Fox to announce deal to air Fiesta, Orange, Sugar bowls in '06

In TV college football, Fox will start at the top.

On Monday, Fox will announce a four-year deal to carry four Bowl Championship Series games, according to an executive familiar with the negotiations, starting with bowls after the 2006 regular season. In displacing ABC, Fox will break into college football by paying at least $20 million annually each for the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls as well as a new fifth BCS bowl to be played at the site of the national title game about a week before that game.

Fox's $80 million total for four BCS games is up from the $76.5 million total that ABC averages for the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls. Through an existing deal, ABC keeps the Rose Bowl — and thus the BCS title game every four years.

Weird. Only in the crazy quilt of college football's method of crowning a champion could a network step up to buy the biggest games. It's as if Fox, whose main college football coverage consists of less-than-marquee Pacific-10 and Big 12 games on cable's Fox Sports Net, didn't carry the NFL — but got to buy the AFC and NFC title games and the Super Bowl.

But expect Fox, which relies on big sports events to help build its network, to keep shopping for college sports. College games, along with the package of eight NFL games on Thursday or Sunday now up for grabs, could help Fox launch a cable sports channel meant to compete with ESPN. But even if that doesn't materialize, Rupert Murdoch's Fox already has opened up another front in its TV sports' rivalry with Disney's ABC and ESPN. And the big winner, so far, are the colleges who've found another buyer for the exploits of their student-athletes.

<a href='http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2004-11-21-hiestand_x.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/h...-hiestand_x.htm</a>

Could this open the door for a possible deal with the BEAST and Fox as well...They could get a big catch with BEAST basketball and BEAST football riding the coattails.

This could be big. I wonder if now the old likes of Corso and Herbstreit will be pushing the BCS so damn hard now that ABC (aka Disney, aka ESPN) will not have control of the BCS anymore. Doesn't make much sense for the ESPN crowd to be pushing for ratings on BCS games now that ABC doesn't hold the monopoly anymore and the games will be on another network.

On a side note I would like to see Fox get more active in college football. This whole ABC/ESPN cartel has damn near ruined college football.

When Fox had the CUSA contract I thought they did a nice job.

With the Mountain West headed over to the College Sports Channel, Fox may be positioning itself to go head to head with the ESPN/ABC cartel.

Something needs to change and change fast or ESPN/ABC will have changed college football for the worse and that is not good.

I have not and will not ever buy into this whole damn TV market thing.

College football has been about regional rivalries and loyal fans. If college football continues to buy into the ESPN dreamed up TV market argument than it will be ruined.

GOOD LUCK FOX. Wouldn't it be nice to see Sean hannity or Bill OReilly doing the commentary on a college football game. (Just kidding)

I agree with you, if they want to continue to lowball us then I would just say screw it and start talking to Fox. They have the BIG Contract now and ABC/ESPN/Disney doesn't.

Maize Wrote:I agree with you, if they want to continue to lowball us then I would just say screw it and start talking to Fox. They have the BIG Contract now and ABC/ESPN/Disney doesn't.

I hope that the Big East does go the Fox route. Good luck to you and hopes that you will always remember what makes College Football great!!!

C-USA should do the same if ESPN is lowballing them as well. This is great for College Athletics since it appears the ESPN monopoly is being broken up.

Maize Wrote:C-USA should do the same if ESPN is lowballing them as well. This is great for College Athletics since it appears the ESPN monopoly is being broken up.

CUSA has nothing to leverage. Look for the Big East to go to fox for 16 million and for the Fox Network to start regularly broadcasting college football on Saturdays with Pac 10, Big 12 and Big East action.

I wonder if the "Fox" factor will lead to an increase in the Big East bid by ESPN? But there is nothing wrong with a Fox-Big East relationship.

L-yes Wrote:

Maize Wrote:C-USA should do the same if ESPN is lowballing them as well.&nbsp; This is great for College Athletics since it appears the ESPN monopoly is being broken up.

CUSA has nothing to leverage. Look for the Big East to go to fox for 16 million and for the Fox Network to start regularly broadcasting college football on Saturdays with Pac 10, Big 12 and Big East action.

Wouldn't it be better to just wish that Fox and other networks could do to bring back the sanctity of college football without insluting another conference in the process??

Here is the Official BCS News Release.

BCS-FOX Reach Agreement on TV Deal

November 22, 2004

FOX SPORTS AND BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES REACH MULTI-MEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENT

DEAL ESTABLISHES STAND-ALONE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Also Includes Television, Radio, Internet, Sponsorship & Merchandising Rights

The League Championship Series and World Series. The NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. NASCAR's Daytona 500. Clearly, FOX Sports is America's king of televised sports championships, and its crown now shines more brilliant as college football's most precious jewel moves to FOX.

FOX Sports and the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) announced today that they have reached an exclusive four-year agreement covering all media distribution and sponsorship rights for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, FedEx Orange Bowl and Nokia Sugar Bowl from 2007 through 2010, and a new, stand-alone, BCS National Championship Game from 2007 through 2009. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with FOX Sports," said Kevin Weiberg, Big 12 Commissioner and BCS Coordinator. "We very much look forward to the creative energy that the FOX team will bring to the Bowl Championship Series, and I am certain that college football fans will find that the presentation of the games will bring a new level of excitement and energy to these classic bowl contests."

"I am also pleased that we were able to successfully negotiate a television contract for the expanded BCS," added Weiberg. "The new model brings an enhanced opportunity for highly-rated teams to play in BCS games, including teams from conferences that have not had an automatic berth. This model will also showcase in a more distinct fashion the BCS National Championship Game in a unique telecast window after the BCS bowl games."

"Few sports boast the passion and pageantry of college football, and the BCS is the Mt. Everest of college football," said Peter Chernin, President & COO, News Corp. "The deal we've agreed to with the BCS will prove to be financially advantageous for all concerned."

In addition to telecast rights, the contract also covers national radio rights; Internet rights; all sponsorship rights, including naming rights, signage and virtual signage opportunities and in-game enhancements; ancillary programming on FOX and/or FSN; and a joint venture (FOX, BCS and Bowls) to identify and exploit merchandising opportunities.

"The agreement with FOX proves that the new BCS model has great market appeal," said David Frohnmayer, President, University of Oregon and BCS Presidential Oversight Committee Chair. "We look forward to our partnership with the network and joining its lineup of high-profile championship sporting events."

The addition of the BCS to FOX's already impressive array of championship caliber events comes just two weeks after the network reached a new six-year agreement to continue as television home to the NFL's NFC Sunday afternoon package, which gives FOX the next eight NFC Championship games plus Super Bowls this February and in 2008 and 2011. Existing agreements with MLB and NASCAR guarantee that the next two American and National League pennant winners and world champions will be decided on FOX, as will Daytona 500 victors in 2005 and 2007. Since 1995, over 35 champions have been crowned on FOX.

"Since our inception, FOX Sports has worked aggressively to provide our viewers the very best sports programming possible," offered FOX Sports Chairman David Hill. "Some of the nation's most dramatic and memorable sports series, games and moments over the last decade have been captured by our cameras, and described by our announcers, and I know that in years to come that the BCS will add to our legacy. We're just sorry that we'll have to wait two years for this to begin."

Over the last two years, the Fiesta, Orange, and Sugar Bowls have averaged an 11.1 household rating, which would rank the three BCS Bowls in a tie for seventh among all prime time shows this broadcast season-to-date. These games also attract audiences that are both upscale and better-educated than average, both compelling features for advertisers.

The BCS championship game, which right now is presented as the Fiesta, Orange, Rose or Sugar Bowl on a rotating basis, is one of the most powerful events in television. The last two BCS title games (the 2004 Sugar Bowl and 2003 Fiesta Bowl) averaged a 15.0/26 household rating/share. Only one show in all of prime time is averaging a better rating this season-to-date. The 15.0 for the last two BCS title games is better than the two-year averages of the NBA Finals (9.0/16), NCAA Tournament Final (11.8/19), Monday Night Football (11.5/19), the final round of the Masters (7.8/19), and the Belmont Stakes (10.4/25). An estimated 50 million Americans are expected to watch the 2005 Orange Bowl, this year's BCS championship game.

FOX and its related cable channels are not strangers to college football. FOX Sports has televised the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day since 1999. FSN has national cable rights to Pac 10 and Big 12 football, and the recently launched Fox College Sports carries over 100 games culled from FSN's owned-and affiliates regional sports networks.

<a href='http://www.bcsfootball.org/news.cfm?headline=70' target='_blank'>http://www.bcsfootball.org/news.cfm?headline=70</a>

Quote:CUSA has nothing to leverage. Look for the Big East to go to fox for 16 million and for the Fox Network to start regularly broadcasting college football on Saturdays with Pac 10, Big 12 and Big East action.

-- L-Yes....I was wondering what you are basing the 16 million dollar figure on? Is is a personal estimate or have you caught wind of some more info? Well...whatever the $$$ #s are...I agree that the BE is going to be with Fox soon....if not next year then as soon as the ESPN/ABC deal is over

-- If Omnicarrier's post of last night is correct....I wonder how much the figure would go up with Army and Navy in the BE fold....just being able to show the game between those two schools will be worth an increase...also keep in mind the ND factor....ND is playing more BE games and the matchups between the Irish and BE schools that take place on our home fields will be able to be shown on our network...I would think that kind of situation would also be worth an increase

jackson

with MWC going to CSTV...and several conferences looking hard at fox...C-USA would have a lot of leverage with ESPN...tell ESPN we want better coverage and more money to stay...now is the time to strike...while they are afraid of Fox and CSTV.

this could be the best thing to happen to non-BCS teams since the BCS was made...we now have a 5th game...and acsess to better TV contracts...this whole NC-USA just might work out well.

Go Tigers!!!
Drew

Hey Jackson,

Keep in mind my post from last night was a lot of speculation based upon a rumor by the ECU board which I myself don't believe.

Personally, I think the NBE is stuck at 8 for the next 5 years, but if the conference is looking for football-only candidates it is likely they would start with Navy and Army.

Having slept on it, and keeping in mind Navy's and Army's desire to have more flexibility in their scheduling (which being indy gives them and being full conference members does not), I was wondering if the partial membership (football only, or football and lacrosse only) might not be the ideal situation.

What follows is MAJOR SPECULATION!!!!

Have four BE teams schedule Navy for two consecutive years and have the other four BE teams schedule Army for two consecutive years. Then alternate every two years.

This way Army and Navy split a 9th team BE football share but still have flexibility in scheduling.

Navy would have their 4 BE games and their games against ND, Army, & Air Force while Army would have their 4 BE games and their games against BC, Navy, & Air Force leaving both Army and Navy 4 or 5 additional games to schedule as they see fit.

The BE teams have their '9th member' and their balanced 8 game conference schedule, have two national draws as well as a presence in the Baltimore and Washington, DC markets (Navy) and further enhances the NY market (with Army in addition to SU, RU, and UConn).

Cheers,
Neil

Quote:Keep in mind my post from last night was a lot of speculation based upon a rumor by the ECU board which I myself don't believe.

Personally, I think the NBE is stuck at 8 for the next 5 years, but if the conference is looking for football-only candidates it is likely they would start with Navy and Army.
Having slept on it, and keeping in mind Navy's and Army's desire to have more flexibility in their scheduling (which being indy gives them and being full conference members does not), I was wondering if the partial membership (football only, or football and lacrosse only) might not be the ideal situation.

What follows is MAJOR SPECULATION!!!!

Have four BE teams schedule Navy for two consecutive years and have the other four BE teams schedule Army for two consecutive years. Then alternate every two years.

This way Army and Navy split a 9th team BE football share but still have flexibility in scheduling.

Navy would have their 4 BE games and their games against ND, Army, & Air Force while Army would have their 4 BE games and their games against BC, Navy, & Air Force leaving both Army and Navy 4 or 5 additional games to schedule as they see fit.

The BE teams have their '9th member' and their balanced 8 game conference schedule, have two national draws as well as a presence in the Baltimore and Washington, DC markets (Navy) and further enhances the NY market (with Army in addition to SU, RU, and UConn).

-- Omnicarrier....I could see something like that happening...but if it were up to me I would rather see Army and Navy come in full time and hopefully save the partial membership stuff for Notre Dame down the line.....but I guess it depends on what the academies think is best for them

-- Just wondering.....if you think the BE is stuck at 8 for the next few years....how are we going to deal with the scheduling problems that would arise from a 12 game schedule?....trying to find 5 decent non conference games every year strikes me as being very difficult...especially if the Big 10 and Pac 10 are just going to add another league game

Jackson

LOL! ESPN's bargaining position is dead. And now all of ESPN's ripping of the Big East will come bite them in the @ss when negotiating the football package and especially the Big East's monsterous basketball package. The basketball package is the thing that the Big East can use to shove up ESPN's rearend after all the crap they put the conference through. I remember Syracuse's AD Jake Crouthamel mentioning last year that Fox had some interest in the Big East. If true, the Big East needs to jump all over it!

ESPN and the ACC made their bed, now they'll have to lay in it. ESPN/ABC: the ACC network... and nothing else.

Fox is setting itself up to be the hub of the sporting world while ESPN has gotten involved in junk properties like the declining NBA bad business decisions as in the all out power grab with ACC realignment and refusal to budge on the new BCS deal while Fox just ate it up. Their move for monopoly has just been destroyed and they are left holding the bag.

Quote:ESPN and the ACC made their bed, now they'll have to lay in it. ESPN/ABC: the ACC network... and nothing else.

-- Yep....ESPN/ABC is with the ACC....CBS is the SEC and hopefully Fox will be the Big 12, Pac 10 and BE




Jackson

[Q]especially if the Big 10 and Pac 10 are just going to add another league game[/Q]

Personally, I hope the rumors are true that both the Pac-10 and the Big 10 will simply add another league game to their schedule. It makes sense for the Pac-10, since every team will play each other once, but for the Big-10? One team is still out in that set-up unless of course Penn State might be coming home

Pipe dream, I know.

As for what the BE will do if we remain an 8-team league and the schedule goes to 12 regular season games each year? I suspect we continue to do what we have done in the past, schedule more MAC and C-USA teams along with Navy and/or Army.

Cheers,
Neil

How would bowl bid work with a partial Army/Navy? Will they qualify for BE bowl bids like everyone else? I hope to see both in the BE, especially it looks like both are on the rise. I think it would be a great fit with their location etc. It looks almost unfair for them to get the BE bowl bids when they only play half the games.

Quote:As for what the BE will do if we remain an 8-team league and the schedule goes to 12 regular season games each year? I suspect we continue to do what we have done in the past, schedule more MAC and C-USA teams along with Navy and/or Army.

-- Yuck.....so instead of 2-3 MAC/CUSA schools we will have 3-4 on the schedule......that's not going to help with attendance and fan interest....oh well...I hope your wrong on this one Omnicarrier...I think we all would much rather add Army/Navy then watch our schools play 3-4 MAC or lower CUSA teams every year

Quote:How would bowl bid work with a partial Army/Navy? Will they qualify for BE bowl bids like everyone else? I hope to see both in the BE, especially it looks like both are on the rise. I think it would be a great fit with their location etc. It looks almost unfair for them to get the BE bowl bids when they only play half the games

-- Well if the BE would add both of them....I think another bowl tie in would be necessary...but both schools would be elgiable for BE bowls like everyone else....it is unfair but ND gets BE bowls with only playing one or two games and not even officially being in the league

-- If such a situation were to arise....Army and Navy would probably be looking at 5 conferences games each (which would include playing each other)

--- Personally...I think such an arragnment is a bad idea...I can handle ND playing a partial schedule as a way to get them in...but I feel the academies should have to play a full schedule like everyone else


Jackson