Big East gets a lowball offer from NBCSports

[Dawg06]

The Big East is looking for a second TV deal. Their second tier rights will produce several million additional dollars. Exactly what I thought.

NBC is offering primetime exposure and marketing that ESPN cannot offer them. ESPN has the opportunity to match or exceed the NBC deal, but for the Big East to sign their first tier rights to ESPN, the deal would have to produce revenue significantly greater than NBC's offer (maybe double?).

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=5173

The MW ($12 million 1st tier), C-USA ($16 million 1st & 2nd tier), MAC ($2 million 1st tier), and Sun Belt ($1.375 million 1st tier) are in no position to put down the Big East's offer ($20-23 million 1st tier).

[odysseus]

As long as they have the "Big East" name, they'll make more than the rest of us regardless of anything else. That being said, they did turn down a $150 million offer not that long ago so I have no problem putting them down.

[GrassyNoleHitman]

btw...i ran some numbers of what the TV contract should be worth based on TV ratings. (note, 1 rating point is worth just under $2 million for most conferences).

Big East teams are right to be upset. they should be able to get a TV contract worth around $6 mil/year for each team. so Fox is killing them with an offer of < $2 mil each. Cincy and UConn will be able to get more than $2 mil for just 2nd tier rights agreements on their own.

[parialex]

That's interesting Hitman, I never would have guessed that much as a possibility, especially given the ratings limitations on CBS Sports. I know we're forgoing maximum value for exposure by going with NBC and not ESPN, though I doubT four million worth. I think we're hurt by there suddenly being three conferences on the auction Block where there was only supposed to be one.

[RealityCheck]

What the numbers tell me is that networks got their psychic readings and see Connecticut and Cincinnati gone elsewhere even before the ink dries on any deals being done right now. And the lowball offers also include provisions for automatic adjustment downward when those two leave.

[parialex]

The contract does allegedly contain adjustments, which is why the figure is variable between 20-23 million. It depends on membership. I don't think it collapses without major membership changes.

[rebelboi]

The contract does allegedly contain adjustments, which is why the figure is variable between 20-23 million. It depends on membership. I don't think it collapses without major membership changes.

nobody will give them a big contract, because they know as soon as they do that UCONN & Cincy will leave for BE

[parialex]

nobody will give them a big contract, because they know as soon as they do that UCONN & Cincy will leave for BE

I assume you mean ACC. Yeah, I think one of the reasons that the contract is as low is it is that it's already taking into account some membership changes as likely. It might get better if Cincinnati and UConn do happen to be around six years from now (because if they are, it means things have settled down). But I think the contract assumes they won't (which is why I don't think that if they do, the contract will fall all that much).

[GrassyNoleHitman]

Hopefully the contact gets an upward bump when the BE adds WF, Duke, Pitt, BC, and 'Cuse.

[Dawg06]

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=5238

Those moves will start to speed up once the Big East decides its television status with either ESPN or NBC as the prime rights holder. ESPN on Thursday “matched’ the NBC offer of a week ago. The issue now being discussed by Big East officials is what constitutes “matching”.

After taking a week to finalize its strategy, ESPN on Thursday ”matched’ the offer, but whether the criteria of matching includes promotion and programming slots equal to what NBC is offering remains unsettled.

Although the multi-year offer (6 or 7 years) from NBC will bring the Big East schools only between $20 and 23 million annually, the league was counting on prime time exposure on NBC and its cable outlets as well as additional exposure on other networks to carry them through the transition as smaller, but perhaps more unified conference in football and basketball.

With 10 teams for the next few years, the Big East also will make a strong push to get the a rule change lowering the number of teams necessary to hold a championship game from 12 to 10 teams.

That battle is likely to won by the football schools which will retain the name “Big East” as long as the league exists.

[Dawg06]

ESPN: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...ion-media-deal

The Big East and ESPN are finalizing a seven-year media rights deal worth $130 million through the 2019-2020 school year, league sources told ESPN's Brett McMurphy.

ESPN's deal with the Big East includes seven years for men's basketball (2013-20) and six years for football (2014-20). The deal breaks down to $10 million for the 2013-14 basketball season and $20 million starting in 2014-15 for football and men's basketball, sources said.

ESPN's package includes annually broadcasting 65 football games, 150-plus basketball games, a conference football championship game and the Big East men's basketball tournament on ESPN's family of networks, sources said.

The Big East's current basketball media rights deal with ESPN and CBS expires after the 2012-13 academic year, while the football deal with ESPN will expire after the 2013-14 academic year. The new deal will "sync" both sports through the 2019-2020 academic year.

Sources said CBS will also extend its men's basketball rights with the Big East, paying the league about an additional $2 million annually.

That will bring the Big East's total media rights value to about $22 million annually, starting in 2014 and, based on a 12-team league, worth about $1.8 million per school annually.

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FYI... The Big East's football TV deal with ESPN for the 2013-14 season is worth $13 million.

[PawDawg]

MWC is currenty working with Altitude.

[Dawg06]

Also, the Big East is due an estimated $60 million in exit fees and another $25 million in entrance fees. That's about $85 million in fee revenue.

[Dawg06]

USA Today offers an excellent analysis of the Big East's TV deal:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...-espn/1938503/

[counselingdawg]

Why do we have this infatuation with the Big East? I know its the old CUSA, but we are in the new CUSA, or old SunBelt.