Pete Thamel ‏ @PeteThamelNYT

Why does the Big East have a chance with the right leader? The Ivy League just signed an NBC deal. (ie desperate for inventory. )

PR release

Quote:The Ivy League and the NBC Sports Group announced a two-year renewal of their national television rights agreement today that includes an increase in football games, and the first-ever rights for the NBC Sports Network to televise men's basketball and men's lacrosse games.

Beginning with the upcoming 2012 football season and continuing through the 2014 lacrosse season, the NBC Sports Network will televise a minimum of six, but no more than 10, football games, six-to-10 men's basketball games, and up to four men's lacrosse games annually.

Even more Ivy League games may be seen on a national basis within this agreement as the NBC Sports Network has acquired the rights to sublicense additional football and men's basketball games to a national sports network.

"The Ivy League is excited to continue our relationship with the NBC Sports Network," said Robin Harris, Ivy League Executive Director. "The NBC Sports Network has been an outstanding partner and we appreciate their interest in enhancing our existing relationship by increasing the number of games and sports. We are pleased to showcase more Ivy League competition nationally to our passionate fan base which has a thirst for Ivy League athletics."

"We are proud to again partner with the Ivy League, a conference whose institutions and student-athletes consistently comport themselves with great distinction while attracting an audience with a favorable demographic for our growing sports network," said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports & NBC Sports Network. "With this renewal, the Ivy League will now provide quality content for the NBC Sports Network across three college seasons."

Per the agreement, the NBC Sports Network will televise the annual football game played between Harvard and Yale, known as "The Game", in both 2012 and 2013. In 2012, "The Game" will be played at Harvard and will mark the 129th iteration of the rivalry. Yale leads the series 65-55-8.

Big East does have Men's lacrosse so that is a plus.

NBC also has rights to the Colonial Athletic Association football and basketball, plus the NHL and MLS. If you think NBC is going to rescue the BE with a huge TV contract offer, you're dreaming.

Anybody on this board ever watch an Ivy game? NBC sounds desperate for inventory.

(05-07-2012 03:30 PM)Metacog Drivel Wrote:  Anybody on this board ever watch an Ivy game? NBC sounds desperate for inventory.

I have...it's about what you would expect for underfunded FCS. Except more depressing since you're watching these teams play in a nearly empty, say, Franklin Field or Yale Bowl and you know they used to be major programs and now they're just ghosts.

(05-07-2012 03:52 PM)justinslot Wrote:  I have...it's about what you would expect for underfunded FCS. Except more depressing since you're watching these teams play in a nearly empty, say, Franklin Field or Yale Bowl and you know they used to be major programs and now they're just ghosts.

Yale sells out the Bowl for Harvard, averages 22K a game all told. And some SMU crowds look like a Saturday at Franklin Field.

Then again, maybe the Hoyas will get some TV time in non-conference games!

Hot dang...can't wait to watch Brown vs Harvard lacross!!!! Thanks NBC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(05-07-2012 07:26 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Hot dang...can't wait to watch Brown vs Harvard lacross!!!! Thanks NBC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our long national nightmare of not seeing non-scholarship D1aa football is over

Harvard - Yale football will probably attract a fair amount of viewers. The Ivy always has 1 fairly good basketball team. Plus they have Princeton and Cornell who are consistently great in lacrosse.

(05-07-2012 07:22 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(05-07-2012 03:52 PM)justinslot Wrote:  I have...it's about what you would expect for underfunded FCS. Except more depressing since you're watching these teams play in a nearly empty, say, Franklin Field or Yale Bowl and you know they used to be major programs and now they're just ghosts.

Yale sells out the Bowl for Harvard, averages 22K a game all told. And some SMU crowds look like a Saturday at Franklin Field.

I know, but that average is a bump from The Game. They must hover around 10,000 the rest of the season. And don't be mean to the Ponies! At least they have a plan to start filling the house that Doak didn't build...

I have watched Ivy League football games on regional sports channels on DirecTV.

Nothing says compelling national interest like Brown at Columbia. Love to watch those 193 pound defensive tackles.

Well, at least "Boomer" Chris Berman will be watching. Dude loves the Ivy League and gets off on incorporating the old schtick "The Bills QB is Ryan Fitzpatrick--- who went to HARVARD!"

(05-08-2012 07:38 AM)vabearcat Wrote:  Nothing says compelling national interest like Brown at Columbia. Love to watch those 193 pound defensive tackles.

To be fair, the Brown D-line is 245, 260, 260, and 225.

FYI. When ESPN first started they broadcast badminton and curling. NBC wanting to get their sports network off the ground will be the best thing that ever happened for big east tv negotiations. We are gonna see just how bad the worldwide leader wants to keep big east basketball.

I watched a few games last year on one of the regional networks. One of them, think it was Princeton-Columbia, was played in a blizzard. It was pretty fun to watch just for that reason.

Also, NBC, if you're going to show me Ivy League sports, then put the crew teams on and televise the regattas.

Not sure they'll be a lot of interest nationwide in watching the Ivies on NBC, but I go to a few Brown hoops, soccer and hockey games each year with my sons (along with Friars games too). Easy access getting there on the East Side. $5 for me, my sons get in free. Parking free. Walk over to eat on Thayer Street before the games. The Ivies have so much money that they don't squeeze us for every dime. Hoops and hockey games are on Fri and Sat nites at 7pm.

Brown soccer is usually ranked and won several NCAA tourney games the past couple of years. In hoops, we sit three rows behind the visiting team bench. ECAC Hockey is pretty good too, and there are good sightlines at Meehan. Would definitely recommend going to college hockey games on a freezing winter night... wide-open play, non-stop action, fewer screaming annoying drunks compared to NHL games (better for kids), great atmosphere, good-looking co-eds...

(05-09-2012 06:03 AM)Mtyler Wrote:  FYI. When ESPN first started they broadcast badminton and curling. NBC wanting to get their sports network off the ground will be the best thing that ever happened for big east tv negotiations. We are gonna see just how bad the worldwide leader wants to keep big east basketball.

+1

(05-07-2012 08:09 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote:  Harvard - Yale football will probably attract a fair amount of viewers. The Ivy always has 1 fairly good basketball team. Plus they have Princeton and Cornell who are consistently great in lacrosse.

Bingo. I love watching "The Game" when I can, and I'm from Texas. I mean, of course, Ivy League football isn't high-quality. Hasn't been for years. But without Ivy League schools being big-time programs in the early days of organized college football, would the sport be where it is today? I certainly don't think so.

(05-07-2012 03:30 PM)zibby Wrote:  NBC also has rights to the Colonial Athletic Association football and basketball, plus the NHL and MLS. If you think NBC is going to rescue the BE with a huge TV contract offer, you're dreaming.

Not sure how your looking at it, or if your just trolling, but I get quite the opposite impression. I see a network that is desperate for inventory. So desperate, that they are getting Ivy league games just to fill tv slots. I also see a network that truly is commiting itself to growing and also looking to make college sports a big part of it's inventory moving forward. If a network with the resources NBC has is paying for the Ivy League, imagine what they'll pay when they get their first chance at a major college sports conference. If nothing else, this move proves the speculation that they are desperate for inventory, and desperation can lead to a network being willing to throw out more money than any of it's competitors.