http://www.epltalk.com/race-for-us-media...PL+Talk%29

Quote:In early October, we’ll discover who’ll win the US media rights to the English Premier League for seasons 2013-16.

Quote:If FOX did lose the EPL rights, or even if they win them, there’s the chance that FOX could shut down FOX Soccer, FUEL and SPEED and replace the channels with their FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports 3 concept — which would be a mashup of the different sports rights that FOX Sports currently owns. The idea of a sports network to rival ESPN (and now beIN SPORT) is still on the table, and remains a possibility in the near to distant future.

If Fox does lose the EPL and goes to a Fox Sports 1/2/3 concept, and/or to a national sports network concept, they will need inventory.

Could Fox potentially be involved in bidding for the Big East?

(08-28-2012 10:08 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  http://www.epltalk.com/race-for-us-media...PL+Talk%29

Quote:In early October, we’ll discover who’ll win the US media rights to the English Premier League for seasons 2013-16.

Quote:If FOX did lose the EPL rights, or even if they win them, there’s the chance that FOX could shut down FOX Soccer, FUEL and SPEED and replace the channels with their FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports 3 concept — which would be a mashup of the different sports rights that FOX Sports currently owns. The idea of a sports network to rival ESPN (and now beIN SPORT) is still on the table, and remains a possibility in the near to distant future.

If Fox does lose the EPL and goes to a Fox Sports 1/2/3 concept, and/or to a national sports network concept, they will need inventory.

Could Fox potentially be involved in bidding for the Big East?

I fully expect Fox Sports to bid on the Big East, and NBC Sports to bid on the EPL. ESPN will be playing defense and try to keep their market share which will also provide a competitive bid for the Big East.

The Big East could not be in a better spot in regards to contract talks, the networks want/need live sports programming.

Thank you meatball?

EPL is with ESPN? The contract just completely expires and goes up for bidding in January mid season? That season is longer than even MLB.

While the EPL fills programming, there are only a handful of lucrative games in that league every year involving Man U and another team at the top of the table. All other games don't really garner much of any interest for the casual soccer fan in this country, unless there are international networks that NBC/Fox carry in other countries.

I don't think soccer is going to help anybody. Nobody is going to watch games at 2:30 ET in the middle of the week. What about the MLS? That stays with ESPN under a completely separate contract? NBC has been promoing MLS though so maybe that changes in the Fall.

EPL is on at like 5 in the morning pacific, does it really have a big affect on channels?

(08-28-2012 10:08 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  If Fox does lose the EPL and goes to a Fox Sports 1/2/3 concept, and/or to a national sports network concept, they will need inventory.

Could Fox potentially be involved in bidding for the Big East?

Unlike ESPN, Fox does already have some inventory. They have rights to the Big XII, Pac 12 and Conference USA. They have also more or less put up a downpayment on the Big Ten. Sure they could use the Big East, especially if ti coudl help with distribution of their channels in the Northeast and midwest, but it would not be as vital is it is to NBC. I would imagine that if Fox gets up and going, they will target the NBA, since most of their RSN's were built on NBA basketball anyway.

(08-28-2012 10:37 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  EPL is with ESPN? The contract just completely expires and goes up for bidding in January mid season? That season is longer than even MLB.

While the EPL fills programming, there are only a handful of lucrative games in that league every year involving Man U and another team at the top of the table. All other games don't really garner much of any interest for the casual soccer fan in this country, unless there are internationalnetworks that NBC/Fox carry.

I don't think soccer is going to help anybody. Nobody is going to watch games at 2:30 ET in the middle of the week. What about the MLS? That stays with ESPN under a completely separate contract? NBC has been promoing MLS though so maybe that changes in the Fall.

MLS is actually something that NBCSN has already won the rights to.

EPL is definitely more valuable, though (even in the US). The ratings are now comparable to regular season MLB games here (whereas MLS ratings are miniscule) and we just saw ESPN re-up with MLB for $700 million per year. Plus, the EPL numbers are rising while MLB numbers are falling. You can't build an entire broad-based network around EPL in the US, but it's definitely near the top of the "2nd tier" of sports options (which is basically the NHL and below). I'd expect all of Fox, ESPN, NBC and beIN to bid quite aggressively for the EPL.

(08-28-2012 10:38 AM)monty Wrote:  EPL is on at like 5 in the morning pacific, does it really have a big affect on channels?

It has a huge effect if Fox disbands Fox Soccer and goes with a Fox Sports 1/2/3 national concept.

It's not about time slots (a lot of the stuff Fox has on Fox Soccer / Fuel / Speed is tape-delayed as it is)...it's about Fox's strategy going forward if they can no longer make Fox Soccer a viable network.

(08-28-2012 10:14 AM)Fireman451 Wrote:  I fully expect Fox Sports to bid on the Big East, and NBC Sports to bid on the EPL. ESPN will be playing defense and try to keep their market share which will also provide a competitive bid for the Big East.

The Big East could not be in a better spot in regards to contract talks, the networks want/need live sports programming.

Thank you meatball?

Don't thank him. He wanted to sign the ESPN extension. Thank all the presidents lead by Pitt and Georgetown who wanted to pass on the deal and go to the open market.

(08-28-2012 11:06 AM)CommuterBob Wrote:  Thank all the presidents lead by Pitt and Georgetown who wanted to pass on the deal and go to the open market.

The irony is when Pitt decided ot leave the conference, the passing of the ESPN contract was citied as a primary reason they left. Seriosuly, you can't make this stuff up.

(08-28-2012 10:51 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  

(08-28-2012 10:38 AM)monty Wrote:  EPL is on at like 5 in the morning pacific, does it really have a big affect on channels?

It has a huge effect if Fox disbands Fox Soccer and goes with a Fox Sports 1/2/3 national concept.

It's not about time slots (a lot of the stuff Fox has on Fox Soccer / Fuel / Speed is tape-delayed as it is)...it's about Fox's strategy going forward if they can no longer make Fox Soccer a viable network.

My point is: it seems the decision to go fox national is one that can be made with or without soccer - showing a live game in the early morning before college football starts doesn't seem like the type of thing that should decide the direction of a network

(08-28-2012 11:06 AM)CommuterBob Wrote:  

(08-28-2012 10:14 AM)Fireman451 Wrote:  I fully expect Fox Sports to bid on the Big East, and NBC Sports to bid on the EPL. ESPN will be playing defense and try to keep their market share which will also provide a competitive bid for the Big East.

The Big East could not be in a better spot in regards to contract talks, the networks want/need live sports programming.

Thank you meatball?

Don't thank him. He wanted to sign the ESPN extension. Thank all the presidents lead by Pitt and Georgetown who wanted to pass on the deal and go to the open market.

Thank you Mr. Presidents of the Big East conference!

(08-28-2012 11:41 AM)monty Wrote:  

(08-28-2012 10:51 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  

(08-28-2012 10:38 AM)monty Wrote:  EPL is on at like 5 in the morning pacific, does it really have a big affect on channels?

It has a huge effect if Fox disbands Fox Soccer and goes with a Fox Sports 1/2/3 national concept.

It's not about time slots (a lot of the stuff Fox has on Fox Soccer / Fuel / Speed is tape-delayed as it is)...it's about Fox's strategy going forward if they can no longer make Fox Soccer a viable network.

My point is: it seems the decision to go fox national is one that can be made with or without soccer - showing a live game in the early morning before college football starts doesn't seem like the type of thing that should decide the direction of a network

Ah, I see what you are saying, but EPL usually has a live game or two in the 11:30 (Central Time) timeslot that traditionally starts the college football day. Shouldn't have much of an effect on the decision, though.

But if Fox gets the EPL, having a dedicated soccer channel remains more viable than it would otherwise. So it is more likely that Fox looks at FS1/2/3 if they lose EPL

Man, I can't believe Im gonna have to purchase that freaking channel(BeIN Sports) that is owned by terrorists if I want to watch soccer in English.

BE games won't conflict with any soccer programming. They will be in prime time. Either they will go to the 3:30 ET slot, should they move ND to prime time down the line, or the BE games themselves will be in prime time Saturday night. I think you will see ND 2:30-6:00 pm on NBC for a few more years, and that won't overlap with two hour afternoon EPL games in England. Then you do a one or two hour college football show 6-8. Then BE football starting at 7:00-8:00 PM. You don't want to overlap with ABC's 8:00 pm game directly. Saturdays will be booked every time out.

Sunday would obviously be dominated by the NFL, so you throw that out the window. Maybe they can do something similar to ESPN's Blitz so people without Direct TV have something to go to during the million commercials during the game.

NHL covers you from January to beginning of June. Olympics covers you in either February and August every two years. MLS can pick up the slack in the spring alongside the NHL.

Spring/Summer ratings are going to suck regardless of the sport. What do people avidly watch outside of 3 weeks of Madness? Nothing. Playoff basketball is about it. Regular season MLB no longer holds the weight it once did and ESPN overpaid for it. Outside of Arena football getting sold by the Network, there is no market for many sports that time of the year. NFL Europe was also a failure but I think they need to give that another go down the line. American football can be the MLS on the other side of the pond.

I think long term vision should be an 8 team league in NFL Europe and an eventual merger with the NFL, with 5 division winners and 2-3 wild cards in each league. That should be the NFL's goal in thirty years as they move overseas. There is nothing else left to do in the states that they haven't already achieved or will eventually achieve in time as far as growing the game.

The EPL is about to blow up here. I prefer it to american football and have for some time. Ratings are rising, between the EPL and the Champions league you have some awesome programming, and a lot of it.

The games generally start on between 830 and 245 eastern time.

They have the final rounds on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For a tournament where games are played once a week, I don't know why Europe schedules soccer then. Maybe unemployment is so bad in countries like Spain that they said the hell with it. Only the final for Champions League is held on Saturday Memorial Day weekend and I believe Fox has televised the game nationally the past couple of years.

EPL is better off with ESPN. You need morning programming for east coast people, even though a lot of the soccer fan base is west coast. They can get up in the wee hours of the morning if they are die hard soccer fans. I would rather watch a good EPL game, than a three hour fantasy football show or some crappy pre-game show. Although I probably won't watch either if I plan on watching football the rest of the day.

Their weeknight NHL coverage starts next month on NBC-SN and on NBC with the Winter Classic in January. The NHL has given NBC some big numbers the last two years... the Winter Classic even beat some New Years bowls in the ratings.

(more viewers/ratings is one of the reasons I think a bid by NBC that includes Saturday compliments of Notre Dame on NBC and other games on NBC-SN will get them a share of the Big East football rights - over-the-air networks just offer more viewer potential than cable-only networks like ESPN, a simple fact - college football numbers are better on the networks than cable.)

NBC has a huge contract with the NHL, they will not do anything to disrupt what is a growing brand for them.

(08-29-2012 08:01 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  They have the final rounds on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For a tournament where games are played once a week, I don't know why Europe schedules soccer then. Maybe unemployment is so bad in countries like Spain that they said the hell with it. Only the final for Champions League is held on Saturday Memorial Day weekend and I believe Fox has televised the game nationally the past couple of years.

EPL is better off with ESPN. You need morning programming for east coast people, even though a lot of the soccer fan base is west coast. They can get up in the wee hours of the morning if they are die hard soccer fans. I would rather watch a good EPL game, than a three hour fantasy football show or some crappy pre-game show. Although I probably won't watch either if I plan on watching football the rest of the day.

Champions League games are during the week because teams play in their domestic leagues on the weekends.

I don't know about you guys, but I actually prefer to wake up on Sundays and put it on Fox Soccer and watch the latest EPL games/news than watch bogus NFL Sunday pre-game crap.

ESPN is actually subleasing those matches from Fox Soccer, so I'm assuming the whole contract goes up for bid.

I find it to make a great Saturday. Watch the 7:30 match, listen to my Wednesday at 10am with 10am EPL games on mute, and then watch the noon football games and check on the 12:15 soccer match.

sunday I watch the 11 EPL game and that leads you right into the NFL games.