Big 12 Expansion: It's Down to BYU, Houston, and Cincinnati

[oaknightshockey1]

I know Texas left it's flagship station, KVET in Austin recently, and moved to ARN, which is multiple local channels but that dont have the broadcast power in the Austin area that KVET has. But, they have the rights to stream live around the world, which was their selling point. As for radio, looks like the network is about 30 stations around the state.

Seven year deal, looks like about a million per. So it's less than the Nebraska one you pointed out. But I couldnt find any particulars.

I couldn't find it, but Texas has a deal with IMG as well. If it works like NU's, IMG pays the school and then radio stations pay IMG. That $1 million is just one of what I would guess are several affiliates across the state. I would imagine the actual value of the deal is significantly higher than that. Are the games on the radio in Houston, DFW, etc.? I'd imagine there is a similar deal in place with each of them.

 

[Texas Jefe]

I couldn't find it, but Texas has a deal with IMG as well. If it works like NU's, IMG pays the school and then radio stations pay IMG. That $1 million is just one of what I would guess are several affiliates across the state. I would imagine the actual value of the deal is significantly higher than that. Are the games on the radio in Houston, DFW, etc.? I'd imagine there is a similar deal in place with each of them.

yeah, that may just be the Austin deal? I did see something that the ARN (Austin Radio Networks) that took away the flagship role from Kvet (Iheart) was going to pay 1 million per year for the rights. Have no idea if that includes broadcasting on the Longhorn Network in DFW, Houston, etc.

 

[DJ]

Houston makes the most sense geographically but I think the best move would be adding BYU.

 

[romeo212000]

Houston makes the most sense geographically but I think the best move would be adding BYU.

Houston makes zero sense no matter how you spin it.

 

[Wild Turkey]

Without a conference network though that doesn't matter as much. The reason for spreading into new markets is to command a higher price from cable companies, so unless they start a conference network it wouldn't make a big difference.

They either start a conference network or they don't survive. Subscription based services is where this all will eventually end up and the best platform to launch those will be conference networks. Economies of scale are the only way to keep cost down and have enough content to generate higher price points.

 

[SILVER BULLET]

If the Big 12 is to be as successful as the B1G and SEC financially, they will have to start a conference network. Since TLH is failing, that's where I'd start. Convert the LHN into a Big 12 Network and negotiate with either ESPN or Fox for majority share. Expansion candidates are slim, but expansion to 12 or 14 would be necessary. Memphis, UCONN, Cincinnati and BYU make sense. If expansion were to stop at 12, I'd go with my first two choices. Not the best in football, but terrific basketball brands.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

They either start a conference network or they don't survive. Subscription based services is where this all will eventually end up and the best platform to launch those will be conference networks. Economies of scale are the only way to keep cost down and have enough content to generate higher price points.

Nobody is launching a traditional network that depends on coverage areas anymore. I agree that subscription based services are the future, and the Big 12 should consider banding together for that, but in that scenario, you are looking for subscribers, not just total TV sets so the quality of the teams brought in is more important than market size. Cincinnati is a good market, but how many of those are actually Cincinnati fans and not OSU fans? The days of measuring worth by market size are ending.

 

[Deep Creek]

It's all about capturing markets and not overlapping. You think the SEC would like to boot Miss State and Vandy? I think they probably would and chances are high that Auburn would be highly considered to get the boot also if it meant capturing a new market like Virginia or NC.

It's just the way things roll now.

If it is nationwide, then overlap doesn't matter because they have the whole enchilada. AND the future method of distribution is a very critical factor. Millennials are changing the demand dynamics big time and will continue to do so as us old timers go the way of the dinosaur.

 

[Deep Creek]

They either start a conference network or they don't survive. Subscription based services is where this all will eventually end up and the best platform to launch those will be conference networks. Economies of scale are the only way to keep cost down and have enough content to generate higher price points.

Long term, The Big 12 probably ain't gonna survive anyway...whether they have a conference network or not. Even if they added a network and expanded, they couldn't command the $$$$ the B1G and the SEC do. There isn't any market left they could add that would generate the revenue to do so. The only thing they have going for them is UT and OU national draw. There are rusty cows and land thieves all over the damned country. A similar thing is the only thing that makes BYU also attractive IMHO. It damned sure isn't the Utah market alone.

 

[Deep Creek]

so the quality of the teams brought in

The quality aspect of this will attract the hard core CFB fans like us. I would also add the potential number of other subscribers that follow certain teams as another critical item....regardless of location of said subscribers.
]

 

[oaknightshockey1]

The quality aspect of this will attract the hard core CFB fans like us. I would also add the potential number of other subscribers that follow certain teams as another critical item....regardless of location of said subscribers.
]

Yeah that's what I'm trying to say. Rutgers, for example, was a big pickup for the Big Ten because it captures the NYC market. They don't, however, have a large following so under a subscription-based model they would not be any help whatsoever.

 

[nddulac]

Some of you guys really don't understand how the economics work in college football now and are stuck in a football/regional mindset.

Or - some people realize that college athletics is about more than just football, and regional conferences just make good economic sense for non-revenue sports.

West Virginia is, of course, the exception that proves the rule.

 

[nddulac]

On the other hand, if I could predict the future, I'd win the lottery every time.

Or just maybe - predicting the future actually alters it . . . a la Heisenberg!

 

[nddulac]

On thing of interest to me is that by not getting a conference network, the Big 12 (and the ACC, although I think they are too stupid to see it) are in a position to innovate the future of how college sports content is delivered. Once upon a time, web-based digital delivery seemed to be the wave of the future, until cable television got involved and crushed it. But now as we watch cable television begin to crumble under its own weight, the digital delivery mechanisms are looking like they will again be lucrative. And lacking a conference network, the Big XII is in a unique (by intelligence) position to explore the possibilities and end up ahead of the curve. The ACC should be in the same boat, but they are too dumb to row it anywhere. (I truly hope I am wrong about that last part.)

 

[GoldRusher]

On thing of interest to me is that by not getting a conference network, the Big 12 (and the ACC, although I think they are too stupid to see it) are in a position to innovate the future of how college sports content is delivered. Once upon a time, web-based digital delivery seemed to be the wave of the future, until cable television got involved and crushed it. But now as we watch cable television begin to crumble under its own weight, the digital delivery mechanisms are looking like they will again be lucrative. And lacking a conference network, the Big XII is in a unique (by intelligence) position to explore the possibilities and end up ahead of the curve. The ACC should be in the same boat, but they are too dumb to row it anywhere. (I truly hope I am wrong about that last part.)

Exactly, the Big12 is NOT going to create a network, "that ship has sailed" quoting David Boren from the other day and he wasn't saying that due to LHN it's because they are just not worth it anymore.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

On thing of interest to me is that by not getting a conference network, the Big 12 (and the ACC, although I think they are too stupid to see it) are in a position to innovate the future of how college sports content is delivered. Once upon a time, web-based digital delivery seemed to be the wave of the future, until cable television got involved and crushed it. But now as we watch cable television begin to crumble under its own weight, the digital delivery mechanisms are looking like they will again be lucrative. And lacking a conference network, the Big XII is in a unique (by intelligence) position to explore the possibilities and end up ahead of the curve. The ACC should be in the same boat, but they are too dumb to row it anywhere. (I truly hope I am wrong about that last part.)

I agree and I don't think too many ACC fans would be the least bit upset if Swofford was forced out. The guy doesn't have a clue. They could easily be at the forefront of digital streaming. I'm sure there would be plenty of companies that would pay big money to deliver the product.

 

[TexasExes98]

If the Big 12 is to be as successful as the B1G and SEC financially, they will have to start a conference network. Since TLH is failing, that's where I'd start. Convert the LHN into a Big 12 Network and negotiate with either ESPN or Fox for majority share. Expansion candidates are slim, but expansion to 12 or 14 would be necessary. Memphis, UCONN, Cincinnati and BYU make sense. If expansion were to stop at 12, I'd go with my first two choices. Not the best in football, but terrific basketball brands.

Somebody had better tell the other 4 schools who have their own networks as well that they need to cancel their 3rd tier rights contracts and prepare to make less money in order for the Big 12 to create a conference network.

 

[Adinfinitum]

Terms are being drawn up with individual schools and a phase in to full share over four to five years. Bowlsby will then proceed to welcome new members into the conference in the coming weeks.

 

[GoldRusher]

Somebody had better tell the other 4 schools who have their own networks as well that they need to cancel their 3rd tier rights contracts and prepare to make less money in order for the Big 12 to create a conference network.

I know right? Talk about people that don't get it.

 

[BullseyeBond]

Hi guys, I'm new to SportsHoopla, IMO, I think the Big 12 should expand, adding 4 schools:

1. UCF Knights - Will have a footprint in the Central Florida region market.
2. Cincinnati Bearcats - a travel partner / true rival for WVU.
3. Memphis Tigers - they have FedEx Corp in their back pocket $$$$$.
4. Colorado State Rams - once again the Big 12 will have a footprint in the Denver market.