CBS SPORTS REACHES MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT TO AIR BIG EAST

[Mr. Nielsen]

CBS is going to broadcast 20 men's basketball Big East games per season through 2024-'25. At least two appearances for each team. Up to four games on CBS per season, rest on CBSSN.

https://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-sports/releases/view?id=52629

[GooooMarquette]

So much for hoops-first conferences not being able to compete with the big state schools.

Val was an A+ hire for the BE.

[jficke13]

Uh... 4 games on the real network, 16 buried on the milk carton that is CBS Sports Net, I'm not sure I see this as wonderful news.

[Coleman]

Eh. It is good news I guess, as long as games aren't moving from FS1/FS2 to CBSSSN, and these are all games that otherwise wouldn't be aired beyond regional networks.

FS1 (84 million households) is way more prevalent in cable packages than CBSSN (61 million households). I believe FS2 and CBSSN have about the same reach. I do not get CBSSN in my package, but I get FS1 and FS2.

Games on the big CBS would definitely be good news. But "up to" 4 per season doesn't mean much. Just means they have the rights to air them. Doesn't mean they will. Could just be a defensive play to keep FOX from airing them.

I'm also curious about the financials of the deal.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Uh... 4 games on the real network, 16 buried on the milk carton that is CBS Sports Net, I'm not sure I see this as wonderful news.

Playing on a different networks gets other national media to cover your product.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Eh. It is good news I guess, as long as games aren't moving from FS1/FS2 to CBSSSN, and these are all games that otherwise wouldn't be aired beyond regional networks.

FS1 and FS2 are way more prevalent in cable packages than CBSSN. I do not get CBSSN in my package, but I get FS1 and FS2.

Games on the big CBS would definitely be good news. But "up to" 4 per season doesn't mean much. Just means they have the rights to air them. Doesn't mean they will. Could just be a defensive play to keep FOX from airing them.

CBSSN is much higher profile than FS2. Get CBSSN, that's on you! Great network!
Game on what networks always come out when the schedule comes out. So, things don't switch. Last, CBS has aired 2 games in the past. Now, it's 4. So, yes, that is a great thing!!

[Coleman]

CBSSN is much higher profile than FS2.

Eh. I don't think so. I think the national hierarchy in terms of reach and prestige (not including regional sports networks) is kinda like this

ESPN (first tier)
ESPN2 - FS1 (second tier)
FS2 - CBSSN (third tier)


I'm not saying what I like best. I hate ESPN. But this is reality.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Eh. I don't think so.

What has FS2 shown that has been higher profiles than CBSSN?

[The Sultan]

Playing on a different networks gets other national media to cover your product.

I don't think that matters much in this day and age.

Anyway, it's not bad news in the least.

[Mr. Nielsen]

I don't think that matters much in this day and age.

For how much I watch and how many hours of Sirius XM I listen to. Trust me, it's matters! I will not debate how much. People can have their own thoughts on that.

[The Sultan]

For how much I watch and how many hours of Sirius XM I listen to. Trust me, it's matters! I will not debate how much. People can have their own thoughts on that.

My point is that I don't think national media coverage matters very much. If you win, you're covered.

[Mr. Nielsen]

My point is that I don't think national media coverage matters very much. If you win, you're covered.

See, I don't think that is true. It should be!

[GB Warrior]

Guess this just means more games that I'll be scouring the depths of Reddit to find a stream. Not good news.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Guess this just means more games that I'll be scouring the depths of Reddit to find a stream. Not good news.

News is fine. Just get the network. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

So the Big East will have games aired on both the FOX and CBS mother-ship stations.  Nice!

[Heisenberg]

Man you guys are old  ... the thinking in this thread is so dated it is embarrassing.

See the Cubs in Chicago, are they second class?  This season their games can be found on CSN, CSN+, WGN, WLS, Fox, ESPN and ESPN2.

Is the NCAA championship second class?  It is on TNT.

Welcome to 2019 where your games are on any one of 12 different channel.

Go see cord cutting thread on the superbar. All the "top tier" channels are collapsing as subscribers leave by the millions. Cable is entering its last years before it goes away and replaced by streaming. In the future the top tier will be the FAANGS (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix or Google).

Enjoy your warm milk and make sure your depends are on tight.

[Coleman]

Man you guys are old  ... the thinking in this thread is so dated it is embarrassing.

See the Cubs in Chicago, are they second class?  This season their games can be found on CSN, CSN+, WGN, WLS, Fox, ESPN and ESPN2.

Is the NCAA championship second class?  It is on TNT.

Welcome to 2019 where your games are on any one of 12 different channel.

Go see cord cutting thread on the superbar. All the "top tier" channels are collapsing as subscribers leave by the millions. Cable is entering its last years before it goes away and replaced by streaming. In the future the top tier will be the FAANGS (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix or Google).

Enjoy your warm milk and make sure your depends are on tight.

1. Regional sports networks are a different breed.
2. TNT is not a sports network.

[Boozemon Barro]

More Pete Gillen is a bad thing.

[Heisenberg]

1. Regional sports networks are a different breed.
2. TNT is not a sports network.

And the national sports networks are bleeding subscribers are dying.  Using appearances on these dinosaurs as a way to say your conference matters really says you are old and out of touch.

[Coleman]

And the national sports networks are bleeding subscribers are dying.  Using appearances on these dinosaurs as a way to say your conference matters really says you are old and out of touch.

Ok, lol

[Herman Cain]

CBS is going to broadcast 20 men's basketball Big East games per season through 2024-'25. At least two appearances for each team. Up to four games on CBS per season, rest on CBSSN.

https://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-sports/releases/view?id=52629

That is excellent news. Increases Big East exposure on the Broadcast Network and keeps us on a good platform with solid production values for the other games. On the nights the league has multiple games this relationship is very helpful.

[NCMUFan]

If I recall, MU played two games on CBSSN last year that were good games.
Don't know if this had anything to do with the CBS contract.  But it appears they believe the Big East is high quality basketball.

[The Sultan]

If I recall, MU played two games on CBSSN last year that were good games.
Don't know if this had anything to do with the CBS contract.  But it appears they believe the Big East is high quality basketball.

Better than the old BE days when we had numerous games on ESPN3

[dgies9156]

Look, a lot depends on how good the Big East is and how appealing the match-ups will be.

A Butler/DePaul game from last year won't make CBS no matter what. Period. That a CBSSN-18000 game that's only marginally better than a Wyoming High School game.

If we have four or five teams in the Top 40 (i.e., Marquette, Villanova, St. John's, Seton Hall and  Georgetown), most of which are in attractive television markets, we'll be fine and it will be a great deal.

[Cheeks]

And the national sports networks are bleeding subscribers are dying.  Using appearances on these dinosaurs as a way to say your conference matters really says you are old and out of touch.

You may want to read Disney's earnings call from yesterday.