It's Official, FOX Doesn't Match ESPN/ABC's BCS Bid
Monday, November 17, 2008
It was honestly just a matter of time, but this evening FOX finally decided to decline their opportunity to keep the BCS under its umbrella, and in turn sending the BCS back to Disney. Via Wall Street Journal....
Fox Sports declined to match an offer from ESPN to televise Bowl Championship Series college football games from 2011 to 2014, the network announced Monday.Obviously the BCS still has to accept ESPN's deal, but it's really a forgone conclusion at this point. Thank goodness too. It's going to be sad to not be able to play the band drinking game well into the 21st century with all of you, but this deal doesn't kick into 2011, so we've got at least three more years of poking fun at FOX!
"Even with today's vast economic uncertainties, Fox Sports made a very competitive bid to keep broadcasting BCS games free to every home in America, one that included a substantial rights fee increase, and certainly as much as any over-the-air network could responsibly risk. Unfortunately, the university presidents and BCS commissioners were not satisfied and they've decided to take their jewel events to pay television," Lou D'Ermilio, a spokesman for Fox, said in a statement.
With Fox bowing out, ESPN in all likelihood becomes the broadcaster of the national championship game, as well as the Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls. It also opens the door for the Rose Bowl to move from ABC to ESPN.
FYI, According to John Ourand of Sports Business Daily, FOX's highest offer was $100 Million per year which was about $25 Million less than ESPN's number.
Fox Sports Abandons BCS Bid (Wall Street Journal)
18 Comments:
I'm a douchewad. ESPN is better than me and I suck donkey cock.
@ Mal: Mike Patrick, Brent Musberger, and Lou Holtz > anything Fox has to offer.
You gotta love how the assholes at Fox were all playing to the people as if ESPN were bad guys. "Well, we tried to keep it on free TV...". Correct me if I'm wrong, but won't pretty much everyone in the country have ESPN on February 20, 2009 when the country switches to DTV?
And isn't the national championship game on ESPN next year anyway because it's going to be played at the Rose Bowl?
Here's to hoping that ESPN unleashes Emmitt Smiff on the BCS!
DTV != cable. The DTV switchover only mandates that over-the-air broadcasts need to be broadcasting in digital instead of analog; it says nothing about cable or satellite offerings, and does not make any of the current cable-only networks available for free. Basically, all it means is you are required to be able to watch your local networks in HD with an antenna; you'll still need to pay (someone) for the ability to see ESPN and the like
,Um... Yay?
"It also opens the door for the Rose Bowl to move from ABC to ESPN."
The Rose Bowl's ego doesn't fit on cable, even if it's USC 64, Big Ten 3 every year. That's part of why we have the BCS in the first place.
And over-the-air TV once again gets fucked royally when the Granddaddy of 'Em All moves to cable.
We the consumer are gonna get f-ed over by ESPN when the amount of your cable/ satellite bill is increased. As it is, it is the one of the most expensive channels at about nearly $4.00/ subscriber.
All the douches that say "cable bills are gonna increase now" should realize that they increase all the time for no reason.
My cable bill has increased before and I didn't get a new channel or any damn thing else from it.
I'm honestly a bit shocked AA has yet to say anything about the move-to-cable angle. Does he just not realize the lead he's burying, does he not care because everyone has cable and it doesn't matter, or does he not believe it's happening?
So these games going to ESPN is going to mean, necessarily, that none of the BCS games will be shown on ABC?
I ask because the network says "ESPN on ABC" all over the place.
why will the rose bowl move from ABC to espn? they are the same company. wont they just keep the game on ABC? and why cant they put other bcs games on abc?
That is the question
Why all BCS games will be on ESPN, not ABC????
this will suck unless S-spin can get the good ol boys to agree on a playoff format.
and please much like it's a "forgone" conclusion that the BCS accepts S-spin offer, likewise, it's "forgone" that our cable bills will increase.
I find it hard to believe that, at least, the national championship game wouldn't be on ABC. I think we have to remember that the WSJ is part of the same media empire as Fox. This article strikes me as News Corp. taking a few shots at Disney.
Iam Happy that ESPN got the BID to the BCS Games I think FOXS whole Broadcasters team sucks And yes ESPN is part of ABC so the game will be on ABC
Ted
While the countless band shots will be missed, we have the opportunity for Lou Holtz, Mike Patrick, Brent Musberger, etal to be involved in BCS game broadcasts. The college football gods are smiling on you, AA.