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Big-12 "opens" early media negotiations

ttowncoug

Hall Of Fame
Sep 9, 2001
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"In a statement to Front Office Sports, however, ESPN cautioned that the discussions are not necessarily formal. “We regularly engage in conversation around the future with all of our partners, but to be clear, we have not opened the contractual negotiation window with the Big 12 at this time,” the network said."

Very interesting timing. If the Pac-12 is being the aggressor, it might be saying to select Big-12 teams, what is your value anyway? Maybe it's better in aligning with us and our deal.

The thing for me is that certain markets in the central time zone open up the 9am kickoffs more broadly for the conference. And if ESPN is trying to keep eyeballs off of Fox, why not flood it with early match ups that the west coast will watch vs. Big-10 football. TCU vs. Oregon at 9am gets interest.

 
"In a statement to Front Office Sports, however, ESPN cautioned that the discussions are not necessarily formal. “We regularly engage in conversation around the future with all of our partners, but to be clear, we have not opened the contractual negotiation window with the Big 12 at this time,” the network said."

Very interesting timing. If the Pac-12 is being the aggressor, it might be saying to select Big-12 teams, what is your value anyway? Maybe it's better in aligning with us and our deal.

The thing for me is that certain markets in the central time zone open up the 9am kickoffs more broadly for the conference. And if ESPN is trying to keep eyeballs off of Fox, why not flood it with early match ups that the west coast will watch vs. Big-10 football. TCU vs. Oregon at 9am gets interest.

Or it could be a negotiation ploy with the Pac 12/10. ESPN could be saying "If you (pac) want that much we will just go make a deal with the Big 12 and let you dissolve"....
Just a thought.
 
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