ESPN Makes Deal To Bring BCS To Cable

Hollywood Reporter:

NEW YORK -- ESPN and the BCS Group played defense Tuesday about their new four-year deal that would put the highest-profile sports championship squarely on cable TV for the first time.

The $500 million was about $100 million richer for the BCS and its schools than rights-holder Fox Sports was willing to pay to continue when the current deal ends in 2010. But it also means that three bowls -- Fiesta, Orange and Sugar -- and the BCS Championship Game would move from free, over-the-air TV to cable beginning in January 2011.

In arguing for the BCS to accept its $400 million offer -- $80 million more than it currently pays despite so-so ratings -- Fox Sports and others have said that millions of viewers would be left out when the BCS made the jump from broadcast to cable. But the BCS felt otherwise. It not only accepted ESPN's offer Tuesday, a day after Fox declined to match the offer, but it also did so unanimously.

Read the whole story: Hollywood Reporter

Comments

[TrooAmerican]

Why dont they just call a pig a pig, and refer to them as BS?
Seriously. They'd make use of more bowl games, and more cities, and more attendance, if they used a playoff.
As well, every game would mean something then.
75% of the early bowls are totally meaningless except for some fans of those smaller schools that have the money to travel.
If it was a playoff, every early round game would be able to use a Bowl week for its celebratory activities, and the game would have to be televised nationally and mean something and get higher advertising, higher ratings, higher enthusiasm and higher attendance.

Anything else is just... BS.

[drkazmd65]

Gotta love the money involved in 'amature' atheletics,...

It's official,... unless Indiana Univerisity, Purdue University or Kansas State University (colleges I ether graduated from or worked for) get into a BCS bowl,... I will never watch a BCS game again.

Let's just say,... I ain't holding my breath waiting for one of these teams to make it.

[Ozarks]

More pay per view. Pro Football will be next

[V4Vigilance]

In the name of 'truth in advertising' they really should drop the 'C' from BCS.

[Liberalrep1980]

LOL, eat it Fox, eat it.