The player in this whole deal nobody is talking about is Fox Sports. The Pac-10 Network that's the point of this whole deal is being planned with Fox sports. Specifically the division of Fox Sports that runs the Fox regional sports channels and Fox College Sports.
Last year, of CU's 12 games, 4 were on ESPN and 1 on ABC. The other 7 were available for Fox to pick up on one network or another - they picked up 6. Three on Fox Sports Net's Big XII package and three on Fox College Sports. The year before 2 games were on ESPN, 3 were on ABC and 1 was on Versus. Of the remaining 6, Fox picked up 4.
Looking at Baylor, of their 12 games last year, 2 were on ABC and 2 were on Versus. Of their remaining 8 games, Fox picked up 3. Only one of those (Texas, of course) was shown on any of the Fox networks aside from Fox Sports Southwest. In 2008 ESPN picked up 1 of their games, Versus took two and of the remaining 9, Fox took 4. Three on FSN and 1 on FCS.
Looking at the two years together, Fox (the network that will be paying for the Pac-16 network), picked up 10 of 13 CU games they had the option to air. They took 7 of 17 of Baylors, and with limited distribution of two of those. On top of that, CU had 6 games on ESPN, Baylor had 1. CU had 4 on ABC. Baylor had 2. The only TV partner of the Pac's that aired more Baylor games than CU games was Versus - and the Baylor games they aired were against Texas Tech, Okie State and Nubraska (twice). When CU played Okie State and the Nubs, those games were picked up by ESPN and ABC.
Look at the schedules. It's clear CU has much more TV pull with Fox and in general than Baylor. And the TV folks are going to have a say in this deal. The Pac-10 is expanding to attract television money - most likely from Fox. I would guess Fox is going to have some say in who gets to join the league they're paying to broadcast...
Last year, of CU's 12 games, 4 were on ESPN and 1 on ABC. The other 7 were available for Fox to pick up on one network or another - they picked up 6. Three on Fox Sports Net's Big XII package and three on Fox College Sports. The year before 2 games were on ESPN, 3 were on ABC and 1 was on Versus. Of the remaining 6, Fox picked up 4.
Looking at Baylor, of their 12 games last year, 2 were on ABC and 2 were on Versus. Of their remaining 8 games, Fox picked up 3. Only one of those (Texas, of course) was shown on any of the Fox networks aside from Fox Sports Southwest. In 2008 ESPN picked up 1 of their games, Versus took two and of the remaining 9, Fox took 4. Three on FSN and 1 on FCS.
Looking at the two years together, Fox (the network that will be paying for the Pac-16 network), picked up 10 of 13 CU games they had the option to air. They took 7 of 17 of Baylors, and with limited distribution of two of those. On top of that, CU had 6 games on ESPN, Baylor had 1. CU had 4 on ABC. Baylor had 2. The only TV partner of the Pac's that aired more Baylor games than CU games was Versus - and the Baylor games they aired were against Texas Tech, Okie State and Nubraska (twice). When CU played Okie State and the Nubs, those games were picked up by ESPN and ABC.
Look at the schedules. It's clear CU has much more TV pull with Fox and in general than Baylor. And the TV folks are going to have a say in this deal. The Pac-10 is expanding to attract television money - most likely from Fox. I would guess Fox is going to have some say in who gets to join the league they're paying to broadcast...