[Paint Touches] Bleak ratings outlook for Big East and FOX Sports 1

[GGGG]

Keefe: you should be reading the tea leaves. When the PC preachers like Costas, Wilbon, etc. get on the football needs to be legislated for violence kick, and Goodell putting skirts on the QB's, and college administrators being even more PC than Costas, the inevitable collapse of football is out there within the next decade. Then they need to go after NASCAR--how about those terrible crashes and lack of female drivers? And finally thoroughbred horse racing: after all think of the cruelty to those horses.

Lol...no.

And no one really listens to Costas or Wilbon anyway.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm only worried that I won't be able to watch streaming games like I could these last couple of years on ESPN3. I hope like heck Fox will have an equivalent because I've gotten really spoiled!

I've spent the last few days here in Vegas with them....good meetings and fun times.

You will get streaming.  They are launching an app in August called Fox Sports Go which will aggregate Fox Sports One, Fox Sports Two, their Fox RSNs, etc, etc into one app.  All based on authentication of what channels you subscribe to with your pay television subscription.  Streaming will be available in home and out of home.

Now, I can't emphasize this enough....in my opinion based on working the room with folks from Cablevision, Time Warner, Dish, Comcast, Charter, Fios, Uverse, etc, etc.....not everyone has a deal yet and there ar some complex issues that go into it.  Do I think deals will be done?  Most likely, but they may not all happen in August and you may see some delay until next year when they get their MLB content.  Just a guess, but we will see how it shakes out in the coming months. 

I was thrilled to see their branding and marketing approach...the Big East will benefit quite nicely.  They have the absolute best working on this stuff which is great to see.

[Aughnanure]

With RCN, I'm guessing I may have to switch my cable provider this fall.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I've spent the last few days here in Vegas with them....good meetings and fun times.

You will get streaming.  They are launching an app in August called Fox Sports Go which will aggregate Fox Sports One, Fox Sports Two, their Fox RSNs, etc, etc into one app.  All based on authentication of what channels you subscribe to with your pay television subscription.  Streaming will be available in home and out of home.

Now, I can't emphasize this enough....in my opinion based on working the room with folks from Cablevision, Time Warner, Dish, Comcast, Charter, Fios, Uverse, etc, etc.....not everyone has a deal yet and there ar some complex issues that go into it.  Do I think deals will be done?  Most likely, but they may not all happen in August and you may see some delay until next year when they get their MLB content.  Just a guess, but we will see how it shakes out in the coming months. 

I was thrilled to see their branding and marketing approach...the Big East will benefit quite nicely.  They have the absolute best working on this stuff which is great to see.

As long as they work it out before our first game.

[keefe]

I've spent the last few days here in Vegas with them....good meetings and fun times.

You will get streaming.  They are launching an app in August called Fox Sports Go which will aggregate Fox Sports One, Fox Sports Two, their Fox RSNs, etc, etc into one app.  All based on authentication of what channels you subscribe to with your pay television subscription.  Streaming will be available in home and out of home.

The magic that is Scoop in action!

[ChicosBailBonds]

Big East basketball night will be Thursday night and possibly another night. 

[Nukem2]

Big East basketball night will be Thursday night and possibly another night. 

Is that just a featured nite or will the BE be playing a Thursday / Saturday schedule, for example...?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Is that just a featured nite or will the BE be playing a Thursday / Saturday schedule, for example...?

Featured night like it was Monday night on ESPN.  That's about what I know thus far, all still developing..

[PaintTouches]

Where does the Big East fit on the schedule?

"In general, Big East basketball will be concentrated on Monday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings. We only have 24 Golden Boy fights and some are expected to move to Tuesdays during college basketball season." -Fox Sports Media Group co-presidents and COOs Randy Freer and Eric Shanks

http://www.multichannel.com/cable-tv-conventions/qa-fox-sports-1-execs-gear-rollout/143862

[ChicosBailBonds]

Where does the Big East fit on the schedule?

"In general, Big East basketball will be concentrated on Monday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings. We only have 24 Golden Boy fights and some are expected to move to Tuesdays during college basketball season." -Fox Sports Media Group co-presidents and COOs Randy Freer and Eric Shanks

http://www.multichannel.com/cable-tv-conventions/qa-fox-sports-1-execs-gear-rollout/143862

Yesterday, there was no mention of Mondays at all.  Weekends, yes, but it wasn't concrete on the schedule.  Basically they were laying out at a high level what was going to be on consistently on what days.  130 games in all, though some of them are Pac-12 and C-USA...they couldn't break down the number of Big East games for me, but they said they will get back to me.  They thought close to 100.  Big East Tournament, obviously, will also be on Fox Sports One.

Had the good fortune to dine with someone that will be the "voice" of the games.  He was quite entertaining along with a few other Fox celebs.  They're definitely excited about the product and will help to push the Big East brand quite a bit.

[ahovestol]

Not everyone is going to carry Fox Sports One in the first year, which will only dilute those numbers even more.

Maybe, maybe not. One of the big reasons Fox is flipping Speed Channel over to Fox Sports 1 is the 81 million subscriber base, which could ensure a relatively strong level of accessibility right from the get-go.

The key is going to be how negotiations between News Corp (the parent company that owns all Fox networks) and television providers goes, specifically in terms of sub fees which take the form of a dollar amount per subscriber paid from the provider to the network.  With Fox Sports

[ChicosBailBonds]

Maybe, maybe not. One of the big reasons Fox is flipping Speed Channel over to Fox Sports 1 is the 81 million subscriber base, which could ensure a relatively strong level of accessibility right from the get-go.

The key is going to be how negotiations between News Corp (the parent company that owns all Fox networks) and television providers goes, specifically in terms of sub fees which take the form of a dollar amount per subscriber paid from the provider to the network.  With Fox Sports

Actually, that's the rub.  Fox can't just "flip it over" and say here's our new channel that will be rebranded to FS One, and oh by the way the cost is different, etc, etc.  It's central to the issue, especially since some services have Speed and their contracts read that Fox can't do that, while other services do not have Speed at all which means it is a brand new channel launch.  Fun times.

[TheTulsaWarrior]

Hasn't Fox followed a set model with start up or re-packed channels practically giving away the product to get exposure?  I seem to remember that the Fox News start of contracts were almost giveaways to to the cable companies.

The game is get exposure and numbers and when renewal comes up get your money from the cable and satellite providers.

[LloydMooresLegs]

Chicos, thanks for all the information; please keep it coming.

[Marqevans]

What channels are these Fox broadcasts going to be on in Chicago if I have Comcast.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Hasn't Fox followed a set model with start up or re-packed channels practically giving away the product to get exposure?  I seem to remember that the Fox News start of contracts were almost giveaways to to the cable companies.

The game is get exposure and numbers and when renewal comes up get your money from the cable and satellite providers.

No set model really, each is different.  With Fox News the cost to produce that channel, especially at launch, was not that expensive.  With all the rights Fox has spent already on sports properties, they can't give it away as they will lose their butt. 

Fun times