FS1 vs. ESPN

[CaribouJim]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20140316/media-circus-ncaa-tournament-primer/?eref=sihp

Some tidbits from Richard Deitsch's weekly MEDIA CIRCUS column:

If you want an example of how tough it is to defeat ESPN for fledgling networks: Fox Sports 1 televised 145 college basketball games this season, averaging 75,000 viewers. ESPN aired 117 games, and averaged 1.1 million viewers.

Ouch - was surprised that FS1 televised more games than ESPN as well. In any event, an example as to why FS1 needs to make a concerted and honest effort to land the Big 10 when is comes up for renewal in a couple years.

CBS Sports producer Charlie Bloom consistently does exceptional work. Here's his piece on the charity work of Marquette basketball coach Buzz Williams.

http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/collegebasketball/197180483723/0/buzzs-bunch

The next talent domino for ESPN management to address is Rece Davis, a standout studio and game performer whose contract is coming up. Davis was also interested in becoming Musburger's replacement, and currently calls ESPN's Thursday Night college football package, along with hosting college football and college basketball studio shows. "We love Rece Davis," Wildhack said in an SI.com interview last Thursday. "We love the work he does for us. Rece is a very important and valued contributor to what we do in the college space. I would like to see him remain in that position for years to come. We want him for a long, long time."

FS1, please go after him...PLEASE!!! He would add some instant credibility - would love for him to host a morning college b-ball program to go up against ESPN's Game Day. I really like him.

Another guy I would like FS1 to go after is Bob Ley. His excellent Outside the Lines show has been treated like crap lately. I'm only seeing it on Sunday mornings now. They've broken a lot of stories over the years and he is well respected in the industry. I could see him overseeing and hosting FS1's foray into documentaries, if in fact they plan to do so in the future. You can say all you want about ESPN, but I think, for the most part, their documentaries are very good and attract more eyes ads some more street cred to their offerings. I'd be interested in the ratings of last night's Big East special - I bet they were pretty impressive - they sure did promote the hell out of it. Bob Ley could also host their soccer coverage. Tried to find out his contract details and expiration, but couldn't find anything.

[IWB]

Great post Caribou - great info & ideas.

One thing I think they need to work on is the cable placement etc. When you look at the viewership, sure - everyone knows how/where to find ESPN, but FS1?

I have ATT Uverse. With Uverse, the sports channels start at 1600. Here is how it goes....

1600 - ATT Sports
1602 - ESPN
1604 - ESPN News
1605 - ESPNU
1606 - ESPN2
1609 - Longhorn Network
1613 - ESPN Buzzer Beaters
1629 - NFL Redzone
1630 - NFL Network
1632 - NBA TV
1634 - MLB Network
1640 - NBC Sports
1641 - Golf Channel
1642 - Sportsman Channel
1643 - CBS Sports Network
1650 - Big 10 Network
1651 - Fox Sports 2
1652 - Fox Sports 1

It goes on and on after that. Point is, sure - we Big East fans know where to find it, but for the average sports fan, when you are scrolling through the channels, you are pretty certain to find something and stop before you get to Fox Sports 1, so with listings like this, FS1 won't be getting the channel surfers too often.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Landing the Big 10 would be huge... The Big East is near and dear to us but its 10 small private universities... Getting the large state universities draws more eyeballs

[Nukem2]

On Time Warner here, ESPN has 1301-1305. FS1 is 1317 with FS2 buried in the 300s on a pay Sports Pass.

[IrwinFletcher]

I was very surprised that Fox did not utilize the Super Bowl more to advertise FS1 and its buckets coverage. I believe I saw only 1 commercial. Thought they would have hyped it up more than they did.

Also, will there be baseball coverage on FS1 this summer or is that down the road as well?

[TulsaWarrior]

Fox Sports One is the American Football League and it's the early 1960. I'm hoping Deonte Burton is Joe Namath. ;-)

[CaribouJim]

Funny that you have AT&T Uverse. A buddy of mine here in the Chicago area called me up the night of the Xavier game last week and asked what channel the game was on and I told him FS1, but I have Comcast so couldn't give a numbered channel as he has AT&T Uverse as well and he tried to plug that in and nothing was popping up. He finally found it after a long search. Maybe an old fashioned direct mail campaign by FS1 to educate their consumers? Can't watch it if you can't find it!

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

When people say you hope they get the Big Ten, are you referencing the games that they don't show on BTN and sell off to ESPN?

It will be interesting to see how things end up: Big East taking the increase in short term money (10 yrs, I believe) from Fox and therefore MUCH less exposure vs taking less money with ESPN and maintaining the high level of exposure.

[CaribouJim]

When people say you hope they get the Big Ten, are you referencing the games that they don't show on BTN and sell off to ESPN?

It will be interesting to see how things end up: Big East taking the increase in short term money (10 yrs, I believe) from Fox and therefore MUCH less exposure vs taking less money with ESPN and maintaining the high level of exposure.

Yes

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

Yes

With limited content would this potentially take away from the Big East and Pac 10 games shown? Sure it would get more eyeballs to the station, but would Marquette be televised on the station as much with the additional content?

[CaribouJim]

With limited content would this potentially take away from the Big East and Pac 10 games shown? Sure it would get more eyeballs to the station, but would Marquette be televised on the station as much with the additional content?

Don't think there was any cannibalization to speak of with the old BE and the Big 10 and the PAC 12 is on the west coast for the most part although granted that they have more channels. They can figure something out - like the Big Monday stuff and the new BE has less teams.

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

yeah, good call. I would think they would be able to figure that out as well.

So Fox's incentive would be to obviously get the Big Ten eyeballs to their station, correct? Have to imagine that will cost a fortune but might be a very worthwhile investment.

[CaribouJim]

yeah, good call. I would think they would be able to figure that out as well.

So Fox's incentive would be to obviously get the Big Ten eyeballs to their station, correct? Have to imagine that will cost a fortune but might be a very worthwhile investment.

You have to spend some money to make some money!

[MulliganMusings]

If I'm not mistaken there is an existing relationship between Fox and the BTN; in fact I believe Fox has an ownership position. That would seem to greatly improve the chances of FS1 acquiring Big Ten rights.

[ziggysfryboy]

If I'm not mistaken there is an existing relationship between Fox and the BTN; in fact I believe Fox has an ownership position. That would seem to greatly improve the chances of FS1 acquiring Big Ten rights.

Fox owns 49% of the BTN.

Fox getting the big teen contract would also provide leverage against the carriers to move FS2 to the basic channels off of the sports pack tier.

[MU/Panther]

Keep in mind MLB starts on FS1. 40+ games and playoffs.

[TheSultan]

To refresh everyone's memory, the Big Ten's contract with ESPN ends after the 2015-16 year. With Fox already a partial owner of the BTN, and Fox already televising the B10CG, I fully expect them to make a huge run at the B10 rights. With no other major conference rights up for grabs until well into the 2020s, this will really be their last big chance to get all of the content that such an affiliation can bring.

And to give you a sense of how much they could cash in, I have read estimates that such a contract, along with BTN payouts, might bring each school somewhere between $40 and $50 million annually. That is an absolutely mind-boggling figure.

And ziggy's is right. This would help get FS2 on major tiers. And I would be perfectly willing to see more Marquette games on FS2, or even sold off to networks like CBS Sports, if it means more eyeballs for Fox.

[Goose85]

To refresh everyone's memory, the Big Ten's contract with ESPN ends after the 2015-16 year. With Fox already a partial owner of the BTN, and Fox already televising the B10CG, I fully expect them to make a huge run at the B10 rights. With no other major conference rights up for grabs until well into the 2020s, this will really be their last big chance to get all of the content that such an affiliation can bring.

And to give you a sense of how much they could cash in, I have read estimates that such a contract, along with BTN payouts, might bring each school somewhere between $40 and $50 million annually. That is an absolutely mind-boggling figure.

And ziggy's is right. This would help get FS2 on major tiers. And I would be perfectly willing to see more Marquette games on FS2, or even sold off to networks like CBS Sports, if it means more eyeballs for Fox.

Not sure about basketball, but I think ESPN gets the first two choices of football games to broadcast each week. After that I think the Big 10 can show games on BTN or sell off.

I hope Fox gets the Big 10 games, and there is plenty of opportunity to broadcast without pushing the Big East aside, as the Big 10 would not be offering all its games, instead just the first pick of a handful of games each week.

If that should happen, ESPN would really become the ACC network.

[mufan2003]

Would be helpful if FS1 appeared on standard cable (no digital box or satellite dish). Also FS2, I believe, is not in HD with Time Warner Cable. Would help when games overlap.

[MU/Panther]

Would be helpful if FS1 appeared on standard cable (no digital box or satellite dish). Also FS2, I believe, is not in HD with Time Warner Cable. Would help when games overlap.
It's the same channel's because they are taken in the same fee's.