Renewal of Big East TV Contract

[104pleasant]

Do any of the “insiders” reading this post know how the negotiations are progressing with the Big East TV agreement(s)?

Is the Big East going to “shop” the contract to ESPN and others for more money, or stay exclusively with Fox?

IMO money is an important factor in structuring the deal but exposure is most important.

Thanks

[DFW HOYA]

No inside information, but a few thoughts.

1. I appreciate how the Big East keeps the media rights discussions out of the press and social media. No one has a peep on it, which is probably good. It "suggests" that negotiations with Fox are ongoing, because if they were shopping on the open market, ESPN would leak it to Sports Business Journal or one of their free lancers.

2. Can they shop for a better deal? Of course, but the plight of the Pac-12 is timely. The best deal may not be on the able when you expect it and waiting too long could be too late.

3. What are the goals of the deal? Safety and security. More money, sure, but the BE has been a stalwart in linear coverage (FS1, Fox, CBS Sports Network, etc.) over streaming. Fox does not have a streaming option right now and the tipping point to streaming isn't there yet for sports. For those who remember, the AAC's move to streaming was a Rubicon moment for UConn to opt to leave. The arrival of more Big Ten and Big 12 content is a complication but not insurmountable with FS2 as a backup.

4. On the negative, Big East games haven't been a draw on FS1 as they might on networks of ESPN. Some of that is a bias to go to ESPN and watch whatever is on, some of it is that Big East teams generally don't have a national following the way other schools do.

At this point, no news is good news.

[jpj]

Question?

Does the contract only cover Georgetown playing vs other Big East teams?  Home and away games?

Does it cover Georgetown vs Non-conference opponents?

Is there a larger overlapping contract that covers all of the teams in the Big East?

[hoyasaxa2003]

Aug 16, 2023 15:18:01 GMT -5 jpj said:

Question?

Does the contract only cover Georgetown playing vs other Big East teams?  Home and away games?

Does it cover Georgetown vs Non-conference opponents?

Is there a larger overlapping contract that covers all of the teams in the Big East?

I do not know the answer to your question in legal terms, but several of our (and other conference members) OOC games are broadcast on FS1 or FS2 (and sometimes farmed out to CBS Sports). So, I imagine there is something that brings home games within the Fox Sports contract. For example, our home games against Syracuse are always on FOX or Fox Sports 1, but our games at Syracuse are usually ESPN. The November tournaments usually contract with a TV provider and go that route, so that's why in the past we have had games on other networks. And it certainly covered all Big East teams. I am not sure how it deals with non-revenue sports.

To me, which echoes some of what DFW said, the key is to get a decent linear TV contract. Obviously, you want as much money as you can get, but the draw of linear TV is waning (July 2023 was the first month where traditional network TV + cable TV accounted for less than 50% of viewing), even if sports are one of the last categories maintaining strength--in large part because they usually get good live TV draws versus normal programming. The big TV contracts are not going to last forever, even for football, and so we should really be trying to lock in something long-term at a decent price that guarantees airing of all Big East games, and gives us the prime slot for the BET, which the Big East has enjoyed under the current contract.

[kghoya]

Aug 16, 2023 15:18:01 GMT -5 jpj said:

Question?

Does the contract only cover Georgetown playing vs other Big East teams?  Home and away games?

Does it cover Georgetown vs Non-conference opponents?

Is there a larger overlapping contract that covers all of the teams in the Big East?

I think it covers big east games and home non conf games.

[RockawayHoya]

I would think ESPN's pretty public attempt to kill the Big East 10 years ago probably hasn't been forgotten by Big East leadership when any current discussions for TV contract renewals come up. Relationships matter, and the one between the BE and ESPN was irreversibly damaged a long time ago.

Given the countless problems they're having over there at the "WWL," I'm not losing sleep if they're not even approached by us with an invitation to make an offer. IMO, Fox still has plenty of bandwidth on their networks to televise our games properly even with the addition of content from other leagues. The bigger problem is every game going over by 20-30 minutes because of all the insane replay reviews, which is not a Fox problem but a CBB one in general.

[kghoya]

ESPNs offer would likely be streaming heavy.

[CTHoya08]

Aug 18, 2023 17:29:23 GMT -5 RockawayHoya said:

I would think ESPN's pretty public attempt to kill the Big East 10 years ago probably hasn't been forgotten by Big East leadership when any current discussions for TV contract renewals come up. Relationships matter, and the one between the BE and ESPN was irreversibly damaged a long time ago.

Given the countless problems they're having over there at the "WWL," I'm not losing sleep if they're not even approached by us with an invitation to make an offer. IMO, Fox still has plenty of bandwidth on their networks to televise our games properly even with the addition of content from other leagues. The bigger problem is every game going over by 20-30 minutes because of all the insane replay reviews, which is not a Fox problem but a CBB one in general.

I’d add that FOX’s addition of other leagues might have the effect of lessening viewers’ habit of defaulting to ESPN for college basketball, which might in turn make it a more desirable place than we’re giving it credit for. Sure, the Big East may no longer be its sole headliner, but more eyeballs on the channels and sharing space with some other major conferences will lessen the perception that being on FOX instead of ESPN means that the Big East is no longer a “major” conference.

[professorhoya]

Aug 18, 2023 17:29:23 GMT -5 RockawayHoya said:

I would think ESPN's pretty public attempt to kill the Big East 10 years ago probably hasn't been forgotten by Big East leadership when any current discussions for TV contract renewals come up. Relationships matter, and the one between the BE and ESPN was irreversibly damaged a long time ago.

Given the countless problems they're having over there at the "WWL," I'm not losing sleep if they're not even approached by us with an invitation to make an offer. IMO, Fox still has plenty of bandwidth on their networks to televise our games properly even with the addition of content from other leagues. The bigger problem is every game going over by 20-30 minutes because of all the insane replay reviews, which is not a Fox problem but a CBB one in general.

ESPN/Disney is falling apart and in huge financial trouble.

They also gave the ACC a raw deal compared to the Big 10/SEC and that is causing the ACC to implode.

On top of them trying to kill the Big East, I would not touch Disney/ESPN with a ten foot pole right now.

[daveg023]

ESPN would provide better exposure for the league, but the majority of games would find their way to ESPN+ and never the linear channel(s).

As a fan, the best thing about the FS1 deal has been how virtually every game has been made available on a Fox channel. That being said, the BE deal was unique at the time as FS1 was getting launched and they needed live rights and content. Now that they have the B10 affiliation, I’m not so sure we’d get the same deal and exposure. If you notice, Fox doesn’t even spend time or money on studio shows for most BE games anymore, instead running pretaped packages during halftime of the majority of games.

Either way I think as fans we probably will be streaming a lot more whether it’s on ESPN or Fox with this next contract. Hopefully we have become a draw again and we’ll get featured on the linear channels more, but even still I can’t imagine the FS1 type of coverage anymore.

[Bigs"R"Us]

Aug 19, 2023 5:32:58 GMT -5 daveg023 said:

ESPN would provide better exposure for the league, but the majority of games would find their way to ESPN+ and never the linear channel(s).

As a fan, the best thing about the FS1 deal has been how virtually every game has been made available on a Fox channel. That being said, the BE deal was unique at the time as FS1 was getting launched and they needed live rights and content. Now that they have the B10 affiliation, I’m not so sure we’d get the same deal and exposure. If you notice, Fox doesn’t even spend time or money on studio shows for most BE games anymore, instead running pretaped packages during halftime of the majority of games.

Either way I think as fans we probably will be streaming a lot more whether it’s on ESPN or Fox with this next contract. Hopefully we have become a draw again and we’ll get featured on the linear channels more, but even still I can’t imagine the FS1 type of coverage anymore.

Being a top-25 program would help with programming. Our recent history doesn’t do us any favors when networks decide which games to feature. We have been relatively lucky with Fox.

[jackofjoy]

Maybe the BE should stream on Tucker Carlson’s Twitter (err..X) channel …

/ducks

[CTHoya08]

Aug 19, 2023 5:32:58 GMT -5 daveg023 said:

ESPN would provide better exposure for the league, but the majority of games would find their way to ESPN+ and never the linear channel(s).

As a fan, the best thing about the FS1 deal has been how virtually every game has been made available on a Fox channel. That being said, the BE deal was unique at the time as FS1 was getting launched and they needed live rights and content. Now that they have the B10 affiliation, I’m not so sure we’d get the same deal and exposure. If you notice, Fox doesn’t even spend time or money on studio shows for most BE games anymore, instead running pretaped packages during halftime of the majority of games.

Either way I think as fans we probably will be streaming a lot more whether it’s on ESPN or Fox with this next contract. Hopefully we have become a draw again and we’ll get featured on the linear channels more, but even still I can’t imagine the FS1 type of coverage anymore.

I got whiplash reading this sentence.

[RusskyHoya]

Aug 19, 2023 18:37:53 GMT -5 CTHoya08 said:

Aug 19, 2023 5:32:58 GMT -5 daveg023 said:

ESPN would provide better exposure for the league, but the majority of games would find their way to ESPN+ and never the linear channel(s).

As a fan, the best thing about the FS1 deal has been how virtually every game has been made available on a Fox channel. That being said, the BE deal was unique at the time as FS1 was getting launched and they needed live rights and content. Now that they have the B10 affiliation, I’m not so sure we’d get the same deal and exposure. If you notice, Fox doesn’t even spend time or money on studio shows for most BE games anymore, instead running pretaped packages during halftime of the majority of games.

Either way I think as fans we probably will be streaming a lot more whether it’s on ESPN or Fox with this next contract. Hopefully we have become a draw again and we’ll get featured on the linear channels more, but even still I can’t imagine the FS1 type of coverage anymore.

I got whiplash reading this sentence.

Being talked about on SportsCenter and during the other games, vice having the whole league practically be under embargo, does make for a difference in exposure.

[daveg023]

Aug 20, 2023 10:53:45 GMT -5 RusskyHoya said:

Aug 19, 2023 18:37:53 GMT -5 CTHoya08 said:

I got whiplash reading this sentence.

Being talked about on SportsCenter and during the other games, vice having the whole league practically be under embargo, does make for a difference in exposure.

Agree. It’s being under the ESPN umbrella that would help.

[hoyasaxa2003]

Aug 20, 2023 12:36:47 GMT -5 daveg023 said:

Aug 20, 2023 10:53:45 GMT -5 RusskyHoya said:

Being talked about on SportsCenter and during the other games, vice having the whole league practically be under embargo, does make for a difference in exposure.

Agree. It’s being under the ESPN umbrella that would help.

ESPN helps if you are on ESPN or ESPN2. If you are on ESPN+/streaming via ESPN, it is not nearly as good. I recall even one of Duke's OOC games last year was on ESPN+, and I imagine if the Big East signed a deal with ESPN that most of the OOC games would be on streaming, as would many conference games. It's important to remember that before the Fox Sports deal, many of our OOC games were not available nationally (or streaming), and were rather on MASN in DC and oftentimes SportsNY in New York. In that sense, the Fox Sports deal is superior.

If you could guarantee all Big East games on ESPN or ESPN2, I could be convinced to go for it. But, otherwise, I'm not sure an ESPN deal would pay better or have better coverage, either. And with rumors that ABC/Disney might sell ESPN off, it makes that even less stable.

[RusskyHoya]

Aug 20, 2023 12:50:40 GMT -5 hoyasaxa2003 said:

Aug 20, 2023 12:36:47 GMT -5 daveg023 said:

Agree. It’s being under the ESPN umbrella that would help.

ESPN helps if you are on ESPN or ESPN2. If you are on ESPN+/streaming via ESPN, it is not nearly as good. I recall even one of Duke's OOC games last year was on ESPN+, and I imagine if the Big East signed a deal with ESPN that most of the OOC games would be on streaming, as would many conference games. It's important to remember that before the Fox Sports deal, many of our OOC games were not available nationally (or streaming), and were rather on MASN in DC and oftentimes SportsNY in New York. In that sense, the Fox Sports deal is superior.

If you could guarantee all Big East games on ESPN or ESPN2, I could be convinced to go for it. But, otherwise, I'm not sure an ESPN deal would pay better or have better coverage, either. And with rumors that ABC/Disney might sell ESPN off, it makes that even less stable.

Yeah, I don't care for ESPN and would prefer a Fox deal with more TV broadcasts. Just making the point that exposure is about more than what channel/stream you're on.

[Bigs"R"Us]

Surely you can’t demand that ESPN televise all DePaul games 🤣

[TC]

Aug 20, 2023 12:50:40 GMT -5 hoyasaxa2003 said:

Aug 20, 2023 12:36:47 GMT -5 daveg023 said:

Agree. It’s being under the ESPN umbrella that would help.

ESPN helps if you are on ESPN or ESPN2. If you are on ESPN+/streaming via ESPN, it is not nearly as good. I recall even one of Duke's OOC games last year was on ESPN+, and I imagine if the Big East signed a deal with ESPN that most of the OOC games would be on streaming, as would many conference games. It's important to remember that before the Fox Sports deal, many of our OOC games were not available nationally (or streaming), and were rather on MASN in DC and oftentimes SportsNY in New York. In that sense, the Fox Sports deal is superior.

If you could guarantee all Big East games on ESPN or ESPN2, I could be convinced to go for it. But, otherwise, I'm not sure an ESPN deal would pay better or have better coverage, either. And with rumors that ABC/Disney might sell ESPN off, it makes that even less stable.

I'm not sure what helps more for exposure - I don't think there's a huge population anymore that clicks through channels and lands on our game and sticks, but ESPN would help a lot with access. Fox Sports can't be streamed without a cable subscription, ESPN is available pretty easily alone or through a Disney+ bundle.

[Bigs"R"Us]

I travel a lot and stay at hotels and fly. ESPN is featured everywhere, Fox Sports not so much.