Big East TV Deal Updates

[cpawstoney]

The Big East commissioner made the case Friday that football -- a presumed weak suit for the league -- doesn't have to rule the day. He insisted the basketball and a "bright football future" offer staying power -- something that ESPN or some other network will pony up big bucks for.

"People have said, well, football seems to drive everything in conferences these days," Aresco said at a downtown luncheon set up by DePaul as sort of a welcome-to-the-league event.

"I take issue with that. That's not true. It's true in some conferences, because their basketball isn’t very good. it's just not central to what they do. Big East basketball is legendary. Big East basketball commands some of the most important markets that there are in the country. Big East basketball has a resonance, has an intensity that no other basketball has."

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...etball-schools

[cpawstoney]

ESPN 60-day exclusivity running out

Looks like a deal isn't going to be done before the 60 day window runs out. The Big East wants to test the water:

Big East shopping for new TV deal

The Big East will not agree to a media rights deal with ESPN before the end of next week's 60-day exclusivity window, allowing the conference to negotiate with other networks, according to league sources.


The Big East now will be free to negotiate its media rights deal with other networks, specifically NBC Sports Network/Comcast, which has shown the most interest in the league, and Fox.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ording-sources

The Big East Conference is searching for new TV deal

The Big East Conference could be switching networks.

ESPN has a 60-day exclusivity window to reach a new deal with the Big East (which ends next week), however the basketball-heavy conference is not going to do so. Rather the Big East will wait to negotiate its television rights with several other networks, including NBC Sports Network and FOX.

A return to ESPN is not being ruled out, according to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy. The Big East is attempting to up its value by adding other suitors, league sources told ESPN.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspor...r-new-tv-deal/

[Lobot]

AA

Alex Hoffman and I caught Andrea Adelson tweeting for the ACC game on TH night between Miami and VT. Anyone think that's not a coincidence? She blamed a Tweetdeck malfunction.

[swilsonsp4]

These columns are lengthy, but contain an interesting perspective regarding how the BE should approach a new TV deal and further expansion. I doubt that Mike Aresco will take the author up on any of this, though. The primary point of these entries is to argue for much larger expansion, then start the TV negotiations.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1349879-big-east-in-the-post-bcs-world1-how-much-are-their-sports-worth

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1343618-big-east-in-the-post-bcs-world2-is-the-current-big-east-plan-shortsighted

The third installment (of four) should be out in a day or two.

[Lobot]

Mcmurphy, now at Espin, Has tweeted that according to his sources the 7th championship bowl is dead.

[RedRocker]

Mcmurphy, now at Espin, Has tweeted that according to his sources the 7th championship bowl is dead.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8611394/six-bowl-limit-recommended-national-semifinals-rotation-sources-said