a few more details on NBC offer

[zls44]

Can I ask why? I can't see why ESPN would even let NBC Sports get a foot in the door with a product that includes decent basketball teams. Football isn't amazing but it could be decent. They'd basically be blocking NBC from getting UConn and Cincy for $20 mill. Currently they plan on paying for Wake Forest football for $17mill through their ACC deal or BC basketball fro $17 mill. I don't see why plunking down $20 mill and putting football games on weeknights and on ESPNU really would hurt them.

I'm not trying to ask this in a jerk way, I'm just curious why you think they'd pass since it sounds like you work for/have contacts within ESPN based on all your past posts throughout the BY.

This isn't based on hearing anything from suits, I'm just trying to see it from their side. This is just me thinking out loud.

I look at it as spots available. ESPN cannot match the exposure the NBC deal offers. They have better properties for those spots. While UConn and Cincy are worth it...is ECU? SMU? I'm also looking at their recent history with the CUSA TV deal, where they lost the conference and seemed to live with it ok (other than a contractual disagreement).

It basically comes down to filling a few ESPNU spots and a lot of ESPN3 stuff. I that worth $2 million a year? I don't know. CBS now has the MWC rights, they could potentially sub license those to fill the spots and get similar ratings at a lower rate.

I doubt letting the Big East go to NBC is the sort of thing they would look back on as some sort of massive missed opportunity down the road.

The variable in this is the WBB program.

Seriously.

UConn anchors their entire coverage of the sport, which is focused on the tournament. It's hard to push WBB coverage when you don't have UConn. I could see ESPN matching just to keep the UConn WBB program in the umbrella considering they actually rate nationally as well as most MBB games (which is an incredible, incredible feat) and they have the WBB tournament through 2024.

Like Fishy said, the amount of money is a rounding error for Disney. But its $23 million they can put towards the startup costs of an SEC Network instead.

Ultimately the decision is the Big East's. The question is will they be deciding on two offers or one.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The really bad news is that the contract has gotten cheap enough that it is really not worth it for ESPN to finance another raid of the Big East. UConn is $18MM cheaper in the Big East than it would be in the ACC. Does anyone see ESPN picking up that tab?

 

[UCFBfan]

The really bad news is that the contract has gotten cheap enough that it is really not worth it for ESPN to finance another raid of the Big East. UConn is $18MM cheaper in the Big East than it would be in the ACC. Does anyone see ESPN picking up that tab?

If the NBE doesn't sign with ESPN......yes

 

[upstater]

Playing UConn regularly has the potential to really lift Memphis, Temple and maybe Houston. It has the potential to hurt UConn really badly. Winning a lot more games than ever before has the potential to help Cincy quite a bit too.

It will be interesting to watch the dynamic play out.

 

[CL82]

My understanding is that the TV stuff passes through the conference office first. They will put the rights for games up for bid. Only after they don't have a taker does the school then have the ability to sell the rights, at which point they've been offered to the networks anyway. The only parties they could offer them to who haven't already passed on it would be a local station that doesn't already have a programming commitment (CPTV, CTSN, maybe SNY).

I suspect that UConn's games might get picked up first, so we may get the worst of all possible worlds of having it's content picked up on the cheap without much product to shop to other vendors. Still there are opportunities to mitigate the sucktacular nature of this deal.

 

[upstater]

I suspect that UConn's games might get picked up first, so we may get the worst of all possible worlds of having it's content picked up on the cheap without much product to shop to other vendors. Still there are opportunities to mitigate the sucktacular nature of this deal.

The cash from any product sold to other vendors would go to to the conference.

 

[Vuce]

The question is if ESPN wants the league, how much more do they have to bid than NBC for the Big East to say yes? At what point dollar wise does the league think it is worth staying at ESPN?

 

[zls44]

I suspect that UConn's games might get picked up first, so we may get the worst of all possible worlds of having it's content picked up on the cheap without much product to shop to other vendors. Still there are opportunities to mitigate the sucktacular nature of this deal.

I'm selfish in that I care more about ability/ways to watch the games. At this point, the money is so much less than everyone else, I just care about getting to watch it.

 

[joey3$trike$]

I think the exposure of the Uconn program or brand is good with the NBC deal. I personally don't think they should accept any offer from ESPN. NBC will have the huskies as the top dog in the NBE. I'd rather be #1 then 5-6-or 7th like they currently are. Only competition would be Cincy as far as football and MBB is concerned. ESPN coddles to the ACC, they can care less about the NBE as we have seen in the past. History repeats itself, NBE won't make the same mistake. Plus if Uconn can get SNY or CBS deals extra $$$ for them. It's also only for 6 years, who knows what happens with CR then.

 

[upstater]

Obligatory banked 3 pointer

 

[ZooCougar]

Look at the TLC NBC gives to nothing burger sports like curling. Once they get some legit sports with a bona fine Division I conference, they are going to promote the crap out of it.

I would ignore Blauds. He's a crank and he doesn't have the full picture.

 

[RioDog]

We should become the Texas of the nnnnnBE. Form DBN (the Dog Bone Network) and lord our hoops prowess

I think the exposure of the Uconn program or brand is good with the NBC deal. I personally don't think they should accept any offer from ESPN. NBC will have the huskies as the top dog in the NBE. I'd rather be #1 then 5-6-or 7th like they currently are. Only competition would be Cincy as far as football and MBB is concerned. ESPN coddles to the ACC, they can care less about the NBE as we have seen in the past. History repeats itself, NBE won't make the same mistake. Plus if Uconn can get SNY or CBS deals extra $ for them. It's also only for 6 years, who knows what happens with CR then.

Given the above I think UCOnn should become the Texas of the NNNNNNBE. Form the DBN (dog bone network), lord our hoops prowess over the rest of the league and dictate our terms. I have spoken.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

The Big East can reject ESPN's offer. The Big East decides. Not ESPN.

Not according to this article:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/co...-east-tv-negotiations/?sct=hp_t2_a3&eref=sihp


ESPN will have a chance to match NBC Sports' offer, which a source confirmed is between $20 and $23 million per year for six years. ESPN is the current Big East rights holder and has the contractual option to match any offer that the league gets.

This allows ESPN a chance to stock up live programming inventory at a cheap rate and keep it off the air of one of its competitors. ESPN has seven days to respond to the terms the Big East presented it with.

 

[Fishy]

Yes, they get a window to match any offer. But that doesn't meant the BE has to take it.

How can that be?

A right to match is a right to match. If they BE is not obligated to accept it, then it's not any sort of right - doesn't add up.

 

[metsfan2323]

How can that be?

A right to match is a right to match. If they BE is not obligated to accept it, then it's not any sort of right - doesn't add up.

But we are out from under their contract no? Is the right to match eternal? Did the C7 have the Pope sign this contract for us? I read on other boards that the Big East is not obligated to ESPN if they match.

 

[UConnDan97]

If I can play "Devil's Advocate" for a second, let's assume that a match by ESPN means that they automatically get the contract. But my question would be: How does one define "a match" in this case? Is there actual paperwork saying that the match is only monetary? We've constantly heard Aresco say that we wanted to go with a network that would "promote us properly" (whatever that might mean is up for interpretation, I'm sure). In other words, does ESPN have to also match the amount of games on their main channel during favorable Saturday timeslots, as well as other perks that NBC is offering?

Simply put, I don't know if a monetary match is all that is required to meet the standard of "matching the contract", even if that term is present in our current contract language...

 

[metsfan2323]

If I can play "Devil's Advocate" for a second, let's assume that a match by ESPN means that they automatically get the contract. But my question would be: How does one define "a match" in this case? Is there actual paperwork saying that the match is only monetary? We've constantly heard Aresco say that we wanted to go with a network that would "promote us properly" (whatever that might mean is up for interpretation, I'm sure). In other words, does ESPN have to also match the amount of games on their main channel during favorable Saturday timeslots, as well as other perks that NBC is offering?

Simply put, I don't know if a monetary match is all that is required to meet the standard of "matching the contract", even if that term is present in our current contract language...

My take on it is ESPN has the right to review the details of our contract for one week which would then give them one week to make a counter offer while everyone's cards were on the table, but I doubt the Big East would be legally bound to sign with ESPN because, you are right this is more than just money. If NBC guarantee's us games on NBC's main channel that would be something that ESPN cannot match. (a game on NBC)

 

[upstater]

How can that be?

A right to match is a right to match. If they BE is not obligated to accept it, then it's not any sort of right - doesn't add up.

It's the poison pill concept. Every contract has different parameters. In this case, the option simply guarantees by contract the former rights holder the right to beat the other offer. In sports, the right to match is regulated for precisely this reason. For instance, Aaron Rodgers gets an offer from Seattle that says, Rodgers gets $20 million per year if he plays 8 games in Seattle, and if he doesn't, his contract is $30 million a year. It's a poison pill, the parameters favor Seattle. For this reason, these options simply give ESPN a window to beat NBC's offer.

 

[upstater]

Not according to this article:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/co...-east-tv-negotiations/?sct=hp_t2_a3&eref=sihp


ESPN will have a chance to match NBC Sports' offer, which a source confirmed is between $20 and $23 million per year for six years. ESPN is the current Big East rights holder and has the contractual option to match any offer that the league gets.

This allows ESPN a chance to stock up live programming inventory at a cheap rate and keep it off the air of one of its competitors. ESPN has seven days to respond to the terms the Big East presented it with.

How many times can Thamel get things wrong?

Blaudschun is correct on this.

 

[upstater]

I remember the time Bill Parcells put a poison pill in Curtis Martin's contract that made it impossible for the Patriots to sign him. The NFL had to ban such contracts.

 

[Vuce]

McMurphy tweeted an hour ago that if ESPN matches the NBC offer then the Big East stays with ESPN. If NBC really wanted the league they would have made a better bid.

 

[ZooCougar]

Can NBC make a counter offer? What knd of stupid arrangement is this?

 

[RS9999X]

Doesn't matter except for money;

Here's all the BE has to sell
Tier I content to CBS: 1 Navy game and 1 UConn Women's game.
Tier II Content to ESPN2: 1 game a week from October 15th to March 10th. End of season matchups of football leaders and the Conference game. One good women's top 25 head-to-head matchup. One weekly men's basketball head-to-head natchup between top 25 teams OOC and in conference.
Tier III Regional: 99% of BE games

 

[Vuce]

Can NBC make a counter offer? What knd of stupid arrangement is this?

According to McMurphy's tweet if ESPN matches or beats the NBC offer the package is theirs.

 

[metsfan2323]

Can NBC make a counter offer? What kind of stupid arrangement is this?

I agree, none of this makes sense. The Big East has no choice but to go with ESPN if they match, what kind of Bizarro contract got The Big East into this arrangement of indentured servitude.