would have specific things, like # of Saturday games, etc. So couldn't just do like what you're saying.
(02-10-2013 10:23 PM)CommuterBob Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
Which is precisely why if all of this is true, that ESPN would almost gladly accept the lowball offer. They would not only be getting the BE for less than they are paying now, but could then bury the BE on ESPN3 or Tuesday nights for the duration of the deal and ensure that NBC stays out of college football for good. Remember, ESPN doesn't want NBC to have a piece of the pie - or at least a piece worth having.
Not really. The whole key to the puzzle is that Aresco had to solicit bids on extended versions of the ESPN-Big East 2006-13 contracts. That means 17 ESPN/2 football games, and 5 ESPN-U football games, 49 ESPN/2 regular season basketball games and 30 ESPN-U basketball games. So if you wanted to bid, you had to commit to 17 Aresco LEague football games on over-the-air or national basic cable, 5 more on a sports-tier channel, 49 games on national basic cable, 30 more on a sports-tier channel, etc.
The flip side of that is that ESPN is bound by that same contract if they match the bid. ESPN would have to show 17 Aresco LEague football games on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, 45 Aresco LEague basketball games on ESPN/2, 30 games on ESPN-U, etc.
ESPN-Big East contract details from
http://www.depaulbluedemons.com/genrel/082906aaa.html
(02-10-2013 09:57 PM)canewton Wrote: [ -> ]Which idiot from Providence signed this agreement?
This actually IS something that the Big East commissioner (Tranghese at the time) can be blamed for.
(02-10-2013 10:31 PM)stever20 Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 10:23 PM)CommuterBob Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
Which is precisely why if all of this is true, that ESPN would almost gladly accept the lowball offer. They would not only be getting the BE for less than they are paying now, but could then bury the BE on ESPN3 or Tuesday nights for the duration of the deal and ensure that NBC stays out of college football for good. Remember, ESPN doesn't want NBC to have a piece of the pie - or at least a piece worth having.
The thing is- it sounds as if they would have specific things, like # of Saturday games, etc. So couldn't just do like what you're saying.
Yes, I get what you are saying, but I don't think anyone is touting specifics in that manner as of yet, or even if the BE contract has such clauses to begin with. Maybe that's NBC's selling point - to have an exclusive Saturday timeslot each week, which is something ESPN certainly can't match.
(02-10-2013 10:36 PM)CommuterBob Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 10:31 PM)stever20 Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 10:23 PM)CommuterBob Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
Which is precisely why if all of this is true, that ESPN would almost gladly accept the lowball offer. They would not only be getting the BE for less than they are paying now, but could then bury the BE on ESPN3 or Tuesday nights for the duration of the deal and ensure that NBC stays out of college football for good. Remember, ESPN doesn't want NBC to have a piece of the pie - or at least a piece worth having.
The thing is- it sounds as if they would have specific things, like # of Saturday games, etc. So couldn't just do like what you're saying.
Yes, I get what you are saying, but I don't think anyone is touting specifics in that manner as of yet, or even if the BE contract has such clauses to begin with. Maybe that's NBC's selling point - to have an exclusive Saturday timeslot each week, which is something ESPN certainly can't match.
It sounds like they had to get that from what Johnbragg said.
To be honest, 21 games on the ESPN family would be 100X better than the exposure the ex-CUSA teams got with thier CUSA contract. The only CUSA game on a network with the reach of ABC or ESPN was the championship game.
Frank the Tank has posted that McMurphy indicated to him that the the NBC bid is for ALL the nBE rights. I remain skeptical of McMurphys source on that fact--but if true, that is DRAMATICALLY lower than anything I have been led to believe we would eventually end up with.
[/quote]
Just 3 weeks ago, the Tulsa World had an article that include a quote from TU officials that BE sources had given an educated guess that the BE TV contract would be between 3.5/mil. & 4.5/mil. per school. Hard to believe they were that far off.
[/quote]
Fanzz, do you think TU will stay in the CUSA if the $20-23 million are correct.
(02-10-2013 10:34 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 10:23 PM)CommuterBob Wrote: [ -> ] (02-10-2013 03:05 PM)johnbragg Wrote: [ -> ]If ESPN doesn't match, then I don't think they retain any rights. So NBC and Aresco could start selling off slices of the package here and there, whatever either doesn't fit on NBC-SN or would be more valuable someplace else.
Which is precisely why if all of this is true, that ESPN would almost gladly accept the lowball offer. They would not only be getting the BE for less than they are paying now, but could then bury the BE on ESPN3 or Tuesday nights for the duration of the deal and ensure that NBC stays out of college football for good. Remember, ESPN doesn't want NBC to have a piece of the pie - or at least a piece worth having.
Not really. The whole key to the puzzle is that Aresco had to solicit bids on extended versions of the ESPN-Big East 2006-13 contracts. That means 17 ESPN/2 football games, and 5 ESPN-U football games, 49 ESPN/2 regular season basketball games and 30 ESPN-U basketball games. So if you wanted to bid, you had to commit to 17 Aresco LEague football games on over-the-air or national basic cable, 5 more on a sports-tier channel, 49 games on national basic cable, 30 more on a sports-tier channel, etc.
The flip side of that is that ESPN is bound by that same contract if they match the bid. ESPN would have to show 17 Aresco LEague football games on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, 45 Aresco LEague basketball games on ESPN/2, 30 games on ESPN-U, etc.
ESPN-Big East contract details from http://www.depaulbluedemons.com/genrel/082906aaa.html
But NBCSports Network doesn't have multiple channels to offer that bid (and I really doubt NBC OTA would be involved), so how can that technically be matched? I would imagine that those numbers are more or less what/when the network would end up televising rather than what is mandated in the contract. For example, those numbers indicate that the BE would have 2 Sunday games, but last season the BE only had one Sunday game. Was that a breach of contract? There has been nothing made of that. And those numbers are just for carrying games and have little to do with what day or time they are on. And ESPN has weaseled their way into putting games on ESPN3 and calling it something to the effect of priority or demand or some other **** like that.
(02-10-2013 10:54 PM)CommuterBob Wrote: [ -> ]But NBCSports Network doesn't have multiple channels to offer that bid (and I really doubt NBC OTA would be involved), so how can that technically be matched? I would imagine that those numbers are more or less what/when the network would end up televising rather than what is mandated in the contract. For example, those numbers indicate that the BE would have 2 Sunday games, but last season the BE only had one Sunday game. Was that a breach of contract? There has been nothing made of that. And those numbers are just for carrying games and have little to do with what day or time they are on. And ESPN has weaseled their way into putting games on ESPN3 and calling it something to the effect of priority or demand or some other **** like that.
true points there...unless NBC is thinking about sticking some games on:
http://www.nbcuni.com/cable/universal-hd/
and USA and the Comcast RSN's....
http://www.nbcuni.com/cable/