Fox - Big East exclusive negotiating window

[cellocgg]

Has women's basketball really blown up or is it that Caitlin Clark has blown up?

Caitlin yes and other big names like Angel Reese, Flau'jae, Cameron Brink, Paige (obviously). I've never seen so much WBB love on social media and the final last year smashed viewership records

 

[John]

Caitlin yes and other big names like Angel Reese, Flau'jae, Cameron Brink, Paige (obviously). I've never seen so much WBB love on social media and the final last year smashed viewership records

I don't follow the women's hoops, but I'm sure ever-increasing parity has helped a lot too.

 

[cellocgg]

I don't follow the women's hoops, but I'm sure ever-increasing parity has helped a lot too.

WBB is more marketable now than ever and it's only on the rise

Plus even if we disregard the media revenue aspect as a reason for switching conferences, the BE may be elite for MBB but it's pretty lacking for the women. They would get a boost in another conference with stronger opponents

 

[superjohn]

Caitlin yes and other big names like Angel Reese, Flau'jae, Cameron Brink, Paige (obviously). I've never seen so much WBB love on social media and the final last year smashed viewership records

I think it's really just Cailtin Clark, at least that's what the TV #'s seem to show.

I haven't even heard Paige Bueckers name this season.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

As someone who goes to all the football games, there isn’t even a sizable amount of UConn football fans. Unless, by sizable, you mean six or seven.

I resent that BL. You, Money and I provide nearly that many in Sec 241 alone.

Side question, I could have sworn I received (and responded to) a DM from you this morning (while fueling up for the drive back from New Hampshire). I can't find it now. Was I imagining this?

 

[CL82]

I haven’t bothered to put in any research. How did the MWC manage to get 6 bids anyway?

They held six conference tournaments with different teams winning each one. Totally gamed the system

 

[CL82]

Has women's basketball really blown up or is it that Caitlin Clark has blown up?

Can it be both? All the hype surrounding her breaking records has generated decent viewership numbers for her games.

 

[jostar1]

 

[NoSpamHere]

 

[Bongo Fury]

UConn!!!!!!

 

[CL82]

 

[cellocgg]

PC, Butler, Xavier didn't make it past the first round of the NIT

 

[UConnJim]

PC, Butler, Xavier didn't make it past the first round of the NIT

PC had at most 7 players last night and they were without their best player, Big East player of the year Devin Carter. Xavier never should have been in the NIT.

 

[John]

PC had at most 7 players last night and they were without their best player, Big East player of the year Devin Carter. Xavier never should have been in the NIT.

None of the games were blow-outs either - in fact the Butler game was actually entertaining.

 

[cellocgg]

PC had at most 7 players last night and they were without their best player, Big East player of the year Devin Carter. Xavier never should have been in the NIT.

We know about Providence's situation, but will Fox look into it or the other school's reasons for losing when they negotiate?

 

[ScottVib]

We know about Providence's situation, but will Fox look into it or the other school's reasons for losing when they negotiate?

Fox cares about do you draw eyes... not do you win. Winning or losing in the first round of the NIT doesn't matter, having a brand or narrative around your team to draw eyes (particularly casual fan eyes in the case of PC or other schools with a small fan-base). Winning the NCAA tournament or sending multiple teams to the final four that helps the league's brand and matters to the negotiations, the NIT does not.

The only thing the NIT is good for from a Big East perspective is making the fan base feel better about the snub, by being allowing fans to point to the results and say "see I told you Providence should've gotten in".

 

[cellocgg]

Fox cares about do you draw eyes... not do you win. Winning or losing in the first round of the NIT doesn't matter, having a brand or narrative around your team to draw eyes (particularly casual fan eyes in the case of PC or other schools with a small fan-base). Winning the NCAA tournament or sending multiple teams to the final four that helps the league's brand and matters to the negotiations, the NIT does not.

The only thing the NIT is good for from a Big East perspective is making the fan base feel better about the snub, by being allowing fans to point to the results and say "see I told you Providence should've gotten in".

Im sure the fact we are a 3-bid league with 3 first round NIT losses (maybe even more after tonight) won't alter our media valuation at all, especially not as our contract is coming to an end after this season

 

[ScottVib]

Im sure the fact we are a 3-bid league with 3 first round NIT losses (maybe even more after tonight) won't alter our media valuation at all, especially not as our contract is coming to an end after this season

Correct.

What can impact the Big East's media deal... UConn leaving the conference or agreeing to sign a GOR or some other agreement binding them to the league (this would be the single biggest thing that could improve the TV deal, and the single worst thing for UConn to do, other than as a charity to the remaining schools). UConn (especially), Marquette or Creighton winning the national title.. or some combination of those three schools either all three reaching the Elite 8 or multiple reaching the final four, turning the narrative to "what a great league the Big East is". The NIT does not matter in the slightest... if it did the league would've put pressure on St. John's to participate or otherwise updated it's bylaws to force participation.

 

[cellocgg]

Correct.

What can impact the Big East's media deal... UConn leaving the conference or agreeing to sign a GOR or some other agreement binding them to the league (this would be the single biggest thing that could improve the TV deal, and the single worst thing for UConn to do, other than as a charity to the remaining schools). UConn (especially), Marquette or Creighton winning the national title.. or some combination of those three schools either all three reaching the Elite 8 or multiple reaching the final four, turning the narrative to "what a great league the Big East is". The NIT does not matter in the slightest... if it did the league would've put pressure on St. John's to participate or otherwise updated it's bylaws to force participation.

UConn leaving for another conference would be fantastic, where do I sign?

 

[freescooter]

Correct.

What can impact the Big East's media deal... UConn leaving the conference or agreeing to sign a GOR or some other agreement binding them to the league (this would be the single biggest thing that could improve the TV deal, and the single worst thing for UConn to do, other than as a charity to the remaining schools). UConn (especially), Marquette or Creighton winning the national title.. or some combination of those three schools either all three reaching the Elite 8 or multiple reaching the final four, turning the narrative to "what a great league the Big East is". The NIT does not matter in the slightest... if it did the league would've put pressure on St. John's to participate or otherwise updated it's bylaws to force participation.

UConn is not signing a GOR. Nobody will do that again. And as long as DePaul is a DIII level program the league won’t be “great.”

 

[ScottVib]

UConn is not signing a GOR. Nobody will do that again. And as long as DePaul is a DIII level program the league won’t be “great.”

I wasn't claiming they were, in fact I think that would be the single worst thing they could possibly do (but I do believe the other 10 teams in the Big East would absolutely sign one in exchange for a few extra dollars, much as the new Big XII teams signed one & the new ACC teams signed onto that conference's, hell even UMass will be bound by one to the MAC). I was responding to someone who seemed to think the NIT results would hurt the TV deal... and I was simply pointing out the factors that could positively or negatively impact the valuation.

 

[Zissou]

I guess the window has closed?

 

[huskymedic]

Big East’s March Madness Wins Key to Keeping Up With Football Powers

Three Big East teams made this year’s NCAA Tournament–UConn, Creighton and Marquette. St. John’s, Seton Hall and Providence were notably left out.

www.sportico.com

-> As for the media piece, the Big East’s rights become available again starting in 2025. UConn’s current form couldn’t come at a better time for a conference attempting to ensure its long-term security.

“We’re in a very active stage” of rights negotiations, Big East commissioner Val Ackerman said. As new deals get closer to the finish line, incumbents Fox and CBS are currently expected to hold onto large parts of the package. Fox has expanded its basketball programming in recent years, and with plans to replace WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown with an end-of-week college football package, the network could build a similar hoops-based property for when the football season ends.

A third partner—possibly a streamer—might emerge as well. Outside of men’s basketball, the Big East has partnered with FloSports to host the Big East Digital Network.

“The media business is certainly facing some headwinds right now … but the need for programming is still there,” said Bob Thompson, longtime sports TV executive and the founder of Thompson Sports Group. “Product quality remains extremely important, so I certainly expect that a property like this would be at the top of [those rightsholders’ priority] lists.”

Still, keeping up is only going to get more difficult with time. Even a doubling of per-school media rights fees would leave Big East athletic departments bringing in a fraction of what Big 12, Big Ten and SEC schools are due to get as part of their latest megadeals.

“We expect there’s going to be a growing revenue gap between the conferences we consider peers in basketball and us, because of the football money,” Ackerman said. “That challenge is real for our schools.”<-

 

[whalerfan]

A third partner—possibly a streamer—might emerge as well. Outside of men’s basketball, the Big East has partnered with FloSports to host the Big East Digital Network.

I've dealt with FloSports and even with a solid upload gig stream a lot gets lost between Connecticut and Ft. Worth. I can't tell you how many times lip sync has gone awry with them when we've output an embedded signal. They blame it on the inbound stream but no, it's them.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Having been on the receiving end of this enough times, if Fox or ESPN was going to ratfudge the Big East on its next contract, one or both would pay for UConn to move to another conference this offseason.