Conference Realignment Board

Joined: 10/07/1999 Posts: 1962
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There are a couple of interesting notes to follow on this one...

First - this is a VERY big deal and is a kick to the Big 10 wallet. The fact that Comcast is removing BTN from out-of-footprint areas will result in a significant sub count loss and I have tried to explain to everyone here how much money that will cost them. Budgets will take a hit. If any of the other MVPDs follow suit - Charter, Cox, Direct, Dish then the Big 10 will have a serious budget problem.

I look for Fox to try to sure up agreements with the other carriers to ensure that this bleeding stops and we may see the expansion derby start up again. If you are the Big 10, would you not want to pull in a state like Texas for Comcast subscribers? Just a thought...

The next set of stories that this board will focus on will be the carriage battles. The ACC Network is about 15 months from launch so carriage will become a big deal.

Here is one very interesting tidbit. Disney recently purchased all of the RSNs from Fox that were Fox owned. This impacts a lot of markets around the country. My guess is that with the ownership change, you will see Disney position the new ESPN-managed RSNs, ACCN, SECN, and ESPN channels along with all of the Disney properties into a comprehensive carriage agreement. No system is going to kill an RSN, unless you are DirecTV in Los Angeles, and nobody is going to kill any Disney programming. When I was in the "business" I can tell you that Disney channels were viewership gold for the cable providers.

It will now be interesting times and it may be time for conferences to start thinking about moving to 20 members. Do not be shocked very soon if the Big 10 and ACC start leaning toward adding a Texas or Oklahoma. The "footprint" TV money may be too much to pass up. If that happens, it will be a free-for-all to pick up the Big 12 scraps. All of the sudden, schools like TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor, and even Houston (I know Houston is in the American) may become expansion candidates just to claim DFW and Houston as home markets.

(In response to this post by goldendomer)

Posted: 04/13/2018 at 10:43AM

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Current Thread:

Big Ten we have a problem -- goldendomer 04/12/2018 6:16PM

There are a couple of interesting notes to follow on this one... -- CobbCountyHokie 04/13/2018 10:43AM

If the P4 mega conf is on the horizon, what are ACC's top targets? -- HokieAl 04/18/2018 10:17AM

Now that the ACC opened Pandora's Box by adding L'ville -- VTHokie2000 04/18/2018 2:59PM

Having ACC Network tied to ABC and Disney Channel looking kind of good now. -- HOO86 04/12/2018 7:33PM

There're a lot of moving parts & pieces. I understand losing patience as -- Stech 04/13/2018 07:46AM

I get what you mean, but if the B1G ends up with $200 million per school -- Late 80s Hokie 04/17/2018 12:50PM

Yep. This doesn't mean a thing for the ACC. If anything, it shows that -- reestuart 04/18/2018 08:43AM

Would have been nice if those lessons would have been learned earlier -- EDGEMAN 04/13/2018 10:52AM

Could filter into other carriers too. ** -- RJHokie 04/12/2018 7:28PM

Bet everyone in the Big Ten is grateful for having Rutgers as a member -- goldendomer 04/12/2018 6:24PM

I think that they love having RU and Maryland -- CobbCountyHokie 04/13/2018 10:46AM

The Big Ten will target Oklahoma and Kansas. -- HOO86 04/12/2018 7:59PM

Would guess Big Tex is their #1 target. ** -- EDGEMAN 04/12/2018 9:14PM

Oklahoma and Kansas are the targets. UT is a headache to deal with. ** -- nebraskafaninwi 04/12/2018 9:37PM

Texas would probably be a cancer to any conference that gets them. ** -- RJHokie 04/12/2018 9:20PM

No it’s just about Texas -- Mercury 04/13/2018 07:07AM

What A&M wants may not matter -- OU_Sooner 04/13/2018 2:56PM

PAC12 could be in play if they sell equity to Disney in PAC 12 networks. -- HOO86 04/13/2018 6:26PM

UT will form their own conference so they have total control. UT has egos ** -- nebraskafaninwi 04/14/2018 11:58AM

What's the feeling up there about adding Oklahoma to the Big Ten? -- EDGEMAN 04/14/2018 1:16PM

OU with KS is what people want. UT is a cancer. ** -- nebraskafaninwi 04/14/2018 1:54PM

If I was the commish of either the ACC, Big Ten, or Pac 12 -- VTHokie2000 04/13/2018 4:22PM

I completely agree with this one. ** -- CobbCountyHokie 04/13/2018 10:47AM

Those states have few eyeballs to watch Big 10 Network. ** -- RJHokie 04/12/2018 8:05PM

Meh....net subs are not everything anymore ** -- nebraskafaninwi 04/12/2018 8:49PM

Brand appeal will be the driver going forward. -- HOO86 04/12/2018 8:20PM

That sounds sexy to talk about brand and I agree with the streaming trend -- CobbCountyHokie 04/13/2018 10:50AM

Gaining states seems like short-term thinking -- Colonel Jessup 04/13/2018 12:42PM

Haven't cracked it yet. But I expect Disney to figure it out first. -- HOO86 04/13/2018 12:19PM

There are a couple of interesting notes to follow on this one...

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