While we were watching the Twisters Sisters beat Minnesota yesterday, at least once a list of upcoming Minnesota events was shown that included their trip to the Insight bowl. Does anyone know if the Big Ten Network has rights to that game? I know the NFL network is the primary outlet but hoped that the BTN contract would include access.
Insight Bowl on BTN?
- Thread starter HuskerClone
- Start date
If the Big 10 is money hungry enough to do that, so be it. I find it hard to believe that they would sell the rights to their own events out from under their own network but big time sports has done dumber things I suppose.
That's not as far-fetched as it sounds. The BTN could buy the rights from the NFL Network to broadcast the game on the BTN. I doubt if the BTN has any other live Big Ten events to broadcast in that time slot. The Insight Bowl broadcast would certainly be more lucrative for them than replaying some Big Ten women's lacrosse match. It could be a win-win situation for both networks. The only question would be the $.
i highly doubt this due to the fact that both networks are national networks and any deal would put them in direct competition with each other for eyeballs for the game. I realize the situation in Iowa with Mediacom not being worth jack, but most cable/fiber operators carry not one, but both of these networks. I can't imagine the NFL network would want to invite competition unless BTN offered a ton of money (which I can't see them doing for the same reason NFLN wouldn't want to offer it). the local access in Iowa through local stations makes a great deal more sense since NFLN wouldn't be inviting competition since mediacom doesn't have NFLN.
Lucky for me, I have NFLN & BTN in STL through AT&T U-Verse.
Lucky for me, I have NFLN & BTN in STL through AT&T U-Verse.
This. I don't have the numbers, but I'm guessing BTN doesn't reach many more households than NFL Network. (Maybe more in the Big Ten markets, but otherwise probably not.) BTN would probably lose more money paying for the rights than they would gain from any advertising. And all of that is assuming that NFL Network's contract with the Insight Bowl even allows them to sells the rights to another national network.
If most cable/fiber operators carry both networks and it's profitable (I assume) for both of the networks and also the cable operators, then it should be entirely possible for either the BTN, Mediacom or a local station to pick up the rights for the game. The only thing standing in the way of that would be the amount of $ that the NFL Network would require for broadcast rights.
It reminds me of the punchline to an old joke: "...Now that we've determined what you are, all we have to do is establish the price!" :biglaugh: ("you" being the NFL Network)