Well.... New Television Contract for...

[TexasLidig8r]

Apparently the ACC and ESPN have entered into a new television contract...

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/17/acc-reportedly-locks-down-new-tv-deal/

12 years... $1.86 BILLION for rights to both football and basketball. This comes out to about $155 million a year.. split evenly (?) between the 12 ACC schools... or about $13 million a year per university.

A few things to take away from this... unless ESPN plans to start up its new ESPN Ocho network anytime soon, the time slots available on ESPN, ESPN2 are going to be taken by SEC games, ACC games and Big 10/11 games.

Does this take them out of the running for a potential new contract with the Big 12? Maybe so. It certainly increases their negotiating strength.. i.e., "why should we pay you that much when we have the east coast up to Maryland, the Big 10/11 territory and the mighty SEC now covered?"

And, read the last line.. apparently Fox Sports was hot and heavy after the contract as well.

Let's suppose Fox Sports comes at the Big 12 with an equal or similar deal... $13 million a year for each school... That simply won't cut it. If Texas brought in $12 million this past year, that increase is very small comparatively speaking. The Big 12 doesn't have the television markets to play hard ball and seek even greater revenue.

So, I believe the Big 12 is really being painted into a corner. This "talked about" alliance with the Pac 10 must come to fruition, and together the two conferences must form an alliance, enter into agreements to play non-conference games and to seek a bigger television contract with some equitable distribution of revenue... (the television markets of Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver) are too big to ignore.

or..

The Big 12 is doomed and the major players will be absorbed by other conferences.

[OU_Sooners75]

LOL

Okay Lid

Absorbed by whom?

The Big 10 had their conference meeting yesterday...no talk about expansion...was not on the agenda in other words.

The SEC will not take any more unless they make a commitment in expanding to 16 teams.

PAC-10? That is lot of travel time for any school in the Big 12.

What needs to be done is the Big 12 needs to get a new Commissioner. Then they need to get very proactive on this matter and land a massive contract with ABC, NBC, TBS, FOX, or some major network.

[KantoSooner]

We will see minimal increases, if any at all, without some form of realignment. We went over this before and I checked the math personally. B12 land does NOT have the teevees to demand much more than we get already.
TCU absolutely doesn't contribute, BYU would be positive but minimally so. Moving outward, concentrically we would then have to consider raiding the Chicago market, somewhere in the SEC or Arizona. Any of that likely happen without some tectonic shift? No. Thus, I am Lid on this: we either stay with the B12 (and perhaps suffer attrition) or go with some form of alliance with the left coast.......or hit the bricks and get the best deal we can for ourselves (and likely OSU with the realities in the State House being what they are.)

[OU_Sooners75]

Sounds all fine and dandy...but the thing is, outside of Texas, there may not be that big of markets in the Big 12...but that does not mean people are not tuning in watching the Big 12 play.

The Big 12 does have:
Dallas
Houston
KC
Denver
OKC
Omaha
St. Louis (thanks to Missouri)
OKC and Omaha may not be the biggest markets, but that is around 2.5 million viewers in both markets combined.

The Big 12 may not have the Chicago, Indy, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Philly, or Pittsburgh markets, but to say the Big 12 is incapable of adding viewership is not exactly true either.

[KantoSooner]

I'm not attacking you, but, when you go look at the leading 100 or so markets, add up the households for the different conferences and look at the numbers, we're getting about what we deserve. And we can't expand the numbers without going seriously outside our geographic zone.
That's the only point I'm making.
If we start to lose Denver, or even Omaha, we'll just continue to drift $10-15 mill a year, per school, behind other conferences. How long before that has an effect?

[TexasLidig8r]

LOL

Okay Lid

Absorbed by whom?

The Big 10 had their conference meeting yesterday...no talk about expansion...was not on the agenda in other words.

The Big 10/11 has repeatedly stated they have a 12 to 18 month agenda. They covet the east coast market. But, they also would absorb a few schools from the Big 12 if it made economic sense. Missouri has already taken off its dress, is down to its bra and panties and is saying, "take me, take me."

Expansion by the Big 10 to states in which they do not currently have a presence results in an increase in cable subscriptions for the Big 10 network from 10 cents to 70 cents per subscription annually.

They would also receive more revenue through playing a championship game. The Big 10/11 will not sit pat.

The SEC will not take any more unless they make a commitment in expanding to 16 teams.

Additional markets in Dallas and Houston would be very compelling to the SEC. If the SEC had the opportunity to take Texas and aggy, Ou and Okie Lite, they would jump at the opportunity.

PAC-10? That is lot of travel time for any school in the Big 12.

Colorado already has eyes to the Pac 10. Louisiana Tech fields 16 varsity teams.. 7 men, 9 women and they participate in the WAC. If La Tech can travel to California, Utah, Nevada and Hawaii, you don't think Texas or Ou could work it into their budget?

What needs to be done is the Big 12 needs to get a new Commissioner. Then they need to get very proactive on this matter and land a massive contract with ABC, NBC, TBS, FOX, or some major network.

As the Big 12 currently exists, we dont have the television sets to justify a massive contract. You may think, "well, Ou nationally has a great, athletic reputation and people watch us." Ok. fine. What won't be watched on a national scale is Ioway State v. Baylor, Texas Tech v. Kansas State. Whereas these match ups have interest in very small markets, the networks will not invest heavily in these matchups.

As for the major networks, ABC/ESPN has the ACC, Big 10/11 and SEC.
NBC has Nuetered Dame and is not showing any interest in getting in college football... same with CBS when its contract with the SEC runs out. CBS along with TBS just inked a 10.8 BILLION dollar deal to televise the NCAA basketball tourney. Do they have additional big funds to get in college football?

FoxSports, as shown by them almost getting the ACC contract, looks to be a player but, they need to improve their broadcast technology and the Big 12 needs to show that it would be profitable... thus.. the alliance with the Pac 10 which would result in greater market exposure.

[rawlingsHOH]

As the Big 12 currently exists, we dont have the television sets to justify a massive contract.

No different than it has been from 1995-2010.

[OU_Sooners75]

I'm not attacking you, but, when you go look at the leading 100 or so markets, add up the households for the different conferences and look at the numbers, we're getting about what we deserve. And we can't expand the numbers without going seriously outside our geographic zone.
That's the only point I'm making.
If we start to lose Denver, or even Omaha, we'll just continue to drift $10-15 mill a year, per school, behind other conferences. How long before that has an effect?


Well, I can say this much. I live in Omaha, and there is no real truth right now about Nebraska leaving the Big 12. So the Big 12 should worry about losing that market anytime soon.

As far as Denver, I have not heard anything about Colorado looking around to switch conferences.

I will say this though. The day of superconferences is among us.

It wouldnt matter from an OU standpoint if they are left out of not. OU has been in a very small TV market for a long time. OU will continue to survive if the Big 12 falls apart.

That stated, the smaller schools like OSU, Baylor, KU, KSU, Tech, A&M, ISU would take a large hit.

KU would most likely get an invite thanks for their basketball. OU will thanks to their Football (and other sports). Missouri will get an invite thanks for them being a member with two large TV markets (KC and STL). Texass...well Texas could be an independent school and still roll in the dough. Nebraska would get an invite thank to their football.

I am not a Big 12 fan. I am a Sooner fan. That stated...I dont give a crap about what happens to the Big 12...even though I do enjoy the conference rivalries.

If there is a break up, the Big dogs of the big 12 will be absorbed somewhere. While the lil guys will be thrown to the mid majors.

[badger]

I would have only one problem with more Big 12/Pac 10 matchups... those d@mned refs.

If they are going to negotiate a deal with the Pac 10, it should be in writing that pac 10 refs will officiate when the big 12 is host, and big 12 refs will officiate when the pac 10 is host. No more quack-quack ref sh!t in Autzen. Quack-quack ref sh!t in Austin is fine, but not in Autzen. It will make their reffing and our matchups look a lot more legit, which the Pac 10 has to be in favor of, even if they'll have to change their policy.

I would love to travel to the west coast more. Seattle was uber fun. So was UCLA. Unlike many SEC and Big 10 teams, you won't see a lot of Pac 10 teams shy away from big matchups, which is to their credit.

[NOVSooner]

i'm sure this has been discussed in other threads but would we rather go to the SEC or the pac-10 if the big 12 dissolves and other teams get absorbed? you know as well as I do the sec would foam at the mouth for a chance at OU and texas. i personally would rather be in the sec but thats b/c i live in mississippi and it would make economical sense to me for OU and tex to be a part of the sec if it came to that. and someone made a point about the technology of foxsports broadcasting, that is a very, very true statement. they need to get with the program regarding the quality of viewing they offer.

[MrJimBeam]

Lid is right on everything here. Big 12/Pac 10 alliance may be the only thing that saves us.

[oudavid1]

As long as OU is on te tube when they go on the road, ill think ill be alright. I dont wanna watch Kansas State play Iowa State either.

[Flagstaffsooner]

I would have only one problem with more Big 12/Pac 10 matchups... those d@mned refs.

If they are going to negotiate a deal with the Pac 10, it should be in writing that pac 10 refs will officiate when the big 12 is host, and big 12 refs will officiate when the pac 10 is host. No more quack-quack ref sh!t in Autzen. Quack-quack ref sh!t in Austin is fine, but not in Autzen. It will make their reffing and our matchups look a lot more legit, which the Pac 10 has to be in favor of, even if they'll have to change their policy.



Ding, ding, we have a winner!

[prrriiide]

OU has been in a very small TV market for a long time.

There are as many (if not more) OU fans in DFW than there are texass or aggy fans. DFW is an OU market. It's also the #5 TV market. It's big.


OU will continue to survive if the Big 12 falls apart.


While true, Boise St. is survivig quite well, even though they have had next to zero chance of a NC until this year now that they finally have some respect.

And earlier you stated:


but that does not mean people are not tuning in watching the Big 12 play.

It doesn't matter how many people are actually tuning in. See that's a misconception about how TV ad revenue is made. There is no way to quantify how many viewers are actually tuning in to a given broadcast. The ability to command top ad dollars is based off of how many viewers could potentially tune in. Given that the US TV market penetration has been over 98% since 1981, and is currently at 98.9% of all households, the likelihood of adding any more sets in the BigXII relative to other markets is slim barring a mass exodus to the plains.

[Scott D]

If Fox Sports doesn't clean up it's act, look for the Big 12 to work on a partnership with NBC...the Domer bankroll has nearly flown the coop, and Comcast would view it as a coup.

[TXBOOMER]

Send Vandy and the Gamecock packing. OU and texass to the SEC. A conference title will equal a NC. F the rest of these posers.

[badger]

There are as many (if not more) OU fans in DFW than there are texass or aggy fans. DFW is an OU market. It's also the #5 TV market. It's big.

True story: I was talking to an OU fan in Dallas one year before RRS and he said his younger son came home in shock from school one day. His son exclaimed "Daddy! Some people do horns up!"

Apparently, the OU son only knew about horns down :D

[KantoSooner]

Good times! I taught my daughter to raise both hands and yell 'Touchdown, Oklahoma!' when she was about 4. Cute. And the Texans sitting in the hotel lounge in Singapore watching the RRS in 2000 were so happy, too, as she did it over and over again.
I always enjoy the OU flags flying over Dallas the days before the game.
Only five months or so.

[cjames317]

Lid is right on everything here. Big 12/Pac 10 alliance may be the only thing that saves us.

So, if the NCAA is OUr enemy and SC is the NCAA's enemy, then ...

SC is OUr friend?

"Unite us. Unite the clans!"

[prrriiide]

Good times! I taught my daughter to raise both hands and yell 'Touchdown, Oklahoma!' when she was about 4. Cute. And the Texans sitting in the hotel lounge in Singapore watching the RRS in 2000 were so happy, too, as she did it over and over again.
I always enjoy the OU flags flying over Dallas the days before the game.
Only five months or so.

This is mine when she was almost 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TA6bnSsaXc

[Collier11]

If Fox Sports doesn't clean up it's act, look for the Big 12 to work on a partnership with NBC...the Domer bankroll has nearly flown the coop, and Comcast would view it as a coup.

This would be good on a cpl of levels, one being that NBC is struggling and OU/tex could bring in viewers on saturdays. Two, lets face, the broadcasts we get right now with fox sports on sat nights sucks

[Collier11]

also, Nebraska no longer has the natl appeal that they used to. I dont know that they would hurt us whether they go or not

[Scott D]

national appeal is cyclical. Florida had almost 0 national appeal during the Zook years, but now Meyer has them more appealing than even Spurrier did. If Miami's growth under Randy Shannon continues on pace, they'll be back to having the national appeal they lost between Coker's first year and now. Hell, OU lost some of it's national appeal in the Smellsofbourbon and Blake years.

If they continue to remain strong under Pellini they'll have that national appeal back.

[Collier11]

True, but currently they have no appeal

[Scott D]

actually the bigger concern I would have is in regards to Texas already having an ego the size of Notre Dame's. Based on Dodd's comments not long ago, it sounds like they'd rather destroy another conference than to ever consider that an equal TV deal between every member of a conference could be the right move to make in terms of longevity.

[Collier11]

Wasnt he talking independent the other day?

[Mr. Nuke]

actually the bigger concern I would have is in regards to Texas already having an ego the size of Notre Dame's. Based on Dodd's comments not long ago, it sounds like they'd rather destroy another conference than to ever consider that an equal TV deal between every member of a conference could be the right move to make in terms of longevity.
The revenue sharing arrangement isn't the problem right now. It is the lack of revenue to share.

[Collier11]

Actually it is part of the problem, alot of the North schools are pissed at the way its set up because the South schools get a bigger piece of the pie

[Scott D]

The revenue sharing arrangement isn't the problem right now. It is the lack of revenue to share.

I'm not referring to right now. I'm referring to the idea of the Big-12 going for a new contract for a Big-12 Network so to speak. Generally speaking, the revenue from such a network would be split evenly among the member schools. Texas is opposed to this idea under the idea that as "the Flagship" they not only deserve the biggest cut of a contract pie, but would actually be better off monopolizing on a University of Texas network that cuts the other 11 members of the conference out of the picture 100%.

[budbarrybob]

Let Texas have their own network. Have a B12 network, OU network, ISU network heck I don't care. In this day of ala cart, PPV programming why wouldn't it make sense? Not that far away IMHO.