Fox Sports 1: What I don't get

[whaler11]

Nobody watches it.

Their highlight of this week was Gronk giving a woman a lapdance while idiot Jason McDonald squealed.

They have repeatedly given airtime to scamming gambling scumbags like Todd Furhman and the Philly Godfather.

They gave up on their highlight show and have pretty much decided to devolve into the worst that sports television has to offer...

Yet, people think the Big Ten might put their entire Tier 1 contract with Fox? The conference that claims if players are paid they are out? The conference that demands AAU membership to be admitted?

How do these two realities jive?

 

[coachcap]

Fox needs content. When ESPN first started, it was littered with UConn vs. Rhody soccer, Aussie rules football, tractor pulling, anything to fill airspace. Back then, few entities wanted to be on cable due to its limited distribution at the time. Today, cable is saturated. The pro leagues are signed with other networks & have their own networks for overfill. Fox needs to sign as many major college conferences as possible for prime time content, use those conferences' minor sports for broadcast during non-peak viewing hours, & develop likeable talking heads (e.g. Mike & Mike) for in studio shows. I agree that there is no place for scam artists & they shouldn't be used as filler.

 

[Stinger92860]

Content that people want to watch will draw viewers. It's easy to change channels now. There was a day when I was my fathers remote. He would call me into the living room and ask me to surf the 13 channels available at the time.

 

[dwalks93]

The best predicator of future action is past action. Delany has shown he makes decisions primarily to improve the financial status of the BIG. That said, the BIG is the only conference with standards (Flagship schools who are AAU) and it won't allow its reputation to be tarnished. Is broadcasting on Fox a stain on the BIG? I doubt it...

There is a reason the BIG is paying out over $30 million per school....if Fox will pay significantly more than ESPN, the BIG is going to cash that check. Put the BIG on Fox and suddenly it is not such a worthless sports network...with or without the lap dance

 

[billybud]

I give Fox a break....they did come up with the glowing hockey puck. I never could follow that thing.

Hey..they do drones over the golf course, microphones at the bottom of the hole...funky graphics....

Not your grandpa's network.

 

[MattMang23]

How do these two realities jive?

$$$$$

 

[Rappin'Rodney]

I learned a long time ago that the crisped rice cereal in the generic box is the same as the crisped rice cereal in the Kellogg's Rice Krispies box. Content is it what's important. The delivery method eventually ends up in the land fill.

 

[Nostical]

If Fox will pay significantly more than ESPN, the BIG is going to cash that check. Put the BIG on Fox and suddenly it is not such a worthless sports network

I agree. FOX1 has all the potential. What they lack are the "draws" that provide a Pavlovian reaction to click the remote their way. Imagine if they scooped up Mike and Mike, or a PTI type show with a few of he more compelling Sports Center anchors. A good example is The Herd. I like Colin's shtick. I now TiVo his show on Fox and noticed a few things. The production values are better. He has interesting guests. His pretty news gal is quirkily interesting. FOX can pull this off. If they go all in on rights fees to the B1G, it will not be a mistake for Delaney to grab on.

 

[whaler11]

I think you guys are missing the point.

A: The same content on Fox and ESPN does not get similar ratings. The same game on ESPN and ESPN2 don't get similar ratings.

This idea that the content drives 100% of the viewership is false and even just glancing at the numbers makes that clear.

B: The Big Ten pretends to be above the exact type of garbage that Fox is going all in on. I know many don't realize that yet... because nobody watches....

I would be 100% shocked if the Big Ten put their entire Tier 1 contract on Fox. The coaches would be in absolute and total revolt the minute that happened.

 

[whaler11]

I agree. FOX1 has all the potential. What they lack are the "draws" that provide a Pavlovian reaction to click the remote their way. Imagine if they scooped up Mike and Mike, or a PTI type show with a few of he more compelling Sports Center anchors. A good example is The Herd. I like Colin's shtick. I now TiVo his show on Fox and noticed a few things. The production values are better. He has interesting guests. His pretty news gal is quirkily interesting. FOX can pull this off. If they go all in on rights fees to the B1G, it will not be a mistake for Delaney to grab on.

LOL they have already given up. Where do you get these crazy ideas.

Simulcasting radio shows is going to change their outcome?

 

[dwalks93]

If you are a P5 conference you'd be crazy to allow ESPN to be the only provider you'd sign with...

If ESPN is the only game in town then they set the price. Competition between networks will up the price. Even if using Fox is a bluff to raise the ESPN rate (like the Patriots moving to Hartford), the BIG needs to be prepared to sign with Fox if ESPN calls their bluff. All things relatively equal ESPN is better but if there is a crazy financial difference..

The money is in the programs and the conference...fans of OSU will watch OSU regardless of network. Sure the BIG wants good ratings but only because the ratings can be turned into money. The only question would be if moving to Fox for more money now would hurt the BIG in the next contract negotiation if its ratings dropped?

 

[noeynox]

I think you guys are missing the point.

A: The same content on Fox and ESPN does not get similar ratings. The same game on ESPN and ESPN2 don't get similar ratings.

This idea that the content drives 100% of the viewership is false and even just glancing at the numbers makes that clear.

B: The Big Ten pretends to be above the exact type of garbage that Fox is going all in on. I know many don't realize that yet... because nobody watches....

I would be 100% shocked if the Big Ten put their entire Tier 1 contract on Fox. The coaches would be in absolute and total revolt the minute that happened.

The content matters when the product has a built it in fanbase that will follow that product. The UFC does great on the Fox, FS1, etc. The Big Ten will have similar fan base that will go with it wherever it goes.

I have no idea if that means the B1G will take all their content to that one network.

 

[billybud]

Fox to reduce workforce..targets $250 million in budget cuts. I have no idea how or if this affects the Sports side of the house.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...ce-reductions-250-million-20160201-story.html

 

[TRest]

If they got rid of O'Reilly and Hannity it would probably save 50 million right there.

 

[whaler11]

UFC isn't the same as college basketball or football.

There are a whole bunch of other entities offering programming of nearly the same quality at exactly the same time. That isn't a challenge UFC faces.

 

[CTMike]

Having more than 1 network bidding for your content helps drive up prices... To a point. For B1G, hopefully it helps shake a few more sheckles from ESPN without ESPN walking away.

 

[UConnJim]

Actually, FS1 is having a great year. Ratings are up alot as FS1 has added more decent content. The Big 10 would further increase ratings. Also, content is king over the long term and this fact has been proven out repeatedly over time.

This article talks about the rating surge at FS1:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybr...aking-progress-on-catching-espn/#5bd9a70415ad

 

[zls44]

Actually, FS1 is having a great year. Ratings are up alot as FS1 has added more decent content. The Big 10 would further increase ratings. Also, content is king over the long term and this fact has been proven out repeatedly over time.

This article talks about the rating surge at FS1:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybr...aking-progress-on-catching-espn/#5bd9a70415ad

"surge" lmao

 

[HoopsFan21]

Isn't the B1G Network run by Fox? I thought there was some connection between the B1G and Fox already.

 

[Rappin'Rodney]

Isn't the B1G Network run by Fox? I thought there was some connection between the B1G and Fox already.

Fox owns 51% of the Big Ten Network.

 

[UConnJim]

"surge" lmao

I would call a 40% increase in total day viewership, 38% increase in prime time viewership, and a 54% increase in live sports viewership in year 2 a surge. Why the surge? FS1 had better sports content in year 2. Even Big East basketball ratings are up ~30% over the numbers 2 years ago.

 

[Fishy]

I would call a 40% increase in total day viewership, 38% increase in prime time viewership, and a 54% increase in live sports viewership in year 2 a surge. Why the surge? FS1 had better sports content in year 2. Even Big East basketball ratings are up ~30% over the numbers 2 years ago.

Their viewership is puny which is why they talk in percentages and not real numbers.

Do you know how dire Big East ratings are these days? A 30% increase over two years is a joke...they're still putting out games where they're drawing fewer viewers than would normally attend a decent game,

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Their viewership is puny which is why they talk in percentages and not real numbers.

Do you know how dire Big East ratings are these days? A 30% increase over two years is a joke...they're still putting out games where they're drawing fewer viewers than would normally attend a decent game,

Boneyard posters are smarter than Fox. Got it.

 

[Adios]

Boneyard posters are smarter than Fox. Got it.

You know Herbst laughs at you, right?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You know Herbst laughs at you, right?

I don't think Herbst finds any aspect of our current athletic situation funny. I can't imagine what it is like to defend a $27MM budget hole when the school subsidizes the athletic program approximately that same amount.