Friday, December 4, 2015

2015 CFB TV Facts & Figures - Big 12

I've considered the Big 12's TV deals to be the most flexible and they'll undergo a few minor changes in 2016.
  • The number of games that ESPN will be allowed to select will increase from a maximum of 19 to 23 
    • Commentary: It would not surprise me if Longhorn Network ended up with one or two more games, if the competing schools agree to it.
  • ESPN and FOX will alternate the weekly top selection on a yearly basis, with FOX getting the top selection in even numbered years (2016 being the first) and ESPN getting it in odd numbered years.  Those two networks will then collaborate to determine weekly selection orders. (edited: 2/13/15)
  • ESPN will no longer have to adhere to a limit of six appearances for a school on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2(?, at least ABC & ESPN), so there won't be a need to count the number of times a school appears on those networks.
The reason for the changes is that when the Big 12 changed its rights agreements in 2012, it kept some of the contractual terms in place from the ABC contract that would have expired in 2016.

Here's how the Big 12 looked in 2015.

* There was a slight decrease in the number of games on broadcast television.  ABC carried eight games, down one from 2014, while FOX carried seven games, down one as well.

* Oklahoma (six) and TCU (five) had the most appearances on the two broadcast networks.  

* The distribution of games on broadcast networks slanted towards mid-afternoon & east coast primetime.  Six of the fifteen games started at 7:30pm or 8pm ET and another six started between 3:30pm & 4:45pm (FOX had a couple odd start times).  

* On national pay TV, FS1 carried 22 games (nineteen on Saturdays), ESPN showed six (four on Sat and ESPN2 and ESPNU each showed two.  

* Nine of the nineteen FS1 games were 12pm ET / 11am CT starts.  This falls in line with the conferences available to FS1 as they carried ten total 12pm ET starts.

* Overall, the Big 12 requires 25 games to be full national on broadcast or pay TV, specifically ABC, FOX, ESPN, ESPN2 or FS1.  46 games were shown on those platforms.

* Eight games on FSN were outside of the games returned to the schools to place on institutional packages, some of which ended up on FSN.  The Kansas at Texas game could also be lumped in here due to it being distributed on Longhorn Network and Kansas' Jayhawk Network, but was not the institutionally held game for either school.  Of the nine total games, four featured the Jayhawks.

* Not by coincidence, Kansas was the only Big 12 school who did not appear on either ABC or FOX.  Every game involving Kansas aired on either FS1, FSN, Jayhawk Network or the combined Longhorn Network/Jayhawk Network production.

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