Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[OnlyCyclones]

Am I crazy for thinking id rather have CW as a major partner than ESPN? Games would be completely free over the air, all you need is an antenna, no cable or streaming subscription.

However, I'm assuming CW probably can't pay as much as ESPN can, so that's probably the reason.

Not crazy, but there’s a couple things ESPN has that CW doesn’t besides money. I’ve read that the individual CW stations have power over what they broadcast, so you may end up with regional coverage instead of national. Sounds like there has been a shakeup at CW, so maybe that is no longer the case. The other thing is that ESPN cross-markets games. A game on CW will be linear, but what if no one knows it’s there?

 

[OnlyCyclones]

A couple of thoughts:
1. Disney's CEO said linear TV is going the way of the dodo bird.
2. with the Hollywood writers and actors strike, live sports may be even more valuable to networks who will otherwise have to show reruns.
3. I could care less (actually hope we dont), about getting any of the PAC teams. Much rather have the ACC schools and am willing to wait until 2031 to get them.
4. When Washington and oregon go to the BIG, the 4 corners schools are going to regret staying in the PAC bc the Big 12 will have much better options in 2031.

I want Arizona. Strong basketball, strong cultural fit, good market and recruiting territory. Football is good enough. As for the rest of the 4C? Meh. But if Colorado gets us Arizona, so be it.

 

[isucy86]

CW has far more reach than RSNs currently do.

Yes and no. Sounds like stations have ability to opt out of showing content. Example I saw was large number of local affiliates don't show LIV Golf because those local stations are owned by CBS parent and CBS has PGA.

 

[KennyPratt42]

My gut on the Pac-12 TV situation at the moment is that they know they need to get close to Big 12 money per school to keep everyone or almost everyone around. But they also need to have reasonable exposure to keep everyone happy. I would guess they could do one or the other, but are currently trying to reach a balance of both that satisfies everyone enough. I can't imagine it isn't going to involve the Pac-12 producing some of their own games and having at least 3 media rights partners (a traditional network, someone a little outside the box like CW who is looking for live sports content, and a streaming service).

 

[isucy86]

That Crakes dude must not be aware of the ongoing RSN bankruptcy proceedings and carriage issues that are significantly impacting exposure of MLB and NBA teams in many large markets for most linear providers (including linear streamers HuluTV and YTTV).

He's a media consultant and former FOX executive, so he probably knows his stuff.

At this point, it might be better to have a fortune teller comment.

 

[cykadelic2]

Yes and no. Sounds like stations have ability to opt out of showing content. Example I saw was large number of local affiliates don't show LIV Golf because those local stations are owned by CBS parent and CBS has PGA.

Not according to this: https://www.nexstar.tv/the-cw-netwo...markets-for-inaugural-liv-golf-league-season/

And according to the ACC’s release, the CW is available in 100 percent of households via local broadcast channels, and the network’s app has more than 96 million downloads. That last part, especially, is worth noting; most major streaming services, like YouTube TV, do carry the network, meaning those subscribers will get these games. And as for the product itself, with Raycom set to produce the games, you’re essentially talking about distributing the same tried-and-true broadcast to a larger audience. Doesn’t seem so bad.

 

[Rods79]

My gut on the Pac-12 TV situation at the moment is that they know they need to get close to Big 12 money per school to keep everyone or almost everyone around. But they also need to have reasonable exposure to keep everyone happy. I would guess they could do one or the other, but are currently trying to reach a balance of both that satisfies everyone enough. I can't imagine it isn't going to involve the Pac-12 producing some of their own games and having at least 3 media rights partners (a traditional network, someone a little outside the box like CW who is looking for live sports content, and a streaming service).

Agree, except I don’t think their numbers are coming close enough to the Big 12 in their best case. And now CW going with this ACC leftover deal…if this is what Kliavkoff had cooking…4 corners and more, come on down. Fantastical, razzle-and-dazzle…gamble, is just what it is. Good for PAC scraps to keep the PAC afloat in-name-only…gives them a fighter’s chance, but it will not keep teams from leaving and ultimately sinking the conference status and earning potential. It’s exactly what we thought their options were. The numbers aren’t there. No one is magically creating a deal for the PAC worth enough to float Oregon and Washington. It’d be charity at this point.

 

[isucy86]

Not according to this: https://www.nexstar.tv/the-cw-netwo...markets-for-inaugural-liv-golf-league-season/

And according to the ACC’s release, the CW is available in 100 percent of households via local broadcast channels, and the network’s app has more than 96 million downloads. That last part, especially, is worth noting; most major streaming services, like YouTube TV, do carry the network, meaning those subscribers will get these games. And as for the product itself, with Raycom set to produce the games, you’re essentially talking about distributing the same tried-and-true broadcast to a larger audience. Doesn’t seem so bad.

Here is info from Sporting News article. I would trust Sporting News since they are reporting what happened vs the Nextstar article was a promotion piece upfront.

To complicate things further: The CW is one of five major broadcast networks that reach every home in the U.S., alongside CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC, but that doesn't mean that LIV Golf is viewable in every household.


In the U.S., eight CW affiliates (per Deadline.com), or about a third of the network's affiliates, are owned and operated by CBS, which is a PGA Tour rights holder. Because of that partnership, just 68 percent of The CW affiliates broadcast LIV Golf events. So, even though LIV Golf has a partnership with The CW, that doesn't mean that every viewer who gets The CW can watch LIV Golf.

Sporting News Article

Don't get me wrong, I think CW is a GREAT DEAL for the ACC to show their Tier 3 rights. But Tier 3 rights are just that, the least valuable games. So if we are talking the Pac10, if there is still CW interest. Is it tier 1, tier 2 or tier 3? There is a HUGE difference what conferences get paid for each tier. I think the Big12 Tier 3 rights on ESPN+ historically paid each Big12 school around $3M annually.

 

[KennyPratt42]

Don't get me wrong, I think CW is a GREAT DEAL for the ACC to show their Tier 3 rights. But Tier 3 rights are just that, the least valuable games. So if we are talking the Pac10, if there is still CW interest. Is it tier 1, tier 2 or tier 3? There is a HUGE difference what conferences get paid for each tier. I think the Big12 Tier 3 rights on ESPN+ historically paid each Big12 school around $3M annually.

I think the thought process for the Pac-12 would be if they could blur the lines a little between the traditional tier 1, 2, & 3 to try and increase their total number. As an example maybe someone like CW would be willing to pay a little extra for tier 3 rights if they are also able to pay market rate for a handful of tier 1 or 2 football/men's basketball games a year to get more people used to going to CW for live sports. And maybe whoever gets the tier 1 or 2 rights is perfectly happy to be buying a slightly smaller inventory so they don't have to pay quite as much total.

 

[RonBurgundy]

Beginning to think that CW might be a major player with PAC. I am sure GK and the PAC knew about this ACC deal and GK probably insisted this got announced first. Give the public a chance to stop chuckling before the PAC/CW deal comes out.

And it sounds like the ACC deal has been met with good press since it is Tier 3.

 

[cykadelic2]

Here is info from Sporting News article. I would trust Sporting News since they are reporting what happened vs the Nextstar article was a promotion piece upfront.

To complicate things further: The CW is one of five major broadcast networks that reach every home in the U.S., alongside CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC, but that doesn't mean that LIV Golf is viewable in every household.


In the U.S., eight CW affiliates (per Deadline.com), or about a third of the network's affiliates, are owned and operated by CBS, which is a PGA Tour rights holder. Because of that partnership, just 68 percent of The CW affiliates broadcast LIV Golf events. So, even though LIV Golf has a partnership with The CW, that doesn't mean that every viewer who gets The CW can watch LIV Golf.

Sporting News Article

Don't get me wrong, I think CW is a GREAT DEAL for the ACC to show their Tier 3 rights. But Tier 3 rights are just that, the least valuable games. So if we are talking the Pac10, if there is still CW interest. Is it tier 1, tier 2 or tier 3? There is a HUGE difference what conferences get paid for each tier. I think the Big12 Tier 3 rights on ESPN+ historically paid each Big12 school around $3M annually.

The conflict between CBS and NexStar owned CW affiliates for LIV vs PGA Golf doesn't exist for ACC FB and BB. No apparent reason for CBS-owned CW affiliates to not carry ACC football. As a result, Crakes claims regarding RSN vs CW exposure appear to be nonsense.

 

[Acylum]

 

[SolterraCyclone]

The conflict between CBS and NexStar owned CW affiliates for LIV vs PGA Golf doesn't exist for ACC FB and BB. No apparent reason for CBS-owned CW affiliates to not carry ACC football. As a result, Crakes claims regarding RSN vs CW exposure appear to be nonsense.

I agree that, that claim is nonsense. But CBS has rights to Big 10 football. There could be a conflict of interest there if the B10 pushed back (not sure if there is any exclusivity provisions with CBS in the B10 contract)

 

[Acylum]

 

[isucy86]

The conflict between CBS and NexStar owned CW affiliates for LIV vs PGA Golf doesn't exist for ACC FB and BB. No apparent reason for CBS-owned CW affiliates to not carry ACC football. As a result, Crakes claims regarding RSN vs CW exposure appear to be nonsense.

It shouldn't be an issue, but networks tend to protect where their greatest investment lies.

CBS will be televising Big10 football games- I think they paid somewhere around $350M annually to show the 2:30p CT game. So similar to golf, CBS could have have issue with an afternoon Pac10 game on CW. I am sure the $350M for Big10 games is significantly more than what CBS pays for PGA golf. That would still allow Pac10 night games on CW.

Who knows, maybe CBS's issue wasn't competition, but didn't want their owned local stations supporting the Saudi Investment Fund by televising LIV golf.

 

[Clonehomer]

Beginning to think that CW might be a major player with PAC. I am sure GK and the PAC knew about this ACC deal and GK probably insisted this got announced first. Give the public a chance to stop chuckling before the PAC/CW deal comes out.

And it sounds like the ACC deal has been met with good press since it is Tier 3.

Where is the CW going to get the money to pay for CFB contracts? At least contracts that are worth signing for these conferences. They’re not exactly swimming in money.

Nexstar to Acquire 75% Stake in the CW Network From Paramount Global, Warner Bros. Discovery

Nexstar Media Group has acquired a majority stake in the CW Network from Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery.

variety.com

 

[QBEagles]

I can't imagine CW being worse than a failing RSN for the ACCs ~4th best game. You're mostly only getting fans with a rooting interest at that point, but at least they'll have a chance at a national audience.

It does make me wonder if a 10-team PAC can work out a deal like:

1. Apple
2. ESPN After Dark
3. CW (w/ ACC lead-in)
4+. Apple (only 4-5 games/week during conference season)

ESPN fills their programming gap, the CW gets another game of similar value, and Apple's the primary rights holder. It only gets the PAC about 40% linear though, and who knows what the money would be like. Apple+ is definitely a downgrade over FOX/ABC/ESPN for their lead game, but everything else is roughly equivalent to what they have now and they'd have one less game and no USC/UCLA to compete with. I don't think it's good (because what they have now sucks), but I'm not sure who else is jumping in to save them.

 

[FerShizzle]

I can't imagine CW being worse than a failing RSN for the ACCs ~4th best game. You're mostly only getting fans with a rooting interest at that point, but at least they'll have a chance at a national audience.

It does make me wonder if a 10-team PAC can work out a deal like:

1. Apple
2. ESPN After Dark
3. CW (w/ ACC lead-in)
4+. Apple (only 4-5 games/week during conference season)

ESPN fills their programming gap, the CW gets another game of similar value, and Apple's the primary rights holder. It only gets the PAC about 40% linear though, and who knows what the money would be like. Apple+ is definitely a downgrade over FOX/ABC/ESPN for their lead game, but everything else is roughly equivalent to what they have now and they'd have one less game and no USC/UCLA to compete with. I don't think it's good (because what they have now sucks), but I'm not sure who else is jumping in to save them.

Again… if there were a signable deal anywhere in that mix of chaos, they would have signed it already, but there isn’t a deal there so far that holds the conference together. And all the leverage is on the side of the networks so 1 of 2 things will happen. Either the conference is going to lower their demands, settle, and sign a bad deal. Or teams will leave the conference for better deals elsewhere.

 

[Acylum]

Again… if there were a signable deal anywhere in that mix of chaos, they would have signed it already, but there isn’t a deal there so far that holds the conference together.

This is what everybody keeps forgetting. Well, other than you and @Gunnerclone

 

[Cyclone Pfan]

Beginning to think that CW might be a major player with PAC. I am sure GK and the PAC knew about this ACC deal and GK probably insisted this got announced first. Give the public a chance to stop chuckling before the PAC/CW deal comes out.

And it sounds like the ACC deal has been met with good press since it is Tier 3.

It may be a big risk for CW to dive head first into the Saturday ncaa football mix. But maybe their thought is to buy in cheap (ACC and PAC tier 3 rights: back-to-back games every week) in 2024, then build up over the next 6 years to see where they can reach in the next round of media rights (2030)?