NY Post: BE Basketball holds key to TV

[Marty Jackson]

I knew this was going to come up, and I guess I should have put it in parentheses as a "I know, I know....Syracuse." I thought that my addition of the name Memphis in the Final Four on that post was enough to let everyone know that I was talking about the Big East going forward, but perhaps not.

Just like the Big East can no longer talk about our football championship with Miami, we can probably no longer talk about Syracuse with Carmelo...

I assumed that was the case.
I don't agree though. The acc had nothing to do with that NC.
The notion of re-writing history so it aligns with football realignment is silly.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Marty,
That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that you could easily fill the time slot with other games. Would UMass-Fordham draw what UConn-St Johns does? In an average weeknight game, probably not. But I think they'd draw reasonably well, and you could get that one for much less. If you have to pay say $6 million for the Big East but can get the A-10 for $1 million, which I think you could, I'm not sure it makes sense to break the bank for the big East because I doubt that Big East basketball, or any basketball for that matter is going to draw that well as to justify such big numbers. On the other hand, if the big East is so desirable that it is worth those kind of dollars for basketball, it seems pretty unlikely that a move to NBCSports, especially for more money, would be damaging to the conference? Either the big East brings the fans and they'll follow it where ever it lands, or the Big East is simply the beneficiary of ESPN's following to a large extent, and should really take whatever it is offered to stay there. another way of putting it is "Is Big East basketball a creation of ESPN or is it valuable in its own right?"

There is value to Uconn over umass. More often than not,Uconn will have national implications.
There are x number of MLB teams (lost track so someone I'm sure will tell me)... Similar to BB, there is an over abundance of games. Would you rather televise the Yankees or the brewers. In your example Uconn is a lot closer to the yankees while the brewers could be Fordham. Sure people will watch the brewers. But the money is with the Yankees.
And it's not just the regular season. Unless the BET is being bid out separately, that's a hefty draw with almost guaranteed nationally ranked teams in feb/march...

 

[Marty Jackson]

If its 2006 again and the BE has Rutgers, UofL and USF or Cincy in the top 10, I don't care if we're on NBC or ESPN. People will watch the games. Same way they did back then.

 

[CL82]

I think that we can all agree that if ESPN is the highest bidder, that we will be happy to go back to ESPN. Of course, I said "I think that we can all agree"...

It would dpend on the numbers and terms.

 

[freescooter]

There is value to Uconn over umass. More often than not,Uconn will have national implications.
There are x number of MLB teams (lost track so someone I'm sure will tell me)... Similar to BB, there is an over abundance of games. Would you rather televise the Yankees or the brewers. In your example Uconn is a lot closer to the yankees while the brewers could be Fordham. Sure people will watch the brewers. But the money is with the Yankees.
And it's not just the regular season. Unless the BET is being bid out separately, that's a hefty draw with almost guaranteed nationally ranked teams in feb/march...

Don't entirely disagree, but my main point was that thinking that big East basketball was going to be the leading money maker is a mistake. Yes it is valuable, but it isn't so valuable that at some point it can't be replaced. And that is especially true in dealing with ESPN. While UMass-Fordham won't generate the audience and thus the advertizing dollars of UConn-St Johns, it won't be nearly as costly to acquire either. And I'm not certain that the distinction is that great except in the Tournament.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Don't entirely disagree, but my main point was that thinking that big East basketball was going to be the leading money maker is a mistake. Yes it is valuable, but it isn't so valuable that at some point it can't be replaced. And that is especially true in dealing with ESPN. While UMass-Fordham won't generate the audience and thus the advertizing dollars of UConn-St Johns, it won't be nearly as costly to acquire either. And I'm not certain that the distinction is that great except in the Tournament.

I guess I just disagree on your notion that people will watch umass vs Fordham if that's the option provided. Unless both schools were ranked, I think they would watch something else.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I guess I just disagree on your notion that people will watch umass vs Fordham if that's the option provided. Unless both schools were ranked, I think they would watch something else.

I also don't believe that casual fans would watch UMass vs Fordham.

 

[whaler11]

The alternative isn't Fordham and UMass. It's extra SEC, ACC, Big 10 and Big 12 games. It's still Big Monday if it's Big 10 and Big 12 instead of Big East and Big 12. Big East-ACC Wednesday just becomes SEC-ACC Wednesday.

 

[Husky68]

No, it just has pompous white guys, by golly. Reglar Americans...and of course guys who make stuff up...but this probably belongs in the cesspool, not here.

Yeah, that refugee from NPR is mighty white. And I guess Geraldo is a white hispanic like Zimmerman.

 

[freescooter]

The alternative isn't Fordham and UMass. It's extra SEC, ACC, Big 10 and Big 12 games. It's still Big Monday if it's Big 10 and Big 12 instead of Big East and Big 12. Big East-ACC Wednesday just becomes SEC-ACC Wednesday.

Right. and you just fill in the blanks with the A-10. But if you wanted to do it, I suspect you could "make" the A-10 a major conference simply by pushing it on ESPN. But again, the bottom line point is that the Big East basketball league is more of an extra benefit. Nobody is going to pay $5-6 million just for that. There are too many alternatives.

 

[freescooter]

Yeah, that refugee from NPR is mighty white. And I guess Geraldo is a white hispanic like Zimmerman.

LOL! As I said political commentary probably belongs on the cesspool, but the fact that you can find 1-2 guys...and Geraldo is included...not sure that proves much...LOL

 

[HuskyHawk]

The alternative isn't Fordham and UMass. It's extra SEC, ACC, Big 10 and Big 12 games. It's still Big Monday if it's Big 10 and Big 12 instead of Big East and Big 12. Big East-ACC Wednesday just becomes SEC-ACC Wednesday.

I think this still misses the mark because there is a significant market for basketball in urban areas of NY, Hartford, Bridgeport, DC, Philly, Newark, etc. that have long term connections to the Big East and other major hoops powers. Auburn vs. Old Miss is not really a substitute in those markets. Remember, not all the ESPN games are national, they may show a BE game to us and something else to somebody else.

I'll say what I said all along. The Big East basketball product is uniquely valuable to ESPN, because it provides so much quality content, with appeal in large markets, and ESPN has the channels and internet streaming to take advantage of it. I think Big East football is entirely superfluous for ESPN. It would be a waste of money for them to buy it. All it would do is replace better football content on at the same times, for which they already have the rights. Now there the analogy fits. Rutgers and UConn is entirely replaceable by any two D1 teams. That football content is uniquely valuable to NBC, because it is trying to get in the college football game and everything else is taken.

But the Big East loses big-time if basketball is not on ESPN. They need to find a way to split the rights and keep hoops on ESPN.

 

[RioDog]

But the Big East loses big-time if basketball is not on ESPN. They need to find a way to split the rights and keep hoops on ESPN.[/quote]


Is such athing possible or probable?

 

[freescooter]

I think this still misses the mark because there is a significant market for basketball in urban areas of NY, Hartford, Bridgeport, DC, Philly, Newark, etc. that have long term connections to the Big East and other major hoops powers. Auburn vs. Old Miss is not really a substitute in those markets. Remember, not all the ESPN games are national, they may show a BE game to us and something else to somebody else.

I'll say what I said all along. The Big East basketball product is uniquely valuable to ESPN, because it provides so much quality content, with appeal in large markets, and ESPN has the channels and internet streaming to take advantage of it. I think Big East football is entirely superfluous for ESPN. It would be a waste of money for them to buy it. All it would do is replace better football content on at the same times, for which they already have the rights. Now there the analogy fits. Rutgers and UConn is entirely replaceable by any two D1 teams. That football content is uniquely valuable to NBC, because it is trying to get in the college football game and everything else is taken.

But the Big East loses big-time if basketball is not on ESPN. They need to find a way to split the rights and keep hoops on ESPN.

HOw does th eBig East lose big time? Nobody will watch on another network? If th eBig East is that reliant on ESPN for success of its basketball product, it isn't that much of a product.

 

[HuskyHawk]

HOw does th eBig East lose big time? Nobody will watch on another network? If th eBig East is that reliant on ESPN for success of its basketball product, it isn't that much of a product.

How can they watch? ESPN, at any given time, may be broadcasting 6 or 7 Big East games. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU on cable plus more streamed via ESPN3 (which I can get on my iphone or xbox). NBC has one cable channel. That's it. Exposure suffers. Recruiting suffers. Fans suffer as they are unable to see their team. Especially fans of schools like Rutgers, Cincy, USF who many not get many national games. UConn would probably be ok.

My point is that NBC lacks the spectrum capacity to handle Big East basketball on its own. I'd be willing to do with them what the NFL does. NBC gets say a nice Friday night game every week. ESPN gets the rest.

 

[HuskyHawk]

But the Big East loses big-time if basketball is not on ESPN. They need to find a way to split the rights and keep hoops on ESPN.

Is such athing possible or probable?[/quote]

Why not? The NFL does it. MLB does it.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I agree that NBC really doesn't have the capacity to handle the entire BE basketball contract. I say they should get all they can handle and then split the rest with ESPN. Let them get the entire football contract and most of the olympic sports.

ESPN's 50 in 50 rankings illustrate that even by their own criteria the BE is the best basketball conference ever, even with the defections (cuse is the only defecting school on the list). Temple and Memphis are both highly ranked and Houston made the cut as well. The 2013 BE will have 12 teams on that list while the ACC has only 6.

BYU and UNLV are also on the list with UNLV being very high. Add BYU, UNLV and SDSU in hoops and the BE would be competing to be the most relevant hoops conference on the West Coast, Midwest, and would obviously continue to dominate the East Coast.

 

[freescooter]

How can they watch? ESPN, at any given time, may be broadcasting 6 or 7 Big East games. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU on cable plus more streamed via ESPN3 (which I can get on my iphone or xbox). NBC has one cable channel. That's it. Exposure suffers. Recruiting suffers. Fans suffer as they are unable to see their team. Especially fans of schools like Rutgers, Cincy, USF who many not get many national games. UConn would probably be ok.

My point is that NBC lacks the spectrum capacity to handle Big East basketball on its own. I'd be willing to do with them what the NFL does. NBC gets say a nice Friday night game every week. ESPN gets the rest.

Um, NBC has several channels which they used to broadcast Olympic coverage. Plus they are owned by Comcast, which owns cable businesses and outlets. I believe that they are a partner in SNY, NESN, etc. So on a given night, they have access to all those entities and the ability to showcase games on NBCSports, MSNBC, and a couple of others, as well as show regional games on say NESN, various SNY affiliates and elsewhere. I don't usually care about Providence-Seton hall so if that's a regional game on one of the CSN-New England channels and SNY or whatever, not sure I care all that much. to say nothing of the potential to add if the market is there, or to re-brand various exisiting networks or internwet sites. the curently own several including NBC.com. I am really not all that worried and as I said if the Big East can't succeed without being part of ESPN, than it probably doesn't deserve to thrive anyway.

 

[Rondogg]

Won't be particularly convenient or pleasant for fan bases and there'll be some withering on the vine when recruits of all stripes find out that Sportscenter is joining the moon as something they will never be on, but money is money.

Funniest line about this whole mess.

 

[Rondogg]

On Saturday at noon-ish I put on the TV and search for football games. I search sports>football and I really don't care what channel it's on. I just choose the one that appeals to me most. It's such a football frenzy on Saturdays, adding NBC into the mix only gives me more options.
Times have changed - wasn't but a few years ago, the only thing on when I was getting ready in the morning was Sports Center. Then came Mike and Mike, now in the past year there are 5-6 sports channels i flip through.

Morer is gooder. NBC will get the Big East. Then they are one premier league away from completely tilting the balance of power. Aren't there a couple of conferences coming up for bid in 2015?

 

[businesslawyer]

Right. and you just fill in the blanks with the A-10. But if you wanted to do it, I suspect you could "make" the A-10 a major conference simply by pushing it on ESPN. But again, the bottom line point is that the Big East basketball league is more of an extra benefit. Nobody is going to pay $5-6 million just for that. There are too many alternatives.

Actually, you're 180 degrees off. The A-10 is a major conference in basketball by any fair measure. To the extent it is not perceived as one, that is only because of ESPN pushing ties with football conferences.

 

[UConnDan97]

Actually, you're 180 degrees off. The A-10 is a major conference in basketball by any fair measure. To the extent it is not perceived as one, that is only because of ESPN pushing ties with football conferences.

It's a good point. Just on the strength of Butler alone over the last 3 or 4 years, the A-10 deserves props. Xavier is perennially a good team, and St. Joe's seems to rise up periodically along with St. Louis. They will be hurt with the loss of Temple, but VCU is now a powerful team, and they'll get good contributions from teams like Dayton, Richmond, etc. They're a solid conference. Probably #6 or so in the country...