A few people think that Alabama and Florida still have their own tier 3 rights. They don't. The other myth is that SEC Network is just Tier 3 programming. It is not, it is also Tier 2 games. The Big 12 only allows one football game per team per year and it is usually a game against a 1AA team as Tier 3. The SEC host not just Tier 3 games on the network, but marquee matchups, too. There are some top-shelf programming, especially in the first few years. On some weeks, CBS would get the game of the week and the No. 2 game would go to the SEC Network.
Basically, ESPN can do whatever they want with the content outside of CBS games, and they put several of the Tier 2 games on the SEC Network. This is a completely different model than other conference networks.
Another myth is that Alabama has a huge tier 3 contract outside the SEC Network. Alabama did sign a $160 million, 10 year deal with Learfield Sports. However, this isn't TV and it isn't just radio. The majority of this contract is for food, beverage, merchandise sales and billboard advertising at games. All things most schools sell separately from their agreements with Learfield Sports type providers
"Alabama has no such unique arrangement, although this fall it will begin its relationship with the forthcoming SEC Network. Per the report, the only difference between this deal and the previous one between Alabama and Learfield—other than the annual guarantee increase—is that "third-tier" football and basketball games are now controlled by the SEC Network rather than Learfield."
"One of the reasons the deal is so valuable compared to other schools is because Learfield controls several rights that are not typically included in multimedia agreements. Those rights include concessions, pouring rights, isotonic beverage, seat rentals and merchandise, which combined can account for 25 percent to 30 percent of the revenue from the property.
Pouring rights, concessions and isotonic are usually sold by the school, not the rights holder. Learfield sold pouring rights to Coca-Cola, isotonic to Gatorade, and concessions to Centerplate, and those deals will continue, Brown said. Learfield’s other rights include traditional multimedia inventory like radio, corporate sponsorship, hospitality, print, signage and other advertising.
Alabama will make improvements to its concession areas and point-of-sale signage in Bryant-Denny Stadium by adding TVs and possibly some LED signage in the concourses. Those electronic additions will provide Learfield with new advertising inventory."
"The league bought back all its regional rights (mostly Tier 3 programming) from Learfield Sports, IMG and CBS Sports. That will be on the network."
"The SEC will have to pay even more for those rights not only because the conference has 14 schools, but also because it will be buying back some of the most valuable third-tier rights in the nation. A football game for a top SEC program could alone be worth as much as $750,000, and that doesn’t even touch on basketball programming; Kentucky ranks among the top schools in broadcasting revenue mostly thanks to basketball popularity."
"The rightsholders agreed to "give up TV rights valued at roughly" $15M a year. Sources said that those rightsholders in return will "lessen the guarantees to their schools by the same amount" -- a little more than $1M a year for each school -- "for the next several years." The conference also "gained control of its digital and sponsorship rights." That will "enable ESPN to have TV, digital and sponsorship rights for the conference under one umbrella." Digital rights for the SEC are "coming back from XOS Digital, the company that created the SEC Digital Network in 2009, for an undisclosed sum." Meanwhile, ESPN is "in the process of regaining its syndicated rights from Comcast SportsNet and Fox Sports Net." Both currently "buy SEC games from ESPN." The syndicated deal with CSN "ends after the 2013-14 school year," while Fox' deal "ends after the 2014-15 school year" "
Other myths is that the OU deal with Fox includes radio and other things for their $6 million Tier 3. It does not.
http://espn.go.com/blog/colleges/oklahoma/post/_/id/13543/ou-announces-tv-deal-with-fox-sports
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...22083904/secs-network-with-espn-a-fans-primer
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissm...ces-dominance-off-the-field-too/#31dd251249b0
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2013/04/15/Media/SEC-Network.aspx
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...xtension-with-learfield-sports-for-up-to-160m
Basically, ESPN can do whatever they want with the content outside of CBS games, and they put several of the Tier 2 games on the SEC Network. This is a completely different model than other conference networks.
Another myth is that Alabama has a huge tier 3 contract outside the SEC Network. Alabama did sign a $160 million, 10 year deal with Learfield Sports. However, this isn't TV and it isn't just radio. The majority of this contract is for food, beverage, merchandise sales and billboard advertising at games. All things most schools sell separately from their agreements with Learfield Sports type providers
"Alabama has no such unique arrangement, although this fall it will begin its relationship with the forthcoming SEC Network. Per the report, the only difference between this deal and the previous one between Alabama and Learfield—other than the annual guarantee increase—is that "third-tier" football and basketball games are now controlled by the SEC Network rather than Learfield."
"One of the reasons the deal is so valuable compared to other schools is because Learfield controls several rights that are not typically included in multimedia agreements. Those rights include concessions, pouring rights, isotonic beverage, seat rentals and merchandise, which combined can account for 25 percent to 30 percent of the revenue from the property.
Pouring rights, concessions and isotonic are usually sold by the school, not the rights holder. Learfield sold pouring rights to Coca-Cola, isotonic to Gatorade, and concessions to Centerplate, and those deals will continue, Brown said. Learfield’s other rights include traditional multimedia inventory like radio, corporate sponsorship, hospitality, print, signage and other advertising.
Alabama will make improvements to its concession areas and point-of-sale signage in Bryant-Denny Stadium by adding TVs and possibly some LED signage in the concourses. Those electronic additions will provide Learfield with new advertising inventory."
"The league bought back all its regional rights (mostly Tier 3 programming) from Learfield Sports, IMG and CBS Sports. That will be on the network."
"The SEC will have to pay even more for those rights not only because the conference has 14 schools, but also because it will be buying back some of the most valuable third-tier rights in the nation. A football game for a top SEC program could alone be worth as much as $750,000, and that doesn’t even touch on basketball programming; Kentucky ranks among the top schools in broadcasting revenue mostly thanks to basketball popularity."
"The rightsholders agreed to "give up TV rights valued at roughly" $15M a year. Sources said that those rightsholders in return will "lessen the guarantees to their schools by the same amount" -- a little more than $1M a year for each school -- "for the next several years." The conference also "gained control of its digital and sponsorship rights." That will "enable ESPN to have TV, digital and sponsorship rights for the conference under one umbrella." Digital rights for the SEC are "coming back from XOS Digital, the company that created the SEC Digital Network in 2009, for an undisclosed sum." Meanwhile, ESPN is "in the process of regaining its syndicated rights from Comcast SportsNet and Fox Sports Net." Both currently "buy SEC games from ESPN." The syndicated deal with CSN "ends after the 2013-14 school year," while Fox' deal "ends after the 2014-15 school year" "
Other myths is that the OU deal with Fox includes radio and other things for their $6 million Tier 3. It does not.
http://espn.go.com/blog/colleges/oklahoma/post/_/id/13543/ou-announces-tv-deal-with-fox-sports
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...22083904/secs-network-with-espn-a-fans-primer
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissm...ces-dominance-off-the-field-too/#31dd251249b0
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2013/04/15/Media/SEC-Network.aspx
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...xtension-with-learfield-sports-for-up-to-160m
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