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Media Rights Will Drive Search For New Big 12 Commissioner

“Not only are the two biggest TV draws gone since the last rights deal, but the media landscape has changed significantly.”

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Bob Bowlsby announced on Tuesday that his time as commissioner of the Big 12 Conference is coming to an end. He did not give a specific date, but said that he would leave the role later this year. Naturally, that has plenty of people speculating about who may be next in line to take over.

The conference is certainly about to enter a whole new era of existence as its two most profitable members, Texas and Oklahoma, get set to depart for the SEC. BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston will all join the conference to get it back to 12 total members.

Nicole Auerbach, Matt Fortuna and Max Olson of The Athletic shared their best guesses on Tuesday. They were based largely on information they got from Lawrence Schovanec, the chairman of the Big 12 Board of Directors and president of Texas Tech University.

“Obviously, we will be looking for someone who’s very savvy in the media landscape,” Schovanec said. “The marketplace is evolving, and there are shifting pieces in all of this. You know, what is the ultimate mix of our linear and direct-to-consumer marketing agreements? At the same time, I think we all understand we seek somebody who has the ability to navigate and lead us through what occurs on a university campus, who understands the essence of intercollegiate athletics. So, it’s a mix of both, traditional experience but also making sure that we’re well-positioned as we begin to develop a media strategy.”

To his credit, Bob Bowlsby oversaw negotiations on a split television contract. The Big 12 is making $2.6 million in its current TV deal, which is shared between FOX and ESPN. It is set to expire after the 2024-2025 school year.

Whoever is hired as the conference’s next commissioner will be stepping into a very different world. Not only are the two biggest TV draws gone since the last rights deal, but the media landscape has changed significantly.

Would the Big 12 be an option for Apple or Amazon? If the conference wants to stay in business with ESPN, would the network insist that more games be ESPN+ exclusives? And then there is the question hanging over everything: without Texas and Oklahoma, what are the TV rights for the conference actually worth on the open market?

The PAC-12 faced similar questions in its search for a new commissioner last year and eventually landed on George Kliavkoff, who came from MGM Resorts International. Auerbach, Fortuna, and Olsen all see the Big 12 going a more traditional route, listing sitting athletic directors and school presidents among their most likely candidates.

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Report: NFL to Put Christmas Day Doubleheader Up For Bids

Bidding is expected to start at $50 million among the current NFL media partners but some think the games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

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The NFL will reportedly put its Christmas Day games up for auction, allowing its current media partners to bid for the games. Now, it’s up to CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video to pay up for rights to one of these two marquee games.

According to Front Office Sports Michael McCarthy, preference will be given to linear networks, so Prime Video and Peacock may sit this one out. Bidding is expected to start at $50 million but McCarthy and his sources expect that number to rise. John Kosner, the former ESPN executive, thinks the new Christmas Day games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

The NFL announced a Wednesday Christmas Day doubleheader during its annual league meetings. The league originally said it wouldn’t force games on Christmas Day if the holiday fell on an odd day of the week, though as the NFL continues to put games on days outside of Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays, we’re running out of days that don’t feature NFL football.

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Colorado Rockies & DirecTV Reach Agreement to Carry Games on TV

“Colorado sports fans have made DIRECTV the top destination for their favorite local teams. We will continue to work with MLB…so fans can get their games.”

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Colorado Rockies

Breathe easy, Rockies fans — you will be able to watch your club on linear TV this year. At the buzzer, DirecTV and the Colorado Rockies agreed on terms to distribute the team’s games throughout its local service.

Starting today, DirecTV Choice subscribers across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Southern Idaho, Western Nebraska, and Northern New Mexico can now watch the Rockies on a special channel simply titled, “ROCKIES.” The games will be available on DirecTV and DirecTV STREAM via channel 683.

“Colorado sports fans have made DIRECTV the top destination to get all their favorite local teams,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer of DIRECTV. “We will continue to work with MLB, the NBA, NHL, and other top leagues and their local franchises so the most avid fans can get the games they want while other customers have more choice over the content they want to pay to have in their homes.”

Reports just days ago out of Colorado said there were “no guarantees” the Rockies would not find a TV home in time for Opening Day following the sunsetting of AT&T SportsNet. The only other way to watch the team is to use its direct-to-consumer Rockies.tv streaming service, which fans say is too pricey for a team that lost 103 games last season. Luckily, the team was able to secure a TV home for 2024, though the future is still uncertain.

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Erin Andrews Reveals Infertility Journey in Emotional ‘Today Show’ Interview

FOX reporter Erin Andrews sat down with ‘The Today Show’s’ Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

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Erin Andrews

FOX reporter Erin Andrews shared her story of infertility and surrogacy with NBC’s Today Show. Last summer, Andrews and her husband welcomed a baby boy via surrogate after trying for a decade to get pregnant via IVF, during which she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016. Today, she sat down with Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

Andrews says Welker’s announcement on the Today Show made her think a baby could be possible. “I remember Kristin Welker’s announcement on your show,” Andrews said last year, “and I actually watched that the morning Mac was born, because that just hit me.”

When they finally sat down, Welker asked Andrews why her journey resonated with the sports reporter so much:

“Because I see myself in you. Kristen, the video of you moderating debates after you’re waiting on bad news or maybe you just received it, that’s me. I can tell you every stand-up I’ve done at a football game where I’ve gotten the news that it didn’t work. I’d be talking about Tom Brady going for this record and my record is that I still was failing…I would have chest pains every time I was waiting for the call if it worked, and I knew it wouldn’t work.

Erin Andrews on ‘Today’

Andrews knew surrogacy was the only path to having a child. Although her family’s first attempt failed, her second attempt was a success, and she got to hear her child’s heartbeat for the very first time. The pair discuss the complex emotions that come with surrogacy, saying that bonds with their child could be affected because they didn’t carry their child. However, Welker assured Andrews that those feelings go away once you can talk to your child.

Once her son was born in June, who Andrews called, “a miracle,” she then talks about her child glowingly, talking about how he is just like mom — vocal. “He’s all me,” she says.

Andrews supports Baby Quest, a non-profit that grants money to families in need of IVF or surrogacy to have a baby but don’t have the funds to pursue these expensive treatments. Both Andrews and Welker acknowledged how difficult and unattainable their journies are for some families — and Andrews even used the NFL’s “My Cleats, My Cause” initiative to raise awareness for her cause.

“People don’t need to feel embarrassed that they have a surrogate or are looking for other help,” Andrews said.

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