What Does All This TV Talk on Big Ten Do for Big 12 and Oklahoma State?

So the B12 is going to be relegated to secondary channels in off hours. The handwriting is on the wall imo. If OSU doesn't get out of the B12 and into the SEC they'll be financially neutered. The B10 is a non-starter for various reasons. Better hope like heck that the SEC, when they take FSU, Miami and Clemson want an OSU too.

Agree

Robert,
Weiberg is always saying we are in a good spot. With NIL and this latest development, it does not appear that we are in a good spot at all. Do you know of anything going on behind the scenes that will insure OSU is definitely in a good position going forward. Things just appear pretty bleak from my point of view. I assure you, if I had the resources, NIL would be taken care of, but the possibility of us having a seat at the big boy's table appear far fetched at best.

So since Robert posted this article, we have reports that (not only is ESPN out of the B1G) both CBS and NBC are going to pay $350million each for one B1G game per week (CBS with a 3:30pm game and NBC with a 7:30pm Saturday night game, to match up wiht their Sunday night NFL game.

The Big XII is in great shape with this news. First FOX is going to need 1 or 2 games on Saturday. Not sure about Friday, but that's another option, and for the Big XII would be a good moneymaker.

In addition NBC was looking for 3 Saturday games, and they got one from the B1G and one partial game a week from ND. So they'll need 1-2 games a week.

CBS might want more than one game a week as well. In addition FOX, ESPN, & NBC are looking for tier 2 games. None of them have enough inventory to cover all the open slots.

The good thing is that only 1 of the 3 tier 1 slots would be fit for PAC, so it's really a wide open field for the Big XII to have more tier 1 games on the next contract than this one.

This is very good news for the Big XII. Not terrible news for the PAC. And probably good news for all the G5 conferences as they are going to wind up getting more games on tier 2 networks.

NJAggie said:

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The Big XII is in great shape with this news. First FOX is going to need 1 or 2 games on Saturday. Not sure about Friday, but that's another option, and for the Big XII would be a good moneymaker.

In addition NBC was looking for 3 Saturday games, and they got one from the B1G and one partial game a week from ND. So they'll need 1-2 games a week.

CBS might want more than one game a week as well. In addition FOX, ESPN, & NBC are looking for tier 2 games. None of them have enough inventory to cover all the open slots.

The good thing is that only 1 of the 3 tier 1 slots would be fit for PAC, so it's really a wide open field for the Big XII to have more tier 1 games on the next contract than this one.

This is very good news for the Big XII. Not terrible news for the PAC. And probably good news for all the G5 conferences as they are going to wind up getting more games on tier 2 networks.

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I completely disagree with your assessment. The FOX channels that need games are the prime time channels. So, your ultimately an afterthought. They aren't going to pay top dollar for programming they're relegating to secondary channels and time slots. Do the broadcasters need inventory? Absolutely. Do they need the B12 and PAC at premium pricing for secondary time slots and channels? Absolutely not. We'll be affectively financially neurtered.

I read a few articles on this topic before I clicked on this thread (which were more current than Robert's report)

The one point I read is that ESPN will likely go back to the 12PAC with a better offer than their initial low-ball bid. Will it be enough? Who knows. Will ESPN team up with others for PAC games? Who knows.

The B1G apparently split up their programming into 3 blocks, with ESPN, CBS and NBC each taking a block for around 1/3 of the total.

Will other conferences like the 12PAC or the B12 follow suit and try to get similar deals that add up collectively to big bucks? We shall see. The model now exists.

Most articles seem to imply that ESPN dropping from the B1G bidding strengthens the chances of the PAC surviving and being competitively profitable.

One thing is certain, these other deals will be made before our contract expires, so we'll pretty much know where Fox and Espn have committed their resources (they split our coverage currently).

So FOX is only going to show one T1 game a week?

No B1G games are going to be broadcast against B1G games. B1G is signing up for three games on each Saturday. So FOX has a 3:30 slot they will definitely want to fill, and a Prime Time slot they may want to fill at least some weeks. Their only options are the Big XII & PAC 12. They've already indicated they don't want any P12 games. So they'll be looking to the Big XII for that inventory most likely.

Not really sure where you're getting all this relegated to secondary outlets stuff because its not there. NBC just added three more T1 slots than existed before this deal. There are now 11 T1 slots where there were 8, and the SEC and B1G can only fill 6 of those so the Big XII's TV fortunes just got much brighter. As T1 is where the money is made.

You must have been reading West Coast writers. There's a lot of that optimism out there, but it's pretty much unfounded.

ESPN only has 1 tier 1 window available and that is their late night Pacific Coast slot. That slot could be filled with a games from the MWC, some Big XII, and others. They don't need the PAC. In fact they will probably do what they always do with leagues they have over a barrel, they'll probably cut their offer as they are the only ones bidding.

The thing ESPN needs is tier 2 and tier 3 content. Things the PAC can't provide, as that is all locked up in the PAC.net. But things the Big XII has. ESPN is going to be holding back cash to bid on the B12 Tier 2 & 3 content.

Another thing that may occur is some money flows down to some G5 conferences as the need for content has now expanded with more T1 games opening T2 slots and the likely entry of NBC into tier 2 as well.

Another thing ESPN may go hardball with a real low offer in hopes of forcing some schools to the Big XII where they can then bid for the late night B12 games to fill that slot.

I know the same old P12 is the focus of cfb crowd is out there pumping this up, but I doubt it ends the way they imagine it. It's just not realistic. ESPN bid for their package what they thought it was worth to them. And, no one else seems interested.

no, I don't think it was west coast articles, it was on the MSN site, but I didn't look at who it was linked too.

frankly, I'm not really following all of your T1, T2 talk, I think they all have plenty of product just with the 2 expanded conferences (B1G/SEC), and with other existing contracts (B12 , ACC)

plus the other conferences still have whatever their contracts may have been.

It will certainly be interesting.

NJAggie said:

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The thing ESPN needs is tier 2 and tier 3 content. Things the PAC can't provide, as that is all locked up in the PAC.net. But things the Big XII has. ESPN is going to be holding back cash to bid on the B12 Tier 2 & 3 content.

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Why would the Tier 3 Pac content not be for sale in these negotiations? If the Pac 12 owns the network, why couldn't they sell it and its content to anyone at anytime?

Tier 1 = games on OTA networks
Tier 2 = games on cable networks
Tier 3 = games owned by the schools that are not tier 1 or 2. Each B12 school has 1 per year no one else has that.

The facts are that the "expanded" conferences are not making a big dent in inventory. Moving from 14 to 16 means you go from 7 games a week to 8 games a week. That's not a huge shift. So there is no expansion pushing conferences off TV.

TV has now added at least 3 Tier 1 slots that don't exist this year, but will exist next year. NBC seems like they will probably want Tier 2 content. The B1G getting more on Tier 1 opens up Tier 2 slots they previously took up. Currently the B12 has 2 guaranteed Tier 1 slots, and is optional for 1 or 2 more. The increase in slots where inventory is needed means that the B12 will keep that same number of slots or maybe even go to 3 with an optional. So we will likely wind up with the same or more games on tier 1 each week (and this was what I have said since OU/UT left: That means OSU is now going to get more Tier 1 exposure as well as other B12 schools, that will raise values if we can win games and draw fans), so this is going to be a good deal for B12.

So the Big XII has 3 or 4 games a week that will fall to tier 2, and there are more than enough slots that FOX & ESPN could both handle them, and both seem interested. NBC might want in and that could bump the value of those rights.

ESPN will probably fight to keep the tier 3 rights, and might even bring the LHN into play as that space will be empty when ou/ut leave and they might want to convert it to a cable net for B12. If not they're going to pay well to keep the league on ESPN+

The PAC has all their tier 2 & 3 on the PAC.net. That's games they don't have to sell, and that keeps their value low, they really only have that 4th ESPN slot to go to with some ABC games. The difference could easily be enough to get schools moving to the B12 and then that slot becomes a B12 slot as well.

NJAggie said:

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Tier 1 = games on OTA networks
Tier 2 = games on cable networks
Tier 3 = games owned by the schools that are not tier 1 or 2. Each B12 school has 1 per year no one else has that.

The facts are that the "expanded" conferences are not making a big dent in inventory. Moving from 14 to 16 means you go from 7 games a week to 8 games a week. That's not a huge shift. So there is no expansion pushing conferences off TV.

TV has now added at least 3 Tier 1 slots that don't exist this year, but will exist next year. NBC seems like they will probably want Tier 2 content. The B1G getting more on Tier 1 opens up Tier 2 slots they previously took up. Currently the B12 has 2 guaranteed Tier 1 slots, and is optional for 1 or 2 more. The increase in slots where inventory is needed means that the B12 will keep that same number of slots or maybe even go to 3 with an optional. So we will likely wind up with the same or more games on tier 1 each week (and this was what I have said since OU/UT left: That means OSU is now going to get more Tier 1 exposure as well as other B12 schools, that will raise values if we can win games and draw fans), so this is going to be a good deal for B12.

So the Big XII has 3 or 4 games a week that will fall to tier 2, and there are more than enough slots that FOX & ESPN could both handle them, and both seem interested. NBC might want in and that could bump the value of those rights.

ESPN will probably fight to keep the tier 3 rights, and might even bring the LHN into play as that space will be empty when ou/ut leave and they might want to convert it to a cable net for B12. If not they're going to pay well to keep the league on ESPN+

The PAC has all their tier 2 & 3 on the PAC.net. That's games they don't have to sell, and that keeps their value low, they really only have that 4th ESPN slot to go to with some ABC games. The difference could easily be enough to get schools moving to the B12 and then that slot becomes a B12 slot as well.

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Thumbs up!!!

I'm still not following all of that... it doesn't sound accurate.

The B12 got screwed by ESPN by their demand that we have a football games (of their choosing) to be available for ESPN+

That was a total hose job by Boobsbly.

All of the B12 rights expire in 2025, so that part will need to be renegotiate too. Hopefully we get a better deal than ESPN+, I've already cancelled that service.

(2019) The Big 12 still doesn't have its own television network in the mold of the other four power conferences, but it has found a one-stop shop for Big 12 content.

The league announced Wednesday that ESPN will take over the third-tier media rights for eight of its member institutions beginning in the 2019-20 school year and running through 2024-25. The deal won't kick in for West Virginia until 2020 due to WVU's Tier 3 contract with AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh to televise various Mountaineer sporting events.

The agreement also moves the Big 12 football championship game onto ESPN or ABC every year through 2024. The game was previously scheduled to air on Fox in odd-numbered years.

Well it is. I'm sorry you can't follow it.

NJAggie said:

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Well it is. I'm sorry you can't follow it.

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I was hoping that you could explain it further perhaps without the seems like and probably stuff.

Here is the TV schedule for week 5 last year. How would the future be different?
https://new.cbssports.com/college-football/news/five-potential-college-football-chaos-teams-ready-to-wreak-havoc-on-playoff-race-in-2022-season/

Those other networks still have contracts with Golf and Nascar and the other professional sports that they broadcast (often in prime time), are some of those going to be pre-empted?

I don't think they are adding more hours to the day, so I'm still struggling to understand where NBC and CBS are going to put all of these Tier 1 games.

What is different:

is that NBC has added 1 full slate of tier 1 games in prime time starting in 2023. Which means that is 1 B1G game a week that won't be taking up an existing slot.

CBS is taking a full slate of games at 3:30 from the B1G and ESPN is getting a full slate of SEC games at that time. So that's a zero sum game. And it's going to be interesting how that plays out for SEC/Big XII/ACC in 2023 & 24. I think SEC already had a full season of slots reserved, but this could squeeze some Big XII/ACC games off of Tier 1. Now if ESPN has really guaranteed more T1 slots than they have, they could sell some games to FOX or NBC, or even CBS if they're interested. Again CBS has not shown any clue as to their position so they may be interested in more games or just fine with the one.

ABC has SEC/Big 12/ACC games contracted, and they have given T1 promises to all of them. Now it would seem most logical that they had accounted for 2023 & 24 so that the SEC games increase after that date. But at the heart of it they have about 24 slots for games. SEC will have at max 7 until 2025 when it goes to 8. So that's 16 slots they need to fill elsewhere. They show at least 4 ACC games each week, which leaves 12. Now they could increase ACC games, but that would only get them to 9. Basically they need some Big XII games. The PAC is a non-factor here except in the ESPN late night WC so that would mean they need at least 6 games.

FOX has set their noon slot for the B1G. They will need a 3:30 game, and they'll need non B1G games for that, also if they want to run prime time games they'll need non B1G games. Having passed on bidding on the PAC that means they really only have the choice of bidding for the Big XII.

NBC is trying to build enough business to sustain their ND deal. They probably will need some lower priced content, so they could add a noon game, and they will most likely want some games for 3:30 on the 9 weeks they don't have ND games. Again those slots aren't great for PAC so the Big XII is really the only option.

The B1G T2 has 5 games, 3 of which will go to BTN, leaving 2 for FOX. So that leaves 4 T2 slots at FOX they need to fill, and again the Big XII would be the target.

The Big XII could wind up with at worst a T1 game on FOX, and 5 T2 slots split between FOX & ESPN. I think T3 stays on ESPN+.

At Best the Big XII gets 2+ T1 slots on FOX and NBC, and then lands their 4 T2 games on FOX, ESPN, & Peacock. T3 stays on ESPN+. In this scenario NBC might join the mix for our CCG, otherwise it probably is on FOX.

I can't for the life of me find anything that says CBS wants a whole day of T1 games. They will be losing their Home Depot SEC game after 2023, so they apparently just signed up to replace that with a B1G game. (ESPN/ABC will have the sole rights to SEC games)

CBS T2 has 72 MW games lined up for 2022, and has a strong contract for that content, including the MW Conf Champ game since 2018.
https://fbschedules.com/cbs-sports-network-sets-2022-college-football-tv-schedule/

NBC is only picking up one slot (in addition to their ND contract).

Fox would get the noon game. CBS would pick up games for the 3:30pm ET window, and NBC would carry games in primetime.

Clearly I am missing something here, but I don't know what. It is seems as if CBS is simply switching from a SEC game to a B1G game, and NBC is picking up one game (in addition to ND).

Obviously you are.

FOX will still want a 3:30 slot, and the only property to fill that is the Big XII.

CBS as I said is probably not adding a second T1 Slot.

NBC has discussed going to a full 3 slot set of T1 coverage. They may or may not go to that extent. They may also want a game at 3:30 every Saturday and ND only covers 7 of the 14 weeks.

The end result is that there is at least one open slot for T1 to go to the B12.

The facts are there are plenty of slots to fund the B12 in the $40M+ range, and the conference is going to be fine.

NJAggie said:

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Obviously you are.

FOX will still want a 3:30 slot, and the only property to fill that is the Big XII.

CBS as I said is probably not adding a second T1 Slot.

NBC has discussed going to a full 3 slot set of T1 coverage. They may or may not go to that extent. They may also want a game at 3:30 every Saturday and ND only covers 7 of the 14 weeks.

The end result is that there is at least one open slot for T1 to go to the B12.

The facts are there are plenty of slots to fund the B12 in the $40M+ range, and the conference is going to be fine.

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Oh.

Agreed.

I didn't understand that the fate of the B12 on broadcast TV was ever in question. We already have a Fox and ABC slot, we'll see what Disney does, but no way we should lose both of them, and we could gain one (CBS/NBC), and like I said previously if we are able to sell a model like the B1G did, breaking the product into slots instead of SEC/Disney winner take all.

I think ESPN will be full with their SEC (2)/ACC(1) games for T1, but FOX has left themselves an open slot and my guess is that it was set to target the Big XII as they have been open in saying they want to retain rights. They also like our T2.

The money changes positively if NBC/CBS get involved. That could get us over $50M.

I think we're in a really good place.

yeah, I'm actually more interested in the possibility of adding the 4 PAC teams.

that should be priority #1, the TV deals will be there.

NJAggie said:

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I think ESPN will be full with their SEC (2)/ACC(1) games for T1, but FOX has left themselves an open slot and my guess is that it was set to target the Big XII as they have been open in saying they want to retain rights. They also like our T2.

The money changes positively if NBC/CBS get involved. That could get us over $50M.

I think we're in a really good place.

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I don't think we are at all. But I hope your right. But if B12 teams are getting $40-50M, and the B10 and SEC are going to get $75M plus, we're screwed financially. Not to mention OSU is going to relegated to playing UCF on a tier 2-3 tv network and time. We may get 15-20% of the people to watch us vs. what the B10 and the SEC get. That will take it's toll.

I think it's a priority, but its not something you can press. They have to make the move. They have to ask and apply. They are the ones that have to reach out.

I do think the key right now is the ESPN offer. If it's $30M or less, then I think schools start calling the Big XII. And, I think there's a strong possibility that's the case.

Sue it's a gap, but there was already a big gap between OSU's AD budget and UT's. So how much more money do they need to be able to beat us regularly?

We don't compete with UT, OU, aTm, Alabama, etc... for recruits so nothing has changed there. We could find mid & low tier SEC schools getting a few players we want, but most of the main players in Texas are in the Big XII, and so we are all in the same boat.

As long as we're getting enough to keep the AD funded adequately so that all the programs and facilities can be taken care of I think we're fine.

NJAggie said:

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Sue it's a gap, but there was already a big gap between OSU's AD budget and UT's. So how much more money do they need to be able to beat us regularly?

We don't compete with UT, OU, aTm, Alabama, etc... for recruits so nothing has changed there. We could find mid & low tier SEC schools getting a few players we want, but most of the main players in Texas are in the Big XII, and so we are all in the same boat.

As long as we're getting enough to keep the AD funded adequately so that all the programs and facilities can be taken care of I think we're fine.

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But that's my point. No, we don't rake in as much money at ut, ou, aTm, etc. But it'll get worse if we are in this tier 2 conference. Plus we will become an even smaller part of the puzzle based on the game times and number of games against less visible opponents.
And other sports being funded adequately is a major issue. You think budgets stand still? There isn't a day that goes by that the cost of competing doesn't go up. If your stuck at $40-50M we're going backwards. Not to mention a sport like wrestling (which is already dying on the vine) will die a quicker death.

Well I guess we should disband the AD then, because we're not going to the SEC anytime soon if at all.

But we've been in a tier 2 situation forever. We've never had the money that the top earning schools have, and the TV money they're about to get is dwarfed by their other revenue. We've gotten by on half or less of what OU & UT take in. We'll continue to do so.

And as far as where we'll be in the big picture. We'll be playing for conference championships regularly, while OU will be in our old position of trying to figure out how they can beat Alabama & Georgia in the same year to finally get a shot at a championship.

If they do go to a 16 team playoff we'll be in as often or more than OU, unless we go to the SEC.

We're going to have more opportunities to play on T1 now than we ever had in the previous setup where you only got on T1 when you played OU or UT or in a game that had implications for OU or UT (and they weren't available that week). Our T2 will be about the same we'll still be spread out over ESPN & FOX.

Yeah financially life would be better in the SEC in a superficial way, but for the schools ability to compete not at all. We'd go from having two mountains to climb each year currently to having six mountains. Being stuck in the SEC where we'd never get T1 except maybe once a year, and probably be banished to late night SEC net slots is just not a better place to be. How would fund raising hold up if we were rarely in a conference race? Wrestling was without a conference affiliation or playing in the MAC? Big picture going to a 18 or 20 team SEC is not a very good place to be.