Big 12 Mexico?

[AuH2O]

This was my thought. You want to grow fan interest and viewership? That's a big demographic (Mexican & Latin American) in Texas and the SW. Many of them probably don't have a rooting interest in college sports yet. Drive some exposure to basketball and football, and see if you can add incremental viewers/fans. That could drive real value and growth.

Big12 is uniquely positioned geographically (and culturally too I think) to capitalize on that.

I wonder how well the NFL playing games overseas is paying off.

As far as the Big 12 in Mexico, I wonder how you directly monetize this. Maybe work a deal with ESPN and Fox to divvy up additional subscription revenue from Mexico for playing some games down there.

I have no idea what the potential is, but if something like ESPN+ could get 1/10th of the rate of subscribers they do in the US, that would be well over $100M in additional revenue.

If the operations of the games themselves could be close to break-even, it seems like it would be worth it to start with a few games down there.

 

[Allikat]

I wonder how well the NFL playing games overseas is paying off.

As far as the Big 12 in Mexico, I wonder how you directly monetize this. Maybe work a deal with ESPN and Fox to divvy up additional subscription revenue from Mexico for playing some games down there.

I have no idea what the potential is, but if something like ESPN+ could get 1/10th of the rate of subscribers they do in the US, that would be well over $100M in additional revenue.

If the operations of the games themselves could be close to break-even, it seems like it would be worth it to start with a few games down there.

I don't have any data to support it but my guess is it is doing good given the NFL continue to expand this presence.

 

[NWICY]

The ISU KU MBB that would be in Hilton goes to Mexico City the one in Lawrence is still played in the Phog.

 

[werdnamanhill]

Ill be contrarian and say I don't really like this idea.

The entire point of college football is that the fanbases are based on some connection to the school, city, or state. I don't see how you can convince people from an entirely different country to become fans of a random college they have no connection to. "National brands" exists in the NCAA, but none are in the big 12, with the possible exception of BYU. Not many Mormons in Mexico, however.

This just seems like a waste of money and time with no real chance of making a dent.

 

[jcyclonee]

Ill be contrarian and say I don't really like this idea.

The entire point of college football is that the fanbases are based on some connection to the school, city, or state. I don't see how you can convince people from an entirely different country to become fans of a random college they have no connection to. "National brands" exists in the NCAA, but none are in the big 12, with the possible exception of BYU. Not many Mormons in Mexico, however.

This just seems like a waste of money and time with no real chance of making a dent.

We were in Mexico and visited the ruins of Tulum. To save money, I thought we could do a self-guided tour. Once we got inside, we realized that we needed a tour guide. There was a guy offering his services. We learned about the history of Tulum from a Mormon standpoint.

 

[3GenClone]

Couldn't this be as simple as having a Spanish-speaking broadcast team and a "Deportes" section on the Big 12 website? There are some teams in the conference that have Spanish-speaking radio teams, but it would be great to have a marquee broadcast team that could do a "game of the week" type deal.

Also a question worth asking: can the Big 12 (and other conferences) bid out broadcast rights to international broadcasters?

 

[jbhtexas]

Brett Yormark vs. Larry Scott?

I know where I am putting my money.

Hindsight is 20/20. When Larry Scott took over the Pac-12, many were fawning over him as the next best thing for college sports, and his plan to take college sports overseas was supposed to be the future for expanding college sports.

 

[Kinch]

Like Yormark said the more the Big 12 can be the disrupter in college sports, the better. Find whatever you can that other conferences have to play catch up seems to be Yormark’s vision.

 

[jbhtexas]

Ill be contrarian and say I don't really like this idea.

The entire point of college football is that the fanbases are based on some connection to the school, city, or state. I don't see how you can convince people from an entirely different country to become fans of a random college they have no connection to. "National brands" exists in the NCAA, but none are in the big 12, with the possible exception of BYU. Not many Mormons in Mexico, however.

This just seems like a waste of money and time with no real chance of making a dent.

The bolded part is the key. It's not only college football, it's all college sports. There has to be a connection. Larry Scott couldn't manufacture the connections for the Pac-12 in Asia.

My dad became an ISU fan because I went to school at ISU. So, perhaps if there are significant numbers of Hisapnic people going to Big 12 schools with close family in Mexico, those connections would be easier to create. Otherwise, why would you watch college sports? Pro sports has better athletes, more star power, more glitz and glamor, etc.

 

[JM4CY]

Didn't this already happen and flop? Nebby played in like Ireland or something several years ago.

 

[tzjung]

Canadian schools are similar to US schools in regards to athletics. Football is a small sport, however, as hockey is king. I don't know about Mexican schools.

Yep, one of my best friends from high school moved to Vancouver for Jr/Sr years and played HS Canadian Football up there and then proceeded to the University of British Columbia (HUGE School, 44K undergrads!) and played Canadian Football for them! Thier football quality was closer to DIII type football though.

 

[Sigmapolis]

The NBA, NFL, and MLB should each have a team in Mexico City.

Mexico has a population of 126.7 million and a GDP of $1.3 trillion.

That's four times the population of California and about the GDP of Florida.

Mexico City would be somewhat isolated, but it is in a reasonable time zone and not too long of a flight from cities like Houston and Dallas. It would be no more isolated than Seattle franchises.

 

[isucy86]

Didn't this already happen and flop? Nebby played in like Ireland or something several years ago.

It was part of a series of games from like 2021 to 2025. Nebby v NW last season. This year ND plays Navy.

It would be a tough sell for schools to give up a home conference game, although a school like Northwestern was willing. Would would a Texas school be willing? Might be a tough sell- but maybe a school like Houston would do so to build brand. I could see it happen with a team giving up an 8th home game and playing another P5 opponent.

The Dublin game is as much generating tourism revenue as building up US college football interest in Ireland/UK.

 

[VeloClone]

The bolded part is the key. It's not only college football, it's all college sports. There has to be a connection. Larry Scott couldn't manufacture the connections for the Pac-12 in Asia.

My dad became an ISU fan because I went to school at ISU. So, perhaps if there are significant numbers of Hisapnic people going to Big 12 schools with close family in Mexico, those connections would be easier to create. Otherwise, why would you watch college sports? Pro sports has better athletes, more star power, more glitz and glamor, etc.

I believe Oklahoma got a significant Mexican following when Eduardo Najera was playing for them. I'm not sure how much of those south of the border fans stayed fans after Najera moved on to the NBA. Being able to leverage some Mexican talent could both help to gain Mexican fans throughout the Big 12 as well as further expand the Big 12 recruiting base.

 

[isucy86]

Ill be contrarian and say I don't really like this idea.

The entire point of college football is that the fanbases are based on some connection to the school, city, or state. I don't see how you can convince people from an entirely different country to become fans of a random college they have no connection to. "National brands" exists in the NCAA, but none are in the big 12, with the possible exception of BYU. Not many Mormons in Mexico, however.

This just seems like a waste of money and time with no real chance of making a dent.

As colleges struggle to maintain enrollment, would this be beneficial to Big12 University Presidents as a way to build the Big12 brand and help attract Mexican/Central American students to attend a Big12 college?

Not sure why you would say it would be a waste of money. Based on Yormark's actions so far, he doesn't waste money, he is driven to grow it.

In regard to fanbase support, you premise is far from true for many fans. Sure I have an affinity to Iowa State because of college. But I also prioritize ND, Wisconsin and a few other schools for various reasons. I am 59, grew up in Iowa and for over 52 of those years have been a Cowboys and Bears fan. I have never seen either play in person. There are a lot of Oregon Duck fans that have never stepped inside the state of Oregon, but are fans because of the cool uniforms. There are a lot of different reasons that fans become interested/loyal.

Yormark isn't trying to develop a $100M income stream for the Big12, but what if Big12Mexico is $20M and what if he has 10 such ideas? $200M split among Big12 schools isn't small change and can close the revenue gap between Big10/SEC and Big12.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Their NIL would be hard to beat

You wouldn't beat them twice

 

[CascadeClone]

I wonder how well the NFL playing games overseas is paying off.

As far as the Big 12 in Mexico, I wonder how you directly monetize this. Maybe work a deal with ESPN and Fox to divvy up additional subscription revenue from Mexico for playing some games down there.

I have no idea what the potential is, but if something like ESPN+ could get 1/10th of the rate of subscribers they do in the US, that would be well over $100M in additional revenue.

If the operations of the games themselves could be close to break-even, it seems like it would be worth it to start with a few games down there.

I don't think it is about making money on playing games down there per se.

I think it is about making fans where previously there were none. That drives higher viewership for games, and thus value for the broadcaster which in turn they pay the conference more for the rights.

That might add some dollars to the US Fox/ESPN contracts down the road. But you also might sell rights to broadcast in Mexico too - like your example with ESPN+ subscriptions there. Even with a small market share of interest, there is some value there. Maybe you can get $10M, $30M, someday $100M for the rights. Any bit that helps close that gap with the P2...

 

[Kinch]

There are north of 20 million NFL fans in Mexico. If the Big 12 can grab just 10 percent of that total, 2 million is not a shabby number.

 

[VeloClone]

There are north of 20 million NFL fans in Mexico. If the Big 12 can grab just 10 percent of that total, 2 million is not a shabby number.

This is true. Los Vaqueros have a significant Mexican following - on both sides of the border.

 

[Kinch]

I was curious. In 2017 ESPN and SEC tried to tap into the Mexican market. I haven’t heard anything about it. Does anyone know how that is going?