We could be on NBC!!

[Dreadman24]

Big East is currently in negotiations to sign a new tv deal with NBC/COMCAST sports. How exciting is that!!!


http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8554125/big-east-negotiate-networks-other-espn-new-tv-deal-according-sources

[GGGG]

Uh...yay????

[Dreadman24]

Uh...yay????

Clearly I was being sarcastic..

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

This reminded me of another thing Larry Williams mentioned yesterday. 

He said the previous Big East administration was mom & pop shop operation and it's a whole new ballgame with Aresco. 

[GGGG]

This reminded me of another thing Larry Williams mentioned yesterday. 

He said the previous Big East administration was mom & pop shop operation and it's a whole new ballgame with Aresco. 

Well we will see.  If he can't get a better deal than the one Marinatto negotiated with ESPN, which the Presidents rejected, then there will be a lot of questions not necessarily about Aresco, but about the schools micromanaging conference management.

[bradley center bat]

I said this before, look for a deal with more than one network. ESPN/NBC or ESPN/FOX. (I hope this happens!)

ESPN, wants to keep the Big East basketball tourney.

[79Warrior]

Well we will see.  If he can't get a better deal than the one Marinatto negotiated with ESPN, which the Presidents rejected, then there will be a lot of questions not necessarily about Aresco, but about the schools micromanaging conference management.

Yep. The BE Presidents screwed the pooch on that one. It was a good deal.

[4everwarriors]

Makes perfect sense. ND football is on NBC. Thanks Lar.

[Tugg Speedman]

ND is leaving the BE, why does this make sense?

[Dr. Blackheart]

Would the BE make more money suing ESPN?   

[GGGG]

ND is leaving the BE, why does this make sense?

Pros:

**NBC is looking to add to its college football product that they can pair with Notre Dame.  (It is now the only major network not to have a game on every week.)  

**NBC Sports Network is in desperate need to add to its programming.  Its viewership is awful, and they may be willing to overpay simply to have more top flight programming, especially during mid-week in winter.


Cons:

**NBC has a history of not overpaying for sports rights, and ESPN may not be all that interested in the Big East any longer.  The Big East might not have enough leverage to get $$$.

**Even if they get more money than they would have on ESPN, is putting their product on a poorly watched network worth it in the long run?  Is this like the 80s when the NHL moved to SportsChannel for more money...and no one watched?  (Ironic that NBC was one of the major SportsChannel partners.)  The major difference here is that NBC Sports is on most major cable systems while SportsChannel was regional.

[brewcity77]

Yep. The BE Presidents screwed the pooch on that one. It was a good deal.

Pitt was a major reason for that deal not getting done. That's why they're at the top of my hate list in terms of teams abandoning the Big East. Not only are they bailing for more money, but they're the reason the rest of us aren't getting comparable dollars.

I'd be fine with NBC, and would advise anyone reading this article to consider the source. It is written through extremely anti-Big East colored glasses. Since the Big East turned ESPN down, they have done everything in their power to destroy our conference, from advising rival conferences on which teams to poach to trying to denigrate Big East football by saying there's a Big 5 in conference powers despite the Big East having a stronger BCS presence than their pet ACC, to writing articles like this and having their talking heads (like Golic) get up on the soapbox to talk about how much the Big East sucks.

They are like petulant children, but unfortunately, petulant children with a TON of power. Still, just because they're writing articles like this that basically say "Nyah, nyah, you're all idiots!" doesn't mean there's any credibility to it. In my opinion, this article has less than zero credibility (and yes, I do mean negative, not that it's simply to be disregarded).

[honkytonk]

Pitt was a major reason for that deal not getting done. That's why they're at the top of my hate list in terms of teams abandoning the Big East. Not only are they bailing for more money, but they're the reason the rest of us aren't getting comparable dollars.

Did it take a majority vote to decline the last espn offer? Aside from Pitt, I'm pretty sure you can also hate Rutgers, ND, SHU and WVU. Obviously there were others, but I believe comments from different coaches and ADs have definitely pointed to these schools at a minimum.

edit: I read that Tagliabue advised GU to vote against it.

[GGGG]

brew, only time is going to tell which one of us is correct, but I think the Big East screwed up royally here...and that when the new contract numbers are out, it will be south of the $13.8M that full members, and $2.43M that basketball members, were slated to get.

[bradley center bat]

I'll be correct! It's going to be a split network deal. 

[brewcity77]

Pitt's Chancellor Mark Nordenberg was not only one of the most vocal critics of Boston College when they left for the ACC, he also reportedly led the charge to turn down the ESPN deal.

And Sultan, I'm not saying we might not regret that. What I'm saying is that reading ESPN articles on this subject isn't like swallowing the poison pill, it's like going for a swim through the vats at the poison pill factory. They are not neutral and are not writing with any sense of journalistic integrity. Their continued bashing of the league while essentially ordering the ACC and Big 12 to take teams from the Big East (per the BC AD's own words and an article in an Oklahoma newspaper) demonstrates their lack of objectivity regarding this topic.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I said this before, look for a deal with more than one network. ESPN/NBC or ESPN/FOX. (I hope this happens!)

ESPN, wants to keep the Big East basketball tourney.

Actually Larry Williams mentioned this also.  Something along the lines of the TV contract could be across multiple channels.

[MUfan12]

Not sure what effect it will have here, but NBC-Universal reportedly bid $83 million for Premier League rights from 2013-16.

[cheebs09]

ESPN and Fox just dropped out of the bidding for EPL (English Soccer) and NBC is supposed to be the favorite. Supposedly, they are offering 3 times what Fox is currently paying. I think this would raise NBC's profile and shows NBC is aggressive in getting programming.
                  

[bradley center bat]

Actually Larry Williams mentioned this also.  Something along the lines of the TV contract could be across multiple channels.

I heard it on the Tim Brando Show & Paul Finebaum. TV guests that are on their shows.

[BrewCity83]

Well, one good reason to hope that ESPN gets part of the new BE deal is that would cause them to stop bashing the BE.  At least you would think.

[77ncaachamps]

If it means that more of Wisconsin can see the Blue and Gold, im all for it.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Clearly I was being sarcastic..

NBC will bring the $$$$. Split deal with ESPN.

[79Warrior]

NBC will bring the $$$$. Split deal with ESPN.

Split deal will not happen.

[karavotsos]

I'm only OK with this if Bud Collins and Mary Carillo are doing the games.