B1G Media Deal: 7 Years, $1.2 Billion

NBC also uses USA for a lot of their old NBC sports channel content. Wonder if USA channel will carry some Big 10 games.
That's what I was thinking. It's where they place all their Premier League games.
 

That's what I was thinking. It's where they place all their Premier League games.
They have all the Premier League games on Peacock but then I think they put 1 or 2 on USA (the bigger matchups).
 


How long until you see some combination of Washington, Stanford, Oregon, etc paired with Notre Dame joining the Big Ten.

Even better, the chances of the Gophers getting 1 of the 3 primetime games a few times a season is even greater.
 



BTW, it's not 7 years, $1.2B, it's 7 years, $7.2 billion, so about $1.1 billion PER YEAR for each of the 16 schools, which is estimated to be more than $70M apiece per year.
Yeah, post #9 breaks it out per team well.
 

How long until you see some combination of Washington, Stanford, Oregon, etc paired with Notre Dame joining the Big Ten.

Even better, the chances of the Gophers getting 1 of the 3 primetime games a few times a season is even greater.
It will be interesting. The contract makes it less likely B1G adds teams, with Irish being the exception, until the last year or two of this contract.
 

It will be interesting. The contract makes it less likely B1G adds teams, with Irish being the exception, until the last year or two of this contract.
I am sure there is a clause in the contract for adding new teams, certainly at the least ND would add another 200 million a year to the contract.
 

That can't be right -- USC and UCLA don't join until 2024.

Unless that first year will have lower value?
Athletic article called it out that it was backloaded, for when USC-UCLA join (more inventory) as well as after CBS-SEC agreement ends following the 2023 football season opening more 2:30 PM windows.
 



I haven't been able to find it in an article, but apparently the deal can increase to 10Mil if more schools are added according to this comment on Reddit (which has a few agreeing with it):
A 30% increase in the deal means you could add 4 schools and actually increase the payout per school...If true, the contract is built to allow more expansion without dilution.
 

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ESPN is sour already. This is easily the biggest story today, and their headline article is about NFL receiver pay.

In fact, it's the second article below the main headline.

I love their pettiness! Phuck ESPN! We don't need them anymore!
ESPN has to be hurting already. I can't remember the last time I watched any of their channels outside of live action and 30 for 30. The ratings for the rest of their programming has to be a fraction of what it once was.
 




ESPN has to be hurting already. I can't remember the last time I watched any of their channels outside of live action and 30 for 30. The ratings for the rest of their programming has to be a fraction of what it once was.
If it wasn't for ESPN+, my viewership on regular ESPN would be about once a month.
 


If it wasn't for ESPN+, my viewership on regular ESPN would be about once a month.
It hurts them that sports center was basically YouTube and tik tok. Except YouTube and tik tok now exist.

So highlights aren’t the same
 


ESPN has to be hurting already. I can't remember the last time I watched any of their channels outside of live action and 30 for 30. The ratings for the rest of their programming has to be a fraction of what it once was.
Correct. Their debate shows are all terrible, but what else do they have?
 

ironic.

two years ago during the covid mess, people were screaming for Kevin Warren's head.

Now - B!G adds USC and UCLA. negotiates huge media deal. and, by all accounts, more expansion planned.

one could argue that Kevin Warren is now one of the most powerful people in college sports.

I even saw someone suggesting that he could be the next NFL Commissioner.
 

ironic.

two years ago during the covid mess, people were screaming for Kevin Warren's head.

Now - B!G adds USC and UCLA. negotiates huge media deal. and, by all accounts, more expansion planned.

one could argue that Kevin Warren is now one of the most powerful people in college sports.

I even saw someone suggesting that he could be the next NFL Commissioner.
Sankey ain't schidt. ESPN pumps his ego up because he runs the SEC. Warren would have squeezed more juice over less years than Sankey got on their TV deal.

More ESPN BS.
 

ESPN has to be hurting already. I can't remember the last time I watched any of their channels outside of live action and 30 for 30. The ratings for the rest of their programming has to be a fraction of what it once was.
The amount of ESPN (or any sports network) that I watch is directly proportional to how much my teams play games on it.

ESPN is still a cash cow for Disney, and the ratings are some of the best on cable.

ESPN's a perfectly good network, still the best sports network...but without Gophers and Big Ten I won't watch nearly as much.

A mix of CBS/NBC/FOX is a coup for Big Ten cord-cutters.
 

It hurts them that sports center was basically YouTube and tik tok. Except YouTube and tik tok now exist.

So highlights aren’t the same
NFL Primetime and Baseball Tonight used to be an automatic every Sunday evening in the fall and just about every night in the summer. I know highlights can be found online but I still enjoy seeing the collection of highlights. MLB network has Quick Pitch every night that is just highlights with no analysis. I don't watch it every night but it something I can easily throw on in the background.
 


ESPN has to be hurting already. I can't remember the last time I watched any of their channels outside of live action and 30 for 30. The ratings for the rest of their programming has to be a fraction of what it once was.

They tied their fortune to the SEC. Then they were smug enough to think that the other major conferences would fall in line and agree to take whatever time slots they had left over. They also thought the SEC deal would get them the rights to show the entire expanded playoffs.

It was a terrible miscalculation.
 

ESPN has to be hurting already. I can't remember the last time I watched any of their channels outside of live action and 30 for 30. The ratings for the rest of their programming has to be a fraction of what it once was.
If it wasn't for ESPN+, my viewership on regular ESPN would be about once a month.
 

It hurts them that sports center was basically YouTube and tik tok. Except YouTube and tik tok now exist.

So highlights aren’t the same
They have too much crossover, IMO.

One of the things that makes NBA Tonight great is that it's 4 guys who talk about the NBA. We don't get bombarded with Shaq dissecting the PGA tour, or Charles talking about pitch counts. It's not that they NEVER leave their swim lane, they just spend the majority of their time talking bball.

They also have lost any comradery. The guys on NBA Tonight, Pat McAfee Show, etc. genuinely get along. Even when they disagree with each other, they aren't obsessed with this "you got OWNED" culture that is just exhausting.

I also think they leaned in way too heavy with the political stuff. Agree or disagree with their stance, most people wanted sports to be a break. It's too heavy all the time. I'm not saying it can't be mentioned, I just think the types of things that programming that excels today in sports is more light hearted, fun and it's less about hot takes and "owning" your opponent. You can only hate watch SAS so much before you tune out.
 


If it wasn't for ESPN+, my viewership on regular ESPN would be about once a month.
ESPN has been an unmitigated grease fire for several years now. Very happy to not have to tune into that channel for much of anything anymore.

Good deal overall for the B1G, should be good for everyone involved.
 

ESPN has been an unmitigated grease fire for several years now. Very happy to not have to tune into that channel for much of anything anymore.

Good deal overall for the B1G, should be good for everyone involved.
Monetarily yes but you are leaving the sports clearinghouse, in 3 years what do any of these non-ESPN networks look like?
 

ironic.

two years ago during the covid mess, people were screaming for Kevin Warren's head.

Now - B!G adds USC and UCLA. negotiates huge media deal. and, by all accounts, more expansion planned.

one could argue that Kevin Warren is now one of the most powerful people in college sports.

I even saw someone suggesting that he could be the next NFL Commissioner.
Pay the man.
 




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