Answers to questions about the Big East

Cerebus · December 13, 2012

Maybe there isn't a bubble but the constriction of supply of the highly valued contracts is what is causing part of the run-up.

I agree with you, but that is in effect what we have now. In the future the power conferences will continue to command much more money than the others.

Also don't forget that the demand side is going up. Maybe netflix or Amazon decide they want to get into the sports streaming game. Some one will.

Arkstfan · December 13, 2012

I agree with you, but that is in effect what we have now. In the future the power conferences will continue to command much more money than the others.
Also don't forget that the demand side is going up. Maybe netflix or Amazon decide they want to get into the sports streaming game. Some one will.

But the number of viewers is essentially static. Remember the most watched "regular season" game this year was the SEC title game drawing a 9.8 rating or 16.8 million viewers. The all-time record was a 21.7 rating for USC-Texas for the BCS championship.

On a typical Saturday 80% of the nation isn't watching college football.

Cerebus · December 13, 2012

But the number of viewers is essentially static. Remember the most watched "regular season" game this year was the SEC title game drawing a 9.8 rating or 16.8 million viewers. The all-time record was a 21.7 rating for USC-Texas for the BCS championship.
On a typical Saturday 80% of the nation isn't watching college football.

Your are right, but that is true of every possible viewship market. It's not the days of three broadcast channels anymore, or even the days of 100 cable channels. New mediums take up a lot of people time, video games make more money than hollywood films do.

College football delivers what is today a huge percentage of the market. What else besides other sports can consistently bring in large numbers of viewers every year?

Arkstfan · December 13, 2012

The most recent new episode Big Bang Theory drew as many viewers as the most watched college football game this year.

VideoEagle · December 13, 2012

The most recent new episode Big Bang Theory drew as many viewers as the most watched college football game this year.

Even the NFL isn't a guaranteed draw. There is a reason ABC moved Monday Night Football to ESPN.

Arkstfan · December 13, 2012

Everyone is assuming the conference as economic engine is the model that works best. It is a 20 year old model dating back to the SEC title game in 1992 and the final death of the CFA TV deal after the 1995 season with each league cutting its own deal. The death of the SWC happened as the CFA deal died. The WAC grew from 10 to 16 to try to preserve viability as they cut their own TV deal without the CFA. The WAC16 failed to deliver and it spawned the MWC. The Big XII and formation of CUSA were direct responses to the CFA TV deal dying as the SEC pulled out. Everything that has happened since is reactionary to the conference becoming the economic engine. But what if the model changes? The dollars don't have to decrease for catastrophic effects, just how the dollars are collected. In a subscriber based world, does it make sense for Texas who would represent probably 1/3rd of all Big XII TV subscribers to take 1/10th? Does it make sense for Kansas to get 1/10th when Kansas might provide 1/15th of the subscribers? If a subscriber system emerges in a strong way, what reason is there for the conference to be an economic unit? The conference can go back to what it was first designed to be. A framework for scheduling, someone to handle assignment of officials, someone to keep stats and announce awards.