What is ESPN up to?

[couch 'em]

Saves the big 12, gives BYU an awesome deal that couldn't possibly be worth it for ESPN, tries to get a deal worked out for MWC/CUSA shared BCS bid....... what are they up to?

[cutter]

gives BYU an awesome deal that couldn't possibly be worth it for ESPN..... what are they up to?

okay......I'm bored--- that's my caveat.

so.......this one really is in the conspiracy bucket.
espn is owned by disney, right? some have speculated a disney-mormon connection. so....... byu delivered to espn, or vice versa. ta-da!
http://disneybooks.blogspot.com/2008/03 ... -from.html



yeah, I'm bored......did I say that?

[smupony94]

I don't believe anything I read on the internet

[ponyte]

Conference realignment means an uncertain market. ESPN may well be trying to insure a stable market in the future.

It is difficult for a network to plan for the future if there is such instability. THE BSC was formed with long term TV commitment. ABC didn't want to have an unstable marketplace with so much at risk.

By locking in certain conferences, teams and so forth, ESPN at least has some stability in its programming and can plan based on that foundation.

Conference realignment may create the down fall of college popularity as we know it today. By introducing so much instability, conferences run the risk of losing fans and fan following.

Markets hate an uncertain future and instability and realignment introduces both those elements into college football now.

[Nacho]

maybe they are trying to please orin hatch.

wasn't walt disney a quaker?

[MustangStealth]

Saves the big 12, gives BYU an awesome deal that couldn't possibly be worth it for ESPN, tries to get a deal worked out for MWC/CUSA shared BCS bid....... what are they up to?

Some theories...

For BYU - Possibly they are pumping up the TV deal so that they can go back to the Big 12 and say "Look how much TV value BYU would bring". ESPN seems to have an interest in keeping the Big 12 alive, probably because they like the way they can currently have regional broadcasts to maximize ratings (and ad revenue). This could be a short term play to use BYU as bait.

As for the MWC/CUSA deal - ESPN loves to build drama, and they are good at it. Look at WSOP, LLWS, Big 10/ACC challenge, etc. This could be just another "ESPN event" that they could hype up. A "Best of the Rest Showdown" or something. Once they own the rights to something, they build a product out of it.

[FinallyADefense]

Saves the big 12, gives BYU an awesome deal that couldn't possibly be worth it for ESPN, tries to get a deal worked out for MWC/CUSA shared BCS bid....... what are they up to?

BYU brings more than you think. There is a HUGE BYU following in this country, based mainly on all of the Mormons.

It's a good deal to get them on TV as much as possible, and one reason I wished Beebe (sorry, I know his name is cursed here) should invite them into the Big12.

[MustangStealth]

Another point is that the BYU deal includes Thursday and Friday games. BYU vs anybody will probably get better ratings than the MAC game of the week. Plus they have some big names already locked in for the next few years, and they should have no problem keeping up 1-2 big name home games per year for ESPN purposes.

[Nacho]

i think ut is paying attention.

[EastStang]

ESPN wanted to filet the MWC to put Comcast/Versus/CBSC in their places. Now that the MWC is floundering, it can swoop in and look like a savior, since the old MWC media partners will probably dump them in 2011 due to the fact that there's a big donut hole called Utah and will attempt to set up a deal which allows them first choice (as it is with CUSA) to any game and to fix a 5th bowl game for the BCS.

[Alaric]

i think ut is paying attention.

They're sure as hell not paying Tech