Texas, ESPN announce new network

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ESPN, Texas strike $300 million deal for Longhorn Sports Network

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6037857That is one big contract, and basically ensures that the Big XII will die and Texas will run along and become independent (I would think). How long before we decide the BTN isn't big time enough for us and create the Gopher Athletics Network? :D
 

Gopher07 said:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6037857

That is one big contract, and basically ensures that the Big XII will die and Texas will run along and become independent (I would think). How long before we decide the BTN isn't big time enough for us and create the Gopher Athletics Network? :D
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Big contract, but not enough to go independent on. It's worth $15 million per year. That's less than what the U gets per year from the B1G's TV contracts. When you add it to the Big XII's TV contracts it becomes a bigger deal. They currently get $13 million a year from the Big XII. They're supposed to get $20 million under the new deal (the one that saved the Big XII), but there are no signed agreements making that official so we'll have to see if that much money ever makes it to Texas. Even if it does, it underscores why Texas needs to be in a conference. At $35 million a year they would bring in more per year in TV money than any school in the country. Without the Big XII money they are Notre Dame.
 

What does this do to the proposed Big 12 (10) network? Nebraska sniffed this out, which is part of the reason they jumped conferences.
 

Great Plains Gopher said:
What does this do to the proposed Big 12 (10) network?
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That would seem to be the million $$$$ question right there, and Nebraska was wise to bug out when they did, as it seems abundantly clear that UT is primarily concerned with what's good for itself, and the welfare of the Big 12 is a distant second to that.

We'll see how this works out for ESPN. I know the NBC-Notre Dame exclusive package did not work out quite nearly so well as NBC had hoped. It's interesting though that this Texas channel is also apparently going to be telecasting some Olympic sports?
 


Seany said:
That would seem to be the million $$$$ question right there, and Nebraska was wise to bug out when they did, as it seems abundantly clear that UT is primarily concerned with what's good for itself, and the welfare of the Big 12 is a distant second to that.

We'll see how this works out for ESPN. I know the NBC-Notre Dame exclusive package did not work out quite nearly so well as NBC had hoped. It's interesting though that this Texas channel is also apparently going to be telecasting some Olympic sports?
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This is what this channel is primarily going to be showing. This deal only includes showing two football games per year, 10 basketball games I believe and the rest of the programming will be the non-revenue producing sports as well as some academic programming. The vast majority of their football games will be covered under the Big 12 TV deal.
 

These deals are ridicules. What does it really offer for viewing. Texas is big in Texas but can anyone see why someone outside of Texas would pay another cent to see a few extra Texas games on cable?
 

Sure seems like a case of total UT overkill to me. All Texas all the time!....***cough*** and we'll throw in some Olympic sports too!

Yippee, baybee. I'd watch that channel about as often as I watch the Versus Network, meaning never. I agree that this would seem to have a very limited base of appeal, but whateva I guess. Somebody out there obviously wants it and thinks it will make a little money. What the hell do I know, maybe it even will.
 

There is obviously a market For this or Espn wouldnt be risking so Much financially.
 



Someone is buying time. This plan isn't going to be a decent long-term solution for anyone involved.
 


Interesting...

they got this done in a year where the Longhorns didn't even make a bowl game. I'm going to chuckle if they hit a multi-year Michiganesque swoon to kick off the must-see tv.

Highly unlikely, but hey, it's fun to see the Goliaths take their lumps too! :cry:

Go Gophers!
 

Wow, great for Texas, not good for the B12. If I was the other 9 B12 teams(makes sense) I would tell Texas to go screw themselves and kick them out of the conference, then refuse to play them. That means no Oklahoma not Texas A&M. Have fun playing SMU and Rice on Saturday's boys. Texas clearly does not get the idea of a conference.

BTW how screwed is Notre Dame if NBC decides not to renew there contract with them after this one is up?
 




Why would NBC not renew their contract? Everyone always says this… there is no reason not to renew.
 

Rosemountian said:
Why would NBC not renew their contract? Everyone always says this… there is no reason not to renew.
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I'm sure they renew but there is nothing forcing them to keep paying out 15 million per year...
 

GoAUpher said:
I'm sure they renew but there is nothing forcing them to keep paying out 15 million per year...
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Especially if the product on the first continues to crappy to average. Now if Notre Dame is winning NC's then it's and easy call.

BTW I think that the powers that be in South Bend are either A. not smart enough or B. to stubborn to realize they can't continue to be an independent without a NBC contract.
 

mnboiler said:
BTW I think that the powers that be in South Bend are either A. not smart enough or B. to stubborn to realize they can't continue to be an independent without a NBC contract.
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I don't think the primary decision makers (AD/Prez) are too dumb or stubborn. I think the alumni and ND community at large is too stubborn at that ties the hands of the decision makers.
 

Before the official announcement, the rumor was that other Texas schools (UTEP, UTSA, etc.) were going to be featured on the network, too. I thought the state legislature was going to pass a law that A&M had to be included (probably just a threat). It'd make for an awesome slogan, though:

"Longhorn Network - All UT, All the Time (oh, and A&M too...)"
 

GoAUpher said:
I'm sure they renew but there is nothing forcing them to keep paying out 15 million per year...
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You dont think espn would give them 15 million a year? The deal will get better, not worse.

If byu can get an 8 year deal that is large enough for them to leave their conference from Espn... I am gonna speculate that notre dame would be able to get a deal from espn that is big enough to support independence (if NBC dropped notre dame)
 

Will we see the World Dodgeball Championships on this channel with Cotton McKnight doing the play by play?
 

I'm not sure this is going to get distribution that easily. 1 exclusive football game (a crappy non-conference, I'm sure) and 8 exclusive basketball games (also crappy non-conference, I'm sure) is not going to have viewers outside the DirecTV or cable offices with pitch-forks. Having ESPN to throw thier weight around helps, but I hardly think they're going to tell the large cable companies in the Big 12 territory 'carry this crappy network or we'll take away the honor of paying us $2/subcriber/month for ESPN.'
 

It's just so rude in my opinion for UT to do that to their conference, and it confirms everything that Tom Osborne ever said, that they were primarily in it for themselves and themselves alone, and that in their view, their conference and everything else came in far secondarily to that. It's selfish and significant of an institution with a massive ego and distorted perception of their own self-importance. CU and NU were lucky to have gotten out, and I bet Missouri is crying over not escaping to the Big Ten too, and the 'little' schools like KU and ISU and K-State, what a drag for them. This network is just another in a long line of Texas insults towards the Big 12, and you know it's just a matter of time before the next insult comes and the next shoe drops.

I think of how I'd feel if Ohio State or Michigan were to do something like that, and to me that would just be like a slap in the face. I'd feel so offended, but that's something we'll never have to worry about. Those schools wouldn't do that, because this conference is cohesive and strong and bigger than any of them, so that thankfully breeds an all for one and one for all type mentality.
 


The other thing about this deal is this 300/20 million/years.

ESPN is going to be stealing money in 20 years. If inflation rates from 1990-2010 are the same as inflation rates from 2010-2030...this deal is going to be worth about 8.5 million real dollars in 2030.

And as we all know TV deals have inflated at much faster the rate of inflation....so if this is successful ESPN is going to make out like bandits. Thinking about it now, a few days later, I do not think Texas was smart to sign such a long deal.
 

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