Entries tagged with “Bowl Games” from Global Sports Buzz

THATS IT!!! its a done deal finally. ESPN has now been named the new home for the four big BCS bowl games. It has been talked about for weeks now and everyone has seemed to see it coming. FOX sports was outbid by ESPN by around $100 million posting a staggering $495 million big to be paid out over four years. The news comes from the SportsBusiness journal reporting that it did not take long for the BCS presidential oversight committee to okay the deal from ESPN. University Presidents were expected to make a big stink about the games going to cable television, but no such resistance was met for ESPN and the BCS committee. FOX was reportedly overpowered by the bid and was not able to conjure up a reason for making their bid any higher, they were just not going to win this battle.

The BCS bowl games are now going to be on cable television... Hmmm is that good or bad? For one thing, its going to make ESPN millions of dollars as it still has part of the rights to the Rose Bowl as well which is already aired on ABC. They are expected to make record revenue from this deal just in advertisements alone. However, 16 million fewer people have the ability to watch the newly cable televised bowl games, I guess we will see how people react to that. This has been an interesting story to follow as we slowly begin to see more and more championship games and matches go from over the air television to cable stations. Who's/what is next to go??????

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As I have talked about before, and continue to follow this story, it is reported that the major BCS bowls are ESPN bound. There is beginning to be a new trend in the sports world, that is moving from broadcast television, to cable television channels like ESPN. We have already seen it with the likes of "Monday Night Football," the Chase for the Sprint cup in NASCAR, and the British open starting in 2010.  ESPN reaches 20 million fewer homes then its broadcast network partner ABC and other networks. This is why moving BCS bowl games, with such high levels of interest amongst the American people could be a gutsy move.

This has become just another case of looking for the highest bidder. Fox broadcast network, who has had the rights to these bowl games in the past has had the chance to match any offer given up until today. It is believed that they will not be able to afford the $100 million deal over four years which ESPN has posted to the BCS committee. It is obvious that the Disney Corporation is making out like a bandit who owns ABC, and eighty percent of ESPN. ABC still continues to own the rights to the all important Rose Bowl, and now Disney and ESPN may have all of the top bowl games on their cable network. If it is any consolation, the NFL, MLB, and NBA are not even close to being interested in making their post season championships to cable television networks. Who knows what the future has in store for championship play. Hopefully everyone will get to enjoy the excitement of big time games.

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