New Thread ... what the heck is ESPN doing?

[Pudge]

Are they trying to set Market Pricing through the articles on their internet?

The amount the Big East receives for its new media deal could be a huge factor in attracting BYU, Air Force or Army, sources said. Media estimates have projected the Big East's deal annually will be worth between $60 million to $130 million. Those figures would translate to between $3 million to $6.5 million for each football-only member and $4 million to $8.7 million for each full member.

From the earlier cited article.

We have heard others (Carparelli from the BE conferencce .. for one) state that we are going to be far higher.

I just think this process, with ESPN in the middle, has stunk all the way through from the blatant bad faith/acquisition of BE members in 2003 to today. I say get their quote ... go elsewhere on November 1.

Make OUR League. Easily get the Best 14-16 you can ... and fight it out for the next two decades on NBC or FOX. Wherever they will be your PARTNER. It's simpler to sign up SMU, Houston ... Boise ... for the Network than a new XFL or World League. I guess that's where we are. duck Bristol.

 

[The Funster]

I thought that the NBE could make a deal that approached the ACC deal for the football schools. I thought that NBC would be the winner and they would leverage ND games to increase NBE football exposure. ESPN must have felt the same way therefore they prompted the ACC to offer ND a sweetheart deal and thus drive another nail into the NBE coffin.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Step back for a sec Pudge, don't let it bother you. THere's nothing in that article except rehashed information from months ago, and the first hit we've had in print from ESPNACC since Sept 1, about $ values and the Big East.

Negotiations are going on, the numbers McMurphy put out, are the same numbers that he put out while he was still with CBS, that were bogus, when a real CBS exec, that was intimately involved with television for a career, said that the Big East could exceed the ACC in contract value. That same exec that said that, was part of a hearing that occurred before a U.S. House of Representatives Committee in July 1984, that included people like Jim Delaney, Joe Paterno, Eddie Robinson, John Toner.....among many chief television executives......I posted the entire transcript of that hearing here a while back.

I think the fact that ESPNACC is trying to tie $ value and future expansion, and publicizes a headline that indicates division in the Big East confernce, while not providing a single verifiable/reliable source, and simply rehashing prior unsourced information - while negotiations are going on?

Well, I take it to be a pretty good sign for the big east conference.

 

[whaler11]

I am certainly down on the potential outcomes - but less than 9 million per team seems ridiculous. I've though 12-14 for a while and it seemed like there was some upside - I'd still guess right around 13. I can't see how they get ACC money with the quantity of teams - too many of them are worthless.

 

[pj]

What bothers me is not just the low-balling of the numbers but "quoting" a "Big East source" as saying "They'll crawl back to us" of people the Big East is courting. There's no way a source would use such demeaning words or be so cocky in a difficult situation. ESPN is inventing quotes and trying to annoy BYU and Air Force.

 

[Dann]

espn is going to devalue everything possible. thats all it is.

the thing we dont know is if espn has 2-4 more big east teams on the move soon. if so then we could be talking less and less money over time.

espn may raid the big east 1 more time of 2-4 teams and then the bball schools will split. then espn can have its power 5 and let nbc get cusa. espn can then help the big east bball schools form a power bball league and sign them. espn is a big winner in the end if this happens and i wouldnt be suprised if it does.

edit-
i could completely see a uconn/ruty and lville/cincy to other confs and the bballs splitting.

prov/shu/sju/nova/marq/gtown/dep
+
xav/but/witch/creigh/boston school/upstate ny school/ct school or w/e for 16 to 18 teams

then the fball schools would have some type of big america conf

bsu/sdsu/frenso/unlv/unr/smu/uh/hawaii//byu
usf/ucf/ecu/memphis/smiss/temple/navy/army/tulane/tulsa
or something like that...that league is worth 5mil a piece or a bit more which could be what espn is hinting at...

 

[mike012]

My industry source said ESPN is lame and that we should respond with BOOOO comments anytime they make something up concerning the Big East.

 

[Rumrunner]

No matter what Aresco says about ESPN (valued partner, etc.) I guarantee that everyone over in Providence knows that ESPN has denigrated the BE as a football conference at every chance it could. Notwithstanding being in cahoots with Swofford and the ACC over raiding BE properties, only a full fledged moron would believe that ESPN has been a good partner.

Carparelli himself stated that one of the most important things in selecting a new tv partner would be selecting one that actually is a partner and supports and enhances the league. The only way that ESPN gets any of the BE properties is if the basketball onlies rule the day. They probably want to continue with the ESPN. It will be the football schools who want to sever any ties, especially new members Houston, UCF, SMU. I can't really see under any scenario placing anything with ESPN. Just because ESPN needs Big East basketball as schedule fillers for the winter, does not mean Big East basketball needs ESPN. Even if it means less money. And in the grand scheme of things $500k a year less per school for hoops is a drop in the bucket compared to the million ways to Sunday that ESPN can work to harm the BE in favor of the ACC.

 

[SubbaBub]

I caught the lowball offer as well. What I found more interesting is the idea of 16 with Army, , and BYU. As a hopeful future past member of the BE, I like this idea for a few reasons even if they are more underwhelming FB programs.

1. It stablizes the BE against future defections, should UConn leave I don't want to put anyone else in a position similar to our current one.

2. While they may be low to middling FB teams, they have what most current BE programs lack, a large following.

3. The BE can leverage that following, an fan becomes a BE fan thus helping drive higher ratings and...

4. ...better bowl games. A lineup that includes BYU and all the service academies is a big boost to our profile for prospective bowl partners.

Each has its issues, but the BE should try to make it happen.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[HuskyHawk]

I can only say that $4- $8.5M a year for Memphis and Temple is way too much. What idiots dilluted the split with those two.

 

[SAMCRO]

To answer the OP's question in the title of this thread, ESPN has escalated their game of "just the tip" with the BE and proceeded to go "balls deep" in their effort to NBC and the league.

 

[huskypantz]

I' ll tell you what, no way UConn is signing a GOR for $4-9 million. We better not get caught in some stupidity and then get overruled by the CUSA majority in a GOR vote.

 

[junglehusky]

What bothers me is not just the low-balling of the numbers but "quoting" a "Big East source" as saying "They'll crawl back to us" of people the Big East is courting. There's no way a source would use such demeaning words or be so cocky in a difficult situation. ESPN is inventing quotes and trying to annoy BYU and Air Force.

You are aware, this is the Big East we're talking about, right? The league that got blindsided again and again? There's a joke about poor OL play in there somewhere....

 

[EROCK CONN]

If this article is a deliberate attempt to weaken the perception of the monetary value for Big East TV rights then that makes me feel extremely good of our chances for landing in a better conference.

A deliberate attempt to weaken the Big East position would indicate that ESPN is insecure about their position and resorting to their network platform to weaken the Big East.

If ESPN does not feel secure about signing the Big East right before the exclusive window closes the musical chairs will begin. This is also consistent with what the eerr said yesterday.

As we've seen in that past, ESPN will not allow a viable Big East conference on the open market and thus would have to destroy the league by arranging for homes in order 1) UConn 2) Rutgers 3) Louisville 4) Cinncinati. We are undoubtedly the best candidate available to any conference.

 

[jostar1]

MHver3‏@MHver3
ESPN offering to broker wider carriage of Longhorn Network(NY and Fla most notably) if Dodd's will champion expansion with Big East 2-4

 

[SAMCRO]

As we've seen in that past, ESPN will not allow a viable Big East conference on the open market and thus would have to destroy the league by arranging for homes in order 1) UConn 2) Rutgers 3) Louisville 4) Cinncinati. We are undoubtedly the best candidate available to any conference.

My only concern is that ESPN really just needs to find a landing spot for maybe 2 (3 max) of those 4 to have the destabilization impact they are hoping for. Ideally I'd like to see the 5 of UConn, RU, UL, Cinci, and USF all land on their feet in across any of the ACC/B12/B1G/SEC. It would suck to see any one of us get left behind in this BS game of TV contrat alignment. UConn first of course, but you know what I'm saying.

 

[Marty Jackson]

I can only say that $4- $8.5M a year for Memphis and Temple is way too much. What idiots dilluted the split with those two.

Regardless of how you feel, Memphis and Temple are fellow Big East partners now... Just like Uconn.

 

[John Greene]

Regardless of how you feel, Memphis and Temple are fellow Big East partners now... Just like Uconn.

That is a great summary of just what is wrong with this NNNBE. UConn=Menphis/Temple.

 

[weyuo]

What's the difference between the RICO Act(racketeering act) and what ESPN is trying to get away with? Isn't stacking the deck in your own favor while consorting with others to illegally screw a third party what the RICO Act was supposed to prevent? Shouldn't somebody be putting a bug in Bluementhal's ear? I mean the guy has to earn his keep up there sooner or later.

 

[SubbaBub]

What's the difference between the RICO Act(racketeering act) and what ESPN is trying to get away with? Isn't stacking the deck in your own favor while consorting with others to illegally screw a third party what the RICO Act was supposed to prevent? Shouldn't somebody be putting a bug in Bluementhal's ear? I mean the guy has to earn his keep up there sooner or later.

That is for someone else to do. Not us. The memories are too fresh.

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[nelsonmuntz]

MHver has been saying for months that ESPN has been trying to get the Big 12 to expand at the expense of the Big East, and a meaningful contingent of the Big 12 wants no part of it.

 

[SubbaBub]

I'm hoping the BE has planted a mole in Bristol that his secretly collecting evidence for the eventual class action suit by any program affected by this nonsense.

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[nelsonmuntz]

According to mhver, ESPN is now pushing very, very hard for the Big 12 to expand by 2-4 schools. We got to hope for 0 or 4. 2 would be disastrous.

 

[CAHUSKY]

. And in the grand scheme of things $500k a year less per school for hoops is a drop in the bucket compared to the million ways to Sunday that ESPN can work to harm the BE in favor of the ACC.

Wouldn't they do that even more egregiously if the BE signed with NBC? If its going to happen anyway you take the $$$$

 

[Adios]

According to mhver, ESPN is now pushing very, very hard for the Big 12 to expand by 2-4 schools. We got to hope for 0 or 4. 2 would be disastrous.

4 would absolutely work.