FS1 wins part of MWC rights

[Mr. Nielsen]

FOX WINS MOUNTAIN WEST RIGHTS FROM ESPN- Business Journal

Fox Sports has reached an agreement with the Mountain West to carry a package of the conference’s football and basketball games that formerly was held by ESPN. Separately, CBS Sports Network renewed its package of MWC games. My colleague Michael Smith and I are told that the Fox and CBS deals combined will be worth about $35 million annually -- around $20 million from CBS and $15 million from Fox. The length of the deals is not clear yet, but MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson has said that he wanted shorter terms than the 10-year deals the MWC had previously. The games in the Fox package are expected to run primarily on FS1.

The new Fox and CBS contracts, which will go into effect July 1, provide the conference’s 10 schools -- not including Hawaii and Boise State, which have separate arrangements -- with a significant revenue lift. Under the old contracts, those 10 schools made $1.1 million per year, per school. That per-school figure should jump to about $3 million or more. The league’s media deals are complicated because Boise State’s home games are negotiated separately from the rest of the conference. In the previous arrangement, Boise was paid a $1.8 million annual bonus, a deal negotiated in 2012 when the school jumped to the Big East and then quickly returned. Thompson has said that Boise will continue to receive a bonus above what other MWC schools get as an incentive to keep the Broncos in the league. Hawaii also has a separate deal, as it is a football-only member of the MWC.

Fox is now in business with five FBS conferences -- the MWC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big East. The network also is believed to be in the running for the SEC’s package of 15 football games that CBS currently has. Even though Fox won the bidding, ESPN will continue to have a bowl relationship with the Mountain West and work with the league on playing in the early-season basketball tournaments. The MWC worked with Wasserman as an adviser on the deal.
 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I remember watching the MWC on Twitter last year. That still a thing?

[Galway Eagle]

Remember when this conference was almost a major conference? Unlv was still good SDSU was on top. New Mexico was ok and so on

[Mr. Nielsen]

I've enjoyed the MWC. Basketball side has some strong home courts when rolling. New Mexico, Nevada, San Diego State, UNLV.

Football side is doing way better than the basketball side of things. Boise State, Air Force, Utah State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Wyoming, Hawaii.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Regular Season MWC vs other conferences

Power 5 Conferences
ACC   1–1
Big Ten   1–2
Big 12   0–0
Pac-12   4–4
BYU/Notre Dame   1–3
SEC   3–2
Power 5 Total   10–12

Other FBS Conferences   
American   0–3
C-USA   2–1
Independents (Excluding BYU and Notre Dame)   6–1
MAC   0–1
Sun Belt   1–1
Other FBS Total   9–7

[Mr. Nielsen]

The Mountain West Conference has finalized new media agreements with CBS Sports and Fox Sports that will pay the conference $270M over six years. The $45M per-year.

• FOX Networks:
• MW Football Championship Game on FOX or FS1. Game can be played Friday or Saturday.
• 16-23 regular-season games.
• Minimum of seven (7) games annually on FOX or FS1.
• Maximum of five (5) Friday windows, not including special dates.
• Rights to all Boise State home games.
• 16-32 regular-season games men's basketball games
• Minimum of 12 basketball games annually on FOX or FS1. All remaining games on FS1 or FS2.

Great to have the MWC join the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Big East programing on FOX and FS1.

[Cheeks]

ESPN will "no longer broadcast Boise State football home games" under the Mountain West Conference's new TV rights deal with CBS and Fox, according to Ron Counts of the IDAHO STATESMAN. Beginning in the '20 season, CBS Sports will have the rights to BSU away games, and Fox will "own the rights to the Broncos' home games." Those games could be aired on CBS, Fox, CBS Sports Net, FS1 or FS2. The "allure of ESPN played a role in not only keeping Boise State" in the MWC, but also "building its national brand." Boise State football has appeared on an ESPN affiliate 119 times since '99, but the team "likely won't be on ESPN at least until a potential bowl game" in '20. The shift away from ESPN "comes with significant risk in terms of viewership." Only five regular-season games on FS1 drew 1 million viewers in '19, "compared to 66 on ESPN or its related cable channels." But the conference's new deal will be "lucrative." MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson said that the six-year deal is worth $270M. He added that Boise State will "continue to receive the same additional revenue it received in the previous deal" (IDAHO STATESMAN, 1/10). Fox Sports already has pegged FSU-Boise State for the net's "Big Noon Saturday" window on Sept. 19. That means a 10:00am MT kickoff on the signature blue turf. Fox Sports President Mark Silverman said, "We're strongly considering that game for a unique 10am kickoff" (Michael Smith, SBJ College).

GAME DISTRIBUTION: The AP's Pat Graham noted the new rights deal includes football and men's basketball, and will begin in '20-21 and run through the '25-26 season. Additional "third-tier rights" are still "in negotiation." The new deal marks the "inaugural arrangement between the league and Fox, which will show the conference's football championship game," though CBS Sports "remains the primary television rights holder." CBS' annual football deal will include 23 games on CBS or CBSSN, with a "minimum of three games annually for CBS," with 10 additional games available for the net. CBS also "receives the first seven picks of conference-controlled games." Fox will show the football championship game on "either Fox or FS1 and it will be played either on a Friday or Saturday." On the basketball side, CBS nets will show the men's basketball championship game on CBS, and another 32 games will be shown on CBS or CBSSN. The net also receives the "first 12 picks of league-controlled games and then alternates with Fox" (AP, 1/9).

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE: In Colorado, Kelly Lyell notes no MWC football games will kick off before 11:00am or after 8:00pm local time under the new deal. Under the previous deal with ESPN and CBS, games could "start as late" as 8:35pm. Thompson said that there are "no restrictions on the number of night-time football games a school might play in a single season," though each of the networks are "limited to a maximum of five Friday night broadcasts each season." Thompson added basketball games still can "tip off as late as" 9:00pm local time (Ft. Collins COLORADOAN, 1/10). In Idaho, John Wustrow notes Boise State road games against MWC opponents in the Pacific time zone "could still have a later start time," but home games will "start a little earlier." Boise State AD Curt Apsey said, "That's something we battled for and during the course of this contract we've really tried to do the best we can for our fans. Hopefully that helps, it's a 30- or 45-minute difference, but I think that's a big deal" (IDAHO PRESS-TRIBUNE, 1/10).

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME: Thompson said that six years was the "maximum the league was willing to go given the ever-changing media landscape." He added, "The bottom line is eight, nine or 10 years, we just could not justify because of the changes potentially we'll see in the marketplace and the other rights fees that are going to open up in the next five or six years" (CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE, 1/10).