Fox Pulling out of B12 FB Championship Game

[jbhtexas]

I believe the article said there was another entity looking at getting the rights if ESPN did not take it. I wonder if it would be NBC? The only college football property they have is Notre Dame. They might like another week of big viewers.

I'd much prefer NBC to our Big 12 faux-partners at espn. All we would get during an espn broadcast of the Big 12 championship game is espn hyping their other CFB properties and trashing the Big 12, like what happens during all their other Big 12 CFB "presentations"...

 

[twojman]

I'd just like NBC as it would be another party bidding on right to potentially drive up revenues. I'm thinking of the next round of TV negotiations here. Using NBC and NBC sports, they could do worse then to pair up with the Big 12 considering what they have now.

 

[intrepid27]

The whole sports model is collapsing.

Agreed I think we are at the high water point for mega $$$$ TV contracts. With the cord cutting trends, content providers will run on less revenue. Something gotta give.

 

[Knownothing]

I could see a Streaming service try to get it and make an impact into live sports. Like many have said Amazon or one we have not heard of yet. DAZN was trying to make a huge imprint and signed Bellator fighting up. They have some big investors but I am not sure how they are doing right now.

 

[aeroclone]

https://awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/fox-big-12-championship-game-rights-espn.html I know "New Fox" business model is changing in both News and Sports, but I dont know if this good at all for the conference. ESPN may want to pay less now for the B12 CG if the league cant find another provider for the game.
Maybe CBS Sports, Amazon, may pick it up.

Amazon or Youtube or whatever other streaming service would be a PR disaster. Streaming just isn't that mature as far as major live sports. The optics of a P5 conference having the biggest game of the year in the biggest sport exclusively on Amazon would be a bad look. This game needs to be on ESPN, Fox, CBS, or NBC. That is where you find all the big games that matter. 5 or 10 years from now this may finally change, but we aren't there yet.

 

[DeereClone]

I think this is more proof that the major networks would love to see the Big 12 dissolve, Oklahoma and Texas go to the SEC or Big 10, and the rest of us scramble to find a home in the Mountain West, American, or MAC. ESPN, FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC don't care about schools with smaller fanbases and markets in the flyover states, and if we were moved from the Big 12 to an irrelevant conference they wouldn't have to pretend to care about us and they could focus more on the larger ticket conferences like they want to do anyway.

 

[Cycsk]

The whole sports model is collapsing.

Yes, the whole sports model is collapsing, but is this an illustration of it? It could just be a matter of good business-planning. If the Big 12 championship game isn't projected to make X amount of profit, then they pass. They aren't in the football broadcasting business. They are in the commercial selling business. In this case, it seems that Fox is already in a nicely profitable situation that it doesn't want to put at risk for this.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Amazon or Youtube or whatever other streaming service would be a PR disaster. Streaming just isn't that mature as far as major live sports. The optics of a P5 conference having the biggest game of the year in the biggest sport exclusively on Amazon would be a bad look. This game needs to be on ESPN, Fox, CBS, or NBC. That is where you find all the big games that matter. 5 or 10 years from now this may finally change, but we aren't there yet.

Or we could jump on the bandwagon early and set ourselves up for success when the tipping point does occur.

I'd like to do it like the NFL does Thursday nights in the early season. CBS or NBC AND Amazon/Twitch.

 

[ArgentCy]

I don't know about this story. Don't see it anywhere on ESPN and they'd love to print this story. Nor do I see it on Foxsports. I just don't see the Big XII signing a 2-year contract to add the championship game.

 

[Gorm]

I could see NBC making a play for this. ND will never play on that date, and they would be able to put it in primetime.

 

[CascadeClone]

The whole sports model is collapsing.

NBC switched years ago to covering lots of "non-rev" sports like bicycling and tennis. Stopped bidding on half the NFL, MLB, and such. They figured out the viewership wasn't that much worse than the big-time sports, so the revenue wasn't that much worse -- but the cost was nil. Essentially, they stopped using fertilizer to cut costs, and accepted lower yields; still made money with less risk.

Other than 1 NFL game, ND football, and the Olympics, I think its all cheap stuff.

 

[kcbob79clone]

or it could go on LHN.

Beat me to it!!

 

[TykeClone]

or it could go on LHN.

You can't have too many commercials with Colt McCoy hawking saddle wax.

 

[SoapyCy]

Amazon or Youtube or whatever other streaming service would be a PR disaster. Streaming just isn't that mature as far as major live sports. The optics of a P5 conference having the biggest game of the year in the biggest sport exclusively on Amazon would be a bad look. This game needs to be on ESPN, Fox, CBS, or NBC. That is where you find all the big games that matter. 5 or 10 years from now this may finally change, but we aren't there yet.

Bad look to who? The people already not watching?

 

[Cyclonepride]

Yes, the whole sports model is collapsing, but is this an illustration of it? It could just be a matter of good business-planning. If the Big 12 championship game isn't projected to make X amount of profit, then they pass. They aren't in the football broadcasting business. They are in the commercial selling business. In this case, it seems that Fox is already in a nicely profitable situation that it doesn't want to put at risk for this.

Yes, it is. If the Big 12 championship game (with viewership as noted earlier) isn't a profitable endeavor as previously bid, it seems extremely likely that other things aren't either.

 

[UnCytely]

Wouldn't mind Amazon picking it up, if CBS or ESPN dont want it.

I refuse to enrich Jeff Bezos any more, so I guess it would be CFBStreams on Reddit for me.

 

[cyfan21]

This is a "GREAT" opportunity for CyclonesTV network pick up the contract on the cheap! Come on Pollard, this is a great opportunity to get a stronghold of the Big 12 Conference


Jimlad gif and emoji

 

[Clonehomer]

This is a "GREAT" opportunity for CyclonesTV network pick up the contract on the cheap! Come on Pollard, this is a great opportunity to get a stronghold of the Big 12 Conference


Jimlad gif and emoji

That would be fantastic, but only if you restricted access to it in Texas.

 

[cyfan21]

That would be fantastic, but only if you restricted access to it in Texas.

I love this idea...Make it so!!!

 

[BryceC]

Or we could jump on the bandwagon early and set ourselves up for success when the tipping point does occur.

I'd like to do it like the NFL does Thursday nights in the early season. CBS or NBC AND Amazon/Twitch.

Somebody has to first. A one game solution would be a great test and I could see Amazon overpaying for something like that.

Honestly if Amazon became the big 12 broadcast partner I’d drop cable and save myself a ton. Bring it on.