(05-06-2014 08:36 AM)JRsec Wrote:  Well, NBC would be the flip side of the consolidation coin. One way to make college football as a product worth more is to add more bidders. The other way of course is further consolidation. Short term I would have to think that both ESPN and FOX would respond with more to lock potential contenders for that industry out as that would be to their benefit. ESPN might be more likely to simply shore up its product line since they essentially own two of the likely 4 surviving conferences. FOX on the other hand can't afford to lose anything to either ESPN or especially to a new competitor like NBC. The loss of Big 10 T1 rights really cuts their content down to leased content from other networks and from the PAC. If the Big 12 is in the crosshairs then they lose the only product to which they have prime games without taking what ESPN doles out to them. Other than that it's Big 10 network games.

With Comcast ownership of NBCUniversal, I don't think they are a serious in the sports broadcast business. They have made tepid bids on all of the high profile renegotiation to date. Maybe they are saving their money for the B1G contract but such a move just doesn't seem to fit within Comcast's MO.