(02-06-2019 09:16 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(02-06-2019 07:55 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  

(02-06-2019 04:52 PM)usffan Wrote:  There are way too many moving parts for this to be as simple as people are making it out to be. Remember, the AAC has a deal with CBS as well that allows some of their live events (including, but not exclusive to, football and basketball). Plus, I'm sure there are discussions about numbers of games required to be carried on the air instead of on ESPN+ (and the compensation that goes with that, since ESPN is trying to build that platform). Furthermore, there's the sublicensing issue - what compensation could/should the conference expect if/when ESPN looks to sublicense rights to certain games to other outlets?

In 2012, there was a thought that NBC was trying to become a player in what was perceived to be the value of airing live sports. We now know that NBC really never got into that game, and Fox has only entered it in a limited capacity, since FS1 never really became a true ESPN competitor. Nobody really expects that to be the case in 2019.

USFFan

Never? Well they aren't done and no one expected them to be at ESPNs level by now. I think they are doing quite well seeing all the content they have gathered. They have taken the step as becoming a place people look for live sports.

But it's now pretty clear they're never going to be able to do what ESPN was able to do, charge 100M subscribers $6-7-8 a month. That was the end goal, that was the reason that Murdoch was willing to see Fox lay out big money for sports properties, whether or not they were profitable propositions on their own.

So now the calculus for Fox buying sports rights is very different. (And Comcast's dreams of doing the same thing with NBC-SN are equally shot)

But the goal wasn't to be what ESPN was because thats unrealistic since they have had a 30+ year head start and a monopoly. They can and are making money which is the goal and are growing every year. You think they are going to give up because they can never be the behemoth ESPN once was? They can be very successful being the Pepsi to ESPN's Coke. Having the MLB playoffs, B1G FB, Big XII/East BBall will keep bringing viewers around and advertisers dishing out cash for those eyeballs. Anyone who thinks that they expected to reach their goal in 5 years is very naive. Did Fox Co give up when Fox wasn't at the level of NBC after 5 years?