A couple of days ago I passed along a story from SBJ about ESPN and Fox not being exactly thrilled to pay more money to the Big 12 if it adds mid-major programs during expansion. Now Pete Thamel from SI has an interesting column about the role that alternative broadcast platforms could play in future rights negotiations:
It's becoming increasingly clear that the Big 12's long-term plans are predicated on cashing in from alternative broadcast sources, which could include Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Netflix or some broadcast medium that's yet to have been invented.
In a fitting twist, the appetite of those non-traditional broadcasters will best be gauged by none other than the AAC. The AAC's television deals expire in 2019, which means that it will get a chance to be a guinea pig for bringing so-called "new media" to the table. "Anyone with eyes can tell that the big Internet companies—I wouldn't even call them new media, they're not anymore—are going to be bigger players," AAC commissioner Mike Aresco told SI.com on Tuesday. "There's no question. TV is TV and media is media. You can watch a game on a pie plate.
I know its pro forma here to rip the Big 12, but this might -- MIGHT -- be a solid strategy by Bowlsby. If you can get on to Google, Amazon, Netflix, etc. you might lose scale in terms of audience, but I'd argue that you might be able to offset with a high premium you can charge. For example, we have Sling in our house and pay $5 extra each month for its sports package, which includes the SEC Network. Imagine a fan having the option to cut the cord on cable, but turn to a streaming service that allows them the a la carte option of watching their favorite team in their favorite league. I don't think it can work for a league like the AAC, but I could see it working for the Big 12. And maybe it doesn't have to be your prime revenue driver, but can work at the margin with a traditional TV deal.
It's becoming increasingly clear that the Big 12's long-term plans are predicated on cashing in from alternative broadcast sources, which could include Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Netflix or some broadcast medium that's yet to have been invented.
In a fitting twist, the appetite of those non-traditional broadcasters will best be gauged by none other than the AAC. The AAC's television deals expire in 2019, which means that it will get a chance to be a guinea pig for bringing so-called "new media" to the table. "Anyone with eyes can tell that the big Internet companies—I wouldn't even call them new media, they're not anymore—are going to be bigger players," AAC commissioner Mike Aresco told SI.com on Tuesday. "There's no question. TV is TV and media is media. You can watch a game on a pie plate.
I know its pro forma here to rip the Big 12, but this might -- MIGHT -- be a solid strategy by Bowlsby. If you can get on to Google, Amazon, Netflix, etc. you might lose scale in terms of audience, but I'd argue that you might be able to offset with a high premium you can charge. For example, we have Sling in our house and pay $5 extra each month for its sports package, which includes the SEC Network. Imagine a fan having the option to cut the cord on cable, but turn to a streaming service that allows them the a la carte option of watching their favorite team in their favorite league. I don't think it can work for a league like the AAC, but I could see it working for the Big 12. And maybe it doesn't have to be your prime revenue driver, but can work at the margin with a traditional TV deal.
