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Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:46 pm
by johnnyangryfuzzball
GregParks wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 3:49 pm Sports Business Journal reported today that NBCSN is shutting down and moving its major sports (NASCAR, NHL, etc.) to the USA Network. Not sure how serious NBC would've been in bidding on the XFL TV rights, but this seems to take away a potential bidder unless they want to keep compiling sports properties for USA. I guess we'll have to see how USA is able to balance scripted shows/NCIS repeats with sports and if they eventually get rebranded.
NBC's deal with the NHL expires in 2021.

But even if the NHL agrees to renew—and given that Comcast owns both NBC and the Flyers, the odds would be better than they otherwise would be—they'd probably handle the major sports on USA the same way TBS handles baseball, TNT handles the NBA or both manage college hoops.

You'd obviously see a major reduction in inventory: no more 90 games a year. Maybe it'd be a Game of the Week setup, possibly Wednesday. Peacock could simulcast the Comcast SportsNet local telecasts.

As for the XFL, well... if Vince still owned the league, USA might be an attractive partner, but obviously he doesn't anymore. But with one less specialized sports outlet needing content at a time of year with a glut of cheaper college sports, it doesn't look that great for the XFL, especially if ESPN picks up the NHL again. They can probably still keep Fox onboard, but replacing ESPN is going to be nearly impossible. If Fox picks up the NHL... it's game over.

You're not going to get the kind of views needed to be viable on Stadium or FTF. (I wouldn't rule out Stadium for the NHL though; Sinclair already owns regional rights to a huge chunk of teams through buying FSN.)

Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 2:31 pm
by 4th&long
johnnyangryfuzzball wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:46 pm
GregParks wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 3:49 pm Sports Business Journal reported today that NBCSN is shutting down and moving its major sports (NASCAR, NHL, etc.) to the USA Network. Not sure how serious NBC would've been in bidding on the XFL TV rights, but this seems to take away a potential bidder unless they want to keep compiling sports properties for USA. I guess we'll have to see how USA is able to balance scripted shows/NCIS repeats with sports and if they eventually get rebranded.
NBC's deal with the NHL expires in 2021.

But even if the NHL agrees to renew—and given that Comcast owns both NBC and the Flyers, the odds would be better than they otherwise would be—they'd probably handle the major sports on USA the same way TBS handles baseball, TNT handles the NBA or both manage college hoops.

You'd obviously see a major reduction in inventory: no more 90 games a year. Maybe it'd be a Game of the Week setup, possibly Wednesday. Peacock could simulcast the Comcast SportsNet local telecasts.

As for the XFL, well... if Vince still owned the league, USA might be an attractive partner, but obviously he doesn't anymore. But with one less specialized sports outlet needing content at a time of year with a glut of cheaper college sports, it doesn't look that great for the XFL, especially if ESPN picks up the NHL again. They can probably still keep Fox onboard, but replacing ESPN is going to be nearly impossible. If Fox picks up the NHL... it's game over.

You're not going to get the kind of views needed to be viable on Stadium or FTF. (I wouldn't rule out Stadium for the NHL though; Sinclair already owns regional rights to a huge chunk of teams through buying FSN.)
You have some good points there...The difference is XFL gets better ratings than an NHL game. FB rules. Also the remaining Sports nets will need viable eyeball content to survive. Let's see if FS1 brings back TSL this spring.

Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2021 11:07 am
by GregParks
Tangentially related, but the WWE just sold the U.S. distribution of its streaming service to NBC/Peacock for a cool $1 billion. This is a great move for WWE as their customer base for their own network had stagnated with no real signs that would change anytime soon. Content continues to be king.

Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2021 1:08 pm
by MGB01
GregParks wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 11:07 am Tangentially related, but the WWE just sold the U.S. distribution of its streaming service to NBC/Peacock for a cool $1 billion. This is a great move for WWE as their customer base for their own network had stagnated with no real signs that would change anytime soon. Content continues to be king.
I did get a kick out of the press release which mentioned their "30-year relationship" referring to RAW when USA didn't even become part of NBCU until the early 2000s (when WWE was with Viacom). While yes, it's technically true--in the same vein I can watch Starrcade '83 on WWE Network, the relationship with NBC goes back to when SNME debuted on NBC in May 1985, surprised they didn't go there, and if they want to go USA it even goes back to its origins as the original MSG Network back in the late 70s (always remember the neon USA sign and the platformed MSG house mic during MSG shows, especially the first Mania)

But the biggest one I got out of this, hell even Vince McMahon owns Larry Scott (timely with all the Luck to the P12 talk)😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2021 10:36 pm
by 4th&long
GregParks wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 11:07 am Tangentially related, but the WWE just sold the U.S. distribution of its streaming service to NBC/Peacock for a cool $1 billion. This is a great move for WWE as their customer base for their own network had stagnated with no real signs that would change anytime soon. Content continues to be king.
Yes it is.

And it why network TV/Cable ultimately opened the door to streaming. Their programming has tanked over the last 10-12 years, perhaps longer, they can blame themselves.

Amazon NFL-TNF deal close

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2021 2:31 pm
by 4th&long
https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2021/0 ... euro-wnba/

>> Amazon is close to a deal to carry “many” Thursday Night Football games exclusively, rather than simulcasting them with NFL Network, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The games would not be available on any traditional television network outside of the home markets.

Only a handful of NFL games have been carried exclusively via a streaming platform, most recently 49ers-Cardinals on Amazon this past December.

Per WSJ, NFL Network would still air a “handful” of games in the TNF package, as it is required under its carriage agreements to air at least five games per season. To this point, NFL Network has aired every game ever played in the TNF package, even if most of those have been simulcasts of late.

Amazon could pay as much as $1 billion/year for the Thursday night package, according to the report.<<

Which brings the NFL's grand total to $9.6 billion a yr in TV rights deals (not all fully confirmed) including $2b each from CBS, NBC and FOX along with $2.6 from ABC/ESPN.

lets assume that 1.5 games a week for Fox/CBS and 1 a week for ABC, NBC and Amazon in a 17 game season.

That's 102, plus a few extra say 110. +playoffs, 6 WC, 4 Div, 2 conf +SB. And preseason.

Granted ESPN especially gets access to footage etc... into the deal. But in the end that's 110 reg + 13 playoff games - for $9.6 billion.

An 8 team/10 week XFL had 43 games. A 6 team league would have 33. roughly a 1/3 or 1/4.

So can XFL get 1/3 the NFL fee or $3.2billion.... hell no of course not. Could it get 10%? $320mm, Extremely unlikely.

How about 5% or $160mm? Highly unlikely. But how about 2.5% about $80mm? Still Unlikely.

Could they get $40mm or 1.25%? Still I wounder.

IF there VM had bought the league, reactivated it, its possible a reworked contract could have gotten that $40mm plus at least for a season. But with a the league in Zombie mode and all momentum lost and new unproven ownership... Not an easy sell.

Yet FB rules and SOMEONE will make it happen.

Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2021 7:06 pm
by GregParks
I know this had been mentioned elsewhere on this forum in terms of potential NHL deals, but the NHL is reported to have agreed to a seven-year deal with ESPN to share broadcast rights with a yet unnamed second US partner. Financial terms have not yet been disclosed:

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-nhl-sig ... 07219.html

Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2021 8:08 pm
by 4th&long
GregParks wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 7:06 pm I know this had been mentioned elsewhere on this forum in terms of potential NHL deals, but the NHL is reported to have agreed to a seven-year deal with ESPN to share broadcast rights with a yet unnamed second US partner. Financial terms have not yet been disclosed:

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-nhl-sig ... 07219.html
Its this thread... see some previous posts. No surprise. Cable may be shrinking so they want to make people want to rethink and keep ESPN.

FOx doesn't have the wallet but they do have the interest and are the ESPN jr

Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:53 pm
by laxtreme56
If the XFL wants to receive a rights fee, they may have to look at more non-traditional outlets. Maybe it's better to be the star player on BR Live, Twitch, Amazon Prime, and TNT than 3rd fiddle on Fox, ESPN, and ABC.

Re: TV Rights deals - Gen discussion

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:33 am
by MGB01
I don't think it'd be a bad idea to go outside the box by going to Turner. I mean after all what better way to slam the door on any WWE stigma with the XFL than going over to "the competition"(although AEW still has a ways to go in that department)? Vince himself even shopped the XFL(1.0) briefly to the same freaking guy who pulled WCW off the air.

Dwayne does have history, he hosted The Hero on TNT in the summer of 2013.

The AAF did very well with Turner, why this (or anything else) wasn't planned out any more than it was...........sheesh, they would have had a much better shot of making to 2020, that's for sure. TNT had football for the first time in over 20 years, so they jumped at it.

If rights are the thing, I just don't see it coming from ESPN. The three things in the last three months they've acquired/retained (SEC, NFL, NHL) all cost a few pretty pennies, where the hell do they have $$$ for anything else?