CFP staying at ESPN (6 yrs for $7.8B)
The Athletic CFB reporters are saying the CFP reached an agreement for 2026 and beyond, assuming CFP can resolve its outstanding issues. ESPN has the ability to sublicense games at their discretion.
(Why do I have a feeling this is going to end up on the new sports streaming service for $50/month?)
February 13th, 2024 at 2:52 PM ^
Fuck ESPN
February 13th, 2024 at 2:57 PM ^
Username checks out.
February 13th, 2024 at 2:54 PM ^
My sense is that anything the networks have to actually pay real money for (i.e., not reality TV but sports, big production pieces, etc.) is gonna be something they are going to want to charge for on an individual subscriber basis. They want to cut out the cable providers
February 13th, 2024 at 2:55 PM ^
Ensures SEC bias. Thanks Warde!
Why not blame him for everything else lol! /s
February 13th, 2024 at 2:56 PM ^
You are right about the streaming service. Dammit. Cable cutting hasn't worked out much better financially any more.
February 13th, 2024 at 4:25 PM ^
It’s going to get worse and worse. You’ll have to have 4 different streaming services to be able to watch all 12 Michigan football games during the regular season within the next 5 years would be my guess. Best part is you will pay for the subscription and still get to watch a bazillion commercials. Yay!
February 13th, 2024 at 4:34 PM ^
The idea of that pisses me off! I'd rather spend $60 at a sports bar to watch a single game. Not sure it makes sense, but gall dang it, I'm mad about this!
February 13th, 2024 at 5:55 PM ^
Yep, Prime Video already went from “your paying for Prime Video to get access to movies” to “ your paying for Prime Video to get access to movies…and if you want them ad free, you have to pay more”.
February 13th, 2024 at 8:04 PM ^
ESPN for coin toss and the exciting first quarter
Peacock with the second quarter plucky response and a 20 minutes analysis at halftime
Or tune into Bravo for the bands at halftime
CBS presents the shutdown third quarter broadcast featuring the Wolverine defense
And of course, like every week, it’s Joel Klatt and Gus Johnson to bring home the dramatic finish on Fox!
February 14th, 2024 at 12:10 PM ^
I laughed, then thought it won't be so funny when it actually happens.
February 13th, 2024 at 2:59 PM ^
I'll never forgive ESPN for not doing the Rose Bowl in 4k.
It wasn't even in 1080p!
I never cared before, but this year should be immortalized properly.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:06 PM ^
This guy gets it.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:15 PM ^
I think ESPN is unable to add commercials to their 4K coverage, which is great for viewers, but not so much for their advertisers. I suspect that’s why they have been so limited in their use of 4K.
FOX, NBC, and now CBS have seemingly figured it out. Not sure why ESPN is dragging their feet.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:58 PM ^
Am I missing something or could they just include commercials in 720p / 1080p in between the 4k coverage? Even if someone has to run it through video software to upscale to 4k prior to running that does not seem like a technological issue.
I am still using 10+ year old 1080p TV's so what do I know...
February 13th, 2024 at 5:59 PM ^
I still secretly hold hope that ESPN has a 4k skycam video of the game they've buried somewhere for some obscure random reason.
If anyone from ESPN is reading this, I would pay you $10 for a copy of that recording. And I bet there's at least another 10,000 Michigan fans that would also pay for it.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:00 PM ^
The Big Ten and SEC seem like they have a lot of leverage here - and specifically the Big Ten. I'm not bullish the 12-team CFP as we know it will remain in its form past 2026
February 13th, 2024 at 3:13 PM ^
UPDATE: Jim Harbaugh has hired the CFP to be a position coach with the Chargers.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:18 PM ^
I believe moving to a model of paid college athletes is going to create as many new problems in college athletics as it solves, but with this insane amount of money sloshing around it's no mystery why football players want to get a piece of the action.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:32 PM ^
Respectfully, it will certainly create more problems than it solves.
February 13th, 2024 at 4:16 PM ^
For the individual(s) who downvoted me - just one thought, if I may.
I’m supportive of NIL - as it was originally intended - the use of a players name, image, and likeness.
The media agreements - IMO - have reached ridiculous heights and sums of money. I do not have a problem with media revenue sharing with student athletes. And, I have often suggested that Michigan and/or the B1G take the lead in trying to solve the media revenue sharing issue.
A solution to media revenue sharing will be complex - and must take into account ALL student athletes - addressing Title IX and non revenue generating sports.
Finally - I believe a scholarship has value - and, should be factored into the equation.
My guess is - the B1G / SEC committee will try to figure out some sort of solution to address the runaway train of NIL - but, what else will that committee do?
February 13th, 2024 at 4:27 PM ^
With the NCAA coming out with a D1+ model, if the Big Ten and SEC are smart their focus should be on figuring out how to share revenue with athletes, fund women's sports and non-FB/BB sports (WBB is probably less than MBB but probably drives more revenue than any other college sport other than FB).
Of course, them being smart is a big if, and even if they are they still have to herd cats. The reason problems are being created is because there is nobody really in charge trying to solve them. Otherwise there are many financially viable solutions, all of which will piss off everybody to some extent, and rather than anyone having the leadership to take this framework forward in a fair manner, everyone is so hamstrung by their fear of the unknown that they'll just let the courts wreak havoc. But because the framework is at its core tying sports to universities - two emotional attachments - we'll keep tuning in and paying money and it'll keep on meandering forward.
February 13th, 2024 at 7:09 PM ^
I don't understand why you feel so strongly that TV revenue generated by the football program has to be redirected to non-revenue sports. Those sports have no more to do with the program's success than any other university department. Let whatever amount that needs to stay in the AD stay in the AD, and earmark a percentage to the players on the team who earned the money. The AD can live without (learn to live without) say 10 percent of their TV revenue, ticket sales and concessions.
February 13th, 2024 at 8:47 PM ^
Please don’t misunderstand my point - and, I am not being negative or critical. This media revenue sharing problem is essential to address and fix. And, figuring out how to do that with Title IX - well, it’s a big part of the problem / issue - IMO.
I agree that football is the major driver of the media agreements. However, other sports teams are also broadcast on the various media channels - ABC and Fox are the biggies. Fox Sports Channel, FS2, and BTN also carry a lot of programming. You’ll see women’s hoops - and gymnastics & wrestling on BTN.
My thought is a “base plus variable” for each student athlete. The “base” is an allocation to EVERY student athlete - it’s the same - regardless of sport and gender. The “variable” could reflect the media revenue associated with each specific sport. Figuring out that formula / equation will be the real tricky part.
If men’s lacrosse or field hockey filled Michigan Stadium and generated the same amount of revenue as football - then the “variable” would be the same. We all know it doesn’t - and, with Title IX it’s probably essential to develop a model which includes a variety of factors.
February 13th, 2024 at 9:12 PM ^
I would love to see Michigan involve the various departments in the university and develop a recommendation. Both the Law and Business schools have some very bright people - engage them - pay them.
My hope, or interest, would be a model that doesn’t spend the next 20 years in court challenges because it wasn’t thought through well enough.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:26 PM ^
I miss when every big game was on ABC (not fucking ESPN on ABC either)
February 13th, 2024 at 3:28 PM ^
6 more years of SEC bias and non stop hearing about how no one has SEC speed. Awesome. /s
February 13th, 2024 at 3:35 PM ^
You must have watched the Rose Bowl. To some, it was crystal clear that Michigan couldn’t handle Bama’s size, speed, and roster depth.
Michigan couldn’t contain, slow down, or stop Milroe. That was certainly the mantra.
Then - I think of Michigan’s first defensive series. - the last play of the game - and everything in-between. The result - I smile and say.. Go Blue!
February 13th, 2024 at 4:03 PM ^
Yeah. It was so frustrating seeing how much slow Morris was on the crossing route. If he had SEC speed, he might have been able to get the first down and had a slim chance to maybe score.
February 13th, 2024 at 4:21 PM ^
We get to show the scoreboard Everytime a jerk off in ESPN talks about SEC speed. We finally shut up those fuckers. It is glorious.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:35 PM ^
Was really hoping FOX would be part of this as well.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:36 PM ^
I'm wrong about a lot of things but I've felt pretty confident that "cord cutting" wasn't going to save people money in the long run without significant concessions in terms of content, and right now it sure feels like the media rights owners are realizing they can probably charge even more from individuals to access the content than they could with cable. I did the math and to just watch UM sports from the streaming services it's about $100, which is about what a monthly cable bill.
Anyway, looking forward to seeing playoff games with 10-second lag.
February 13th, 2024 at 4:00 PM ^
FYI Youtube TV lets you reduce the delay. Follow these instructions and they just added an option to reduce the lag permanently.
February 13th, 2024 at 3:37 PM ^
Does this now include include the “5 through 12” seed games on college campuses?
I’d heard the first round - on campus - had not yet finalized their media deals - as of about a month ago.
February 13th, 2024 at 10:54 PM ^
Yes, although there are some final details that need to be worked out.
February 13th, 2024 at 4:38 PM ^
*puke*
#GoBlue
February 13th, 2024 at 5:19 PM ^
I can't wait to see what percent of this goes to the student athletes as part of the Jim Harbaugh Memorial Revenue Sharing Plan.
February 13th, 2024 at 6:13 PM ^
They must turn a profit - why else would Disney fork out that amount 🤨
February 13th, 2024 at 6:42 PM ^
Fuck ESPN
February 13th, 2024 at 6:54 PM ^
I was going to buy it, but I was $7.8B short.
February 13th, 2024 at 7:27 PM ^
Fucking dumb as hell.
At the very least, ABC should also get rights to air the NC game.
My lovely mom who's a 50+ year season ticket holder and a proud alumn couldn't watch the game this year because she didn't have ESPN.
Fucking dumb as hell that the NC game isn't on free, over the air, TV.
February 14th, 2024 at 6:23 AM ^
^^^^^. This - exactly.