(01-03-2018 11:45 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  I found this interesting if for no more reason than the guy was willing to go on the record.

Dennis Dodd reports

What's also interesting is his honesty with regard to precisely what TV execs want in market representation...something JR has hit on repeatedly.

The thing about expanding the CFP, if they ever seriously take up the question, is that you wouldn't be able to guarantee the biggest brands would be in the final.

There's more going on there than a press release. CBS is trying to bid up ESPN's costs for the playoffs by putting a number out there. Plus Dodds raises the ante again by talking about the Rose Bowl and what it would cost to buyout the conference championship games. I'm thinking it would take 200 million each to buyout the CCG's of the Big 10 and SEC. 75 million to buy out the Big 12 & ACC games, and maybe a little less to buy out the PAC's.

He also makes an interesting observation that the Northeast and PAC aren't really worth having in the playoff from a ratings standpoint. So half of the ACC and the West coast are laggards for the networks. The Big 12 has always had good saturation numbers (actual viewers / potential viewers).

So yeah pretty much what I've told you that their ideal was to cover as many regions as possible, but to have the SEC vs the B1G as much as possible.

It makes me wonder if the guy is tossing out some numbers so CBS can scoop the CFP the same way that mainline networks have gone after pro playoffs.

If so the bidding war can only help the revenue.

If we ever were to go to an 8 game playoff either the bowls or the CCG's go. If it is the CCG's they would be easier to buy out and the money would go straight to the conferences instead of various local interests via ESPN.

In fact upon reflection, I believe this is a tacit challenge to ESPN who wants to keep the control of 4 schools at less overhead, rather than to float the idea of going to 8 and buying out the CCG's. It's an interesting but subtle ploy that bears watching.