Monday, December 29, 2014
Big Ten Overlord Thinks New TV Deal Could Net Each School $50 Million a Year
Big Ten Overlord Thinks New TV Deal Could Net Each School $50 Million a Year
ESPN low-balled Jim Delany during TV rights negotiations in 2009 and dared him to roll the dice. In what will forever go down as one of the bossiest lines uttered in Big Ten history, the reigning Big Ten commissioner reportedly replied, "Consider them rolled," before I assume chugging two Budweisers Stone Cold Steve Austin-style while heading for the door.
ESPN, however, would rue the day.
Delany reached out to Fox and created the groundbreaking Big Ten Network, which has the conference positioned in a foothold of strength during a tumultuous time of conference realignment. Its current deal, which expires after the 2017-2018 season, is reportedly expected to pay each member school $44.5 million in that final year.
And with another round of TV negotiations on deck here in the near future, Jim Delany reportedly thinks the price on the Big Ten brick aught to be a little higher.
With Fox and ESPN fighting tooth and nail for one of the most successful franchises in the sport, it won't surprise me when the final number eclipses $50 million per year. The Big Ten East, after all, has a bevy of Top 15 coaches in Meyer, Harbaugh, Dantonio, and Franklin.
And while the Big Ten might not be the best football conference, it's a straight bully in negotiations; that much is known.
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Here's the thing: the BTN card has already been played. It's fully monetized. There is no second ace up Delaney's sleeve. He'll get whatever Big Ten football is worth (hint: a lot less than $50M/year!). Big Ten fans are as bad as SEC fans with the whole "my contract is bigger than yours" stuff.. they've ALWAYS had more money, and maybe always will. That doesn't mean their brand of football is better, or even as good. [/rant]
ReplyDeleteNo, but money matters, and the gap is about to get huge with conf network money coming for SEC/B1G/Pac 12, but none for ACC. Some play this off as money differences aren't changing....they are...the gap is about to grow.
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