yikes. FSU fan base just refused to see, was unable to see this was coming. This blog has alerted for years. This gets worse if competing in any sport at elite levels matters. A $40 million a year revenue gap with EACH school competing for titles gets more and more lopsided every year. Sadly, FSU leadership and it's fan base slept through these decisions (signing GOR for decades, horrible TV contract), REFUSED TO QUESTION FSU LEADERSHIP OR ACC LEADERSHIP, and now it's like watching a car crash in slow motion.
The life cycles of realignment have long been attached to the impending expiration of television contracts. As conferences approach new deals, history has shown that adding universities translates to additional inventory and dollars. Will that still be the case in an age where media is increasingly more fragmented?
The Big Ten’s TV deal is set to expire after the 2022-23 season, the Pac-12’s after the 2023-24 season and the Big 12’s after the 2024-25 season. That means that the Big Ten begins dabbling in the television market as soon as this calendar year. If any of those leagues had interest in expanding, the exploration would have either already begun or will start soon.
Perhaps more relevant to the prospect of a significant shakeup is the ACC’s untenable television deal that new commissioner Jim Phillips inherits. The ACC is locked up through 2035-36, and the fixed income of that contract essentially puts the league in cement financial shoes as its peers are poised to distance themselves from the ACC financially.
Can a creative and dynamic solution arise — like the addition of new big-brand partners — to prompt a new deal? It’s tricky, as ESPN didn’t become a worldwide conglomerate by ripping up deals that are tilted significantly in its favor.
No comments:
Post a Comment