Big XII Network ??

[1890MilesToNorman]

Are there any rumors or rumblings about the conference establishing a television network? If the Big 10/Eleven can do it why not us?

[Cam]

I hope not. Ask the Big 11 fans how they like having their own network.

[snp]

I doubt anything will get off the ground while ABC/ESPN still has rights to the best games of the weekend. Our contract ends in 2015-2016. I don't know if there's any escape clauses contigent upon forming our own TV network but I doubt it.

Big 12's contract with FSN expires 2008-2009 academic year, btw.

[StormySooner-IN]

I hope not. Ask the Big 11 fans how they like having their own network.
They like it.


Even I like it.

[bluedogok]

The Big 10/11 Network typically picks up all the games that aren't picked up by their other contracts, in most cases they don't have PPV games since they have their own network.

The Big 10/11 games last week.
Saturday - 8/30
Utah at Michigan - ABC/ESPN2
Syracuse at Northwestern - ESPN2
Illinois vs. Missouri - ESPN

Big 10 Network
W. Kentucky at Indiana
Maine at Iowa
Youngstown St. at Ohio St.
Coastal Carolina at Penn St.
Akron at Wisconsin
N. Illinois at Minnesota

NO PPV games for the Big 10

The Big 12 had two PPV games, OU and UT and the Tech, A&M, KSU and KU games were not available at all. The Big 10/11 Network hasn't affected their network contracts. The Big 12 is in a position like the Big 10, not like the MWC Network which only has a contract with Versus and has a few game on MTN.

I had every Big 10/11 Network game (and MTN game) this past weekend, I think it's a pretty good thing, much better than a PPV broadcast.

[Cam]

They like it.


Even I like it.

They didn't like it last year. It wasn't carried by 3/4 of the country and some of the Big11 states didn't have it. I heard/read nothing but complaints about it last year.

[cheezyq]

I think we'll have to wait until 2010 to find out. I read an article that stated that we have contracts through 2009, etc. It also said that they may opt to do what the SEC did with a major network and get a large amount of dough for the conference by contracting to a big network, rather than do what the Big 11 did by creating their own network.

[bluedogok]

They didn't like it last year. It wasn't carried by 3/4 of the country and some of the Big11 states didn't have it. I heard/read nothing but complaints about it last year.
I think most cablecos in that part of the country added it during the off season. I had it all last year on Directv, they added MTN this season.

[SOONERnTx]

The have something like it on big12sports.com right now. I would love to have it on cable though. I'd subscribe in a second!

[kevpks]

You mean I'd finally get to see Baylor play Iowa State?

[Scott D]

They didn't like it last year. It wasn't carried by 3/4 of the country and some of the Big11 states didn't have it. I heard/read nothing but complaints about it last year.

yeah because Comcast is the prevalent cable carrier up in this part of the country. However, during the spring/summer they managed to find their middle ground and now Comcast is promoting the hell out of the Big 10 Network. Needless to say pretty much everyone has it now.

Also, at some point late this summer the Mountain West Network went live at least on DirecTV.

[OU_Sooners75]

I think we'll have to wait until 2010 to find out. I read an article that stated that we have contracts through 2009, etc. It also said that they may opt to do what the SEC did with a major network and get a large amount of dough for the conference by contracting to a big network, rather than do what the Big 11 did by creating their own network.

And what major network would we want?

CBS?

ABC/ESPN got the SEC.
We need to get TBS/CBS or NBC!

[VA Sooner]

Having Verizon FIOS out here in Virginia, I can catch some of the OU games on FSN through the replay mode but now this No-Huddle thing cuts out most of the defensive plays.

The Big 10/11 network replays games and "Big Games" of the last few decades which makes me think it would be incredible for us not in the local area to pick up Big 12 games throughout the year... and especially in the off-season.

But you're right... it's all about contracts/ownership rights/MONEY for now.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

A lot of games that would have been on our local affiliates have been yanked and are now on the Big 10 Network. Yes, we can see more games, but it's not free like it used to be.

[Scott D]

ahh, just got to watch SDSU choke away a game to Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo. Five turnovers..brilliant Chuck, brilliant. That's what happens when you play all young players.

[Cam]

yeah because Comcast is the prevalent cable carrier up in this part of the country. However, during the spring/summer they managed to find their middle ground and now Comcast is promoting the hell out of the Big 10 Network. Needless to say pretty much everyone has it now.

Also, at some point late this summer the Mountain West Network went live at least on DirecTV.

I didn't know Comcast picked it up. Don't really care either way as I'm not a Big 11 fan and I don't have Comcast. :)

[Scott D]

I didn't know Comcast picked it up. Don't really care either way as I'm not a Big 11 fan and I don't have Comcast. :)

I know, but that was the problem last season, Comcast and the Big 10 Network were fighting over where the channel was to be placed. B10N wanted it in the core tier (including ESPN), while Comcast wanted it in an addon sports tier. Basically the existence of Versus as a network was the sticking point. Now, the B10N is switched to the sports tier on DirecTV now, and they made all nice with Comcast.

[PLaw]

Are there any rumors or rumblings about the conference establishing a television network? If the Big 10/Eleven can do it why not us?

Are there enough TV's in Texas and the Heartland to support a Big XII network?

I think it would be great - but I doubt the business side of the business would make it viable.

BOOMER

[Scott D]

Are there enough TV's in Texas and the Heartland to support a Big XII network?

I think it would be great - but I doubt the business side of the business would make it viable.

BOOMER

if there are enough tv's to support a Mountain West Channel, I'd hope there are enough for a Big 12 Channel.

[1890MilesToNorman]

My TV is in Maine and I'm sure there are enough transplanted (Big 8) Big XII fans around the country to support a network.

[bluedogok]

This was in today's local paper.....


Statesman.com - UT sports TV channel in the works (http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/09/06/0906textv.html)
University aiming to be first school with network

By Mark Rosner
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, September 06, 2008

The University of Texas, angling to become the first school with a sports television channel, hopes to have agreements with cable and satellite distributors in place in the next few months.

"We would need to know something by mid-November in order to launch by next fall," said Tom Stultz, senior vice president and managing director of IMG College, which has the contract to handle UT's multimedia rights.

Texas has been exploring the viability of a channel for the past 18 months. Since men's athletics director DeLoss Dodds first spoke of the project to the American-Statesman in March, IMG and UT officials have been in discussions with such potential distributors as Time Warner Cable, AT&T and Comcast.

Time Warner, Austin's largest cable provider, declined to comment on the negotiations. Time Warner already carries Bevo-D, a video-on-demand service dedicated to Longhorns athletics, that costs subscribers $4 a month. It primarily consists of replays of games and news conferences.

The new channel would have a broader reach and carry more traditional programming. It would be the first of its kind for a university but reflects a growing trend. The Big Ten Conference has a television network, and the Southland Conference is launching one. The Big 12 has opted not to go that route at this point.

"We think institutions should do the networks," Dodds said. "If the Big 12 wants to do that, it could cherry-pick (programming) from individual schools."

Stultz said that, ideally, the channel would appear on basic cable, expanded basic or digital basic.

Also possible is placing the UT programming in a subscription-based digital sports tier on cable, but there are potential roadblocks to any tier. Adding channels can increase costs to cable companies, which, in turn, pass them on to consumers.

"The more we pay programmers, the more pressure on us to raise prices," said Gene Regan, a spokesman for Suddenlink, a cable company that serves customers in Georgetown, Leander and Pflugerville.

Another possible impediment is that live football games would not be available on a Longhorns channel because they are televised as part of national and regional TV contracts. Most men's basketball games are accounted for in the same way.

The UT channel could carry some live baseball, softball, soccer and women's basketball games, however, as well as competition in sports such as track and field, volleyball and swimming.

Chris Plonsky, women's athletics director for UT who also handles external matters for the men's and women's athletic departments, said the channel would not necessarily be driven by live contests.

"In today's world, there is more than games," Plonsky said. "There's reality-type TV, some live events, highlights, analysis and feature stories."

Plonsky cites as an example a feature that NBC produced during the recent Olympics involving two former Longhorns: track star Sanya Richards and her fiancé, New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross.

"What makes sports compelling is human interest," Plonsky said.

Plonsky said the channel would need a strong dose of football and men's basketball to be successful. That could come in the form of highlight shows and replays of games dating back many years. A few men's basketball games could be carried by the channel.

Plonsky and Stultz said Texas and IMG have identified 2,000 to 3,000 hours of potential original programming.

Even so, the Sports Business Journal reported that TV network executives, whom it did not identify, predicted that a Longhorns-only channel would be difficult to sell in today's climate, given its appeal to only one segment of sports viewers.

UT is hoping to disprove that theory based on its reach within the state. In addition to 50,000 current students, the school has 420,000 living alumni, Plonsky said, adding, "We have 22 million people in our state."

That's one reason, Stultz said, that "if anyone can pull it off, UT can and probably a handful of others."

IMG College, a division of the sports and entertainment company IMG, became UT's marketing and multimedia partner in November when it bought Host Communications, which has dealt with UT on media matters since the 1980s.

Under a contract that extends seven more years, IMG handles marketing, sponsorships, radio and TV shows, and multimedia rights for the university. That contract generated about $10 million in gross revenue in 2007-08, Plonsky said.

The school has room to build TV studios in the northern end of Royal-Memorial Stadium.

"IMG, as the rights-holder for UT, would put up the money and work with investors and distributors," Stultz said.

"This won't be a risk to UT. A separate company would be formed to manage this. Revenue would come from fees that cable and satellite companies would pay to carry the programming and from advertising dollars."

[Scott D]

if they do that, then Fox Sports Southwest will have to find new ways to fill 60% of it's programming.

[GottaHavePride]

And what major network would we want?

CBS?

ABC/ESPN got the SEC.
We need to get TBS/CBS or NBC!

NBC has Notre Dame. I bet they LOVE that contract right now.