Sports TV News

College Football Playoff Expands to 12 Teams, Could Fetch $1.2 Billion in Annual Media Rights

Currently the College Football Playoff is making $600 million annually, the expanded field could double that to $1.2 billion per year.

Published

1 year ago

September 2, 2022

BSM Staff

Earlier on Friday, the presidents of the College Football Playoff’s Board of Managers voted unanimously to extend the field of eligible teams to compete from four to twelve. The largest reason: money.

Pete Thamel of ESPN and feature of College GameDay said as much is a tweet after breaking the story.

One of the main drivers of this College Football Playoff expansion was money. Presidents felt as if they were leaving too much on the table. Monday could end up a powerful motivator for starting prior to 2026.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 2, 2022

Currently the College Football Playoff is making $600 million annually from ESPN to broadcast the tournament’s semi-finals and championship game. The expanded field could double that to $1.2 billion per year.

In terms on implementing the new format, there is also incentive to try and make the change starting with next season. Ross Dellenger reports that if they can do so, it could mean an extra $450 million in revenue.

While 2025 is a more plausible start date, officials are expected to work towards a 2024 implementation, which would generate an additional $450M in TV revenue.

However, logistics are challenging – from media rights issues to title game sites.https://t.co/abvkesjssR
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 2, 2022

BSM Staff

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Sports TV News

Marquee Sports Network GM Mike McCarthy Stepping Down

McCarthy joined Marquee Sports Network upon its launch after previously leading MSG Networks.

Published

19 mins ago

December 4, 2023

Jordan Bondurant

Marquee Sports Network will soon need a new general manager. Longtime GM Mike McCarthy announced over the weekend he is stepping down.

McCarthy helped oversee the launch of the Chicago Cubs-owned regional sports network in 2019, but Chicago Sun-Times media columnist Jeff Agrest shared on X on Friday that McCarthy needed time to focus on his health.

All the best to Marquee Sports Network GM Mike McCarthy, who is stepping down from his role to focus on his health after some scares. He'll continue with the network as a consultant. "I need to spend more time on myself and less time stressing about typos on the ticker," he said.
— Jeff Agrest #🟦 (@JeffAgrest) December 1, 2023

McCarthy was tapped to work on Marquee given his track record at MSG. He rose from coordinating producer in 1982 to the network president in 2000, overseeing the merging of MSG Network and SportsChannel New York.

Between 2005 and 2019, McCarthy enjoyed stints with the St. Louis Blues as the team’s vice chairman and CEO and with the Milwaukee Bucks as chief operating officer. The Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Jordan Bondurant

Jordan Bondurant is a features reporter for Barrett Sports Media. He’s a multimedia journalist and communicator who works at the Virginia State Corporation Commission in Richmond. Jordan also contributes occasional coverage of the Washington Capitals for the blog NoVa Caps. His prior media experiences include working for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, WRIC-TV 8News and Audacy Richmond. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @J__Bondurant.

Sports TV News

SEC Commissioner Tells Pat McAfee Someone at ESPN Leaked 2024 Schedule Without Permission

“We were trying to protect it. Someone at ESPN apparently leaked it.”

Published

3 days ago

December 1, 2023

Jeff Kotuby

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey isn’t particularly thrilled that his new top broadcast partner leaked a portion of next year’s schedule a bit early.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, which just so happens to be an ESPN property, Sankey mentioned his displeasure at the Worldwide Leader for leaking a portion of the 2024 SEC schedule early. According to Sankey, the league and the network agreed to release the schedule together in the near future.

“We were trying to protect it,” Sankey said. “Someone at ESPN apparently leaked it,” according to Yahoo Sports college football reporter Ross Dellenger.

Greg Sankey, on Pat McAfee Show, displeased that the SEC’s own TV partner, ESPN, reported a portion of the 2024 schedule this week – two weeks before the network & league had agreed to unveil the schedules.

"We were trying to protect it. Someone at ESPN apparently leaked it."
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 1, 2023

While leaks in the media space are hardly a new phenomenon, especially when it comes to something as desirable as a football conference’s yearly schedule, a leak this early in the newly-formed ESPN-SEC relationship is less than ideal. Starting next season, ESPN will take over as the SEC’s primary broadcast partner, assuming the position CBS had long held for decades.

In the leaked portion of the schedule, the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide will play in the regular season for just the third time in the past 15 years. We also know the Bulldogs will play the debuting Texas Longhorns in Texas, while the Tide will play the other Oklahoma Sooners on the road.

Jeff Kotuby

Jeff Kotuby is a nationally-published journalist with bylines on many popular broadcasting and pop culture sites, including The Streamable, eBaum’s World, Twin Galaxies, and more. Jeff grew up in the shadows of New York City and cultivated his love for sports media with the classic broadcasting voices of the area, like Mike & The Mad Dog, Mike “Doc” Emerick, and Michael Kay. You can reach Jeff on Twitter @JeffKotu3y.

Sports TV News

Jim Boeheim Making Analyst Debut on ACC Network, Joining The CW

Published

3 days ago

December 1, 2023

BSM Staff

Courtesy: Codie Yan, The NewsHouse

Former Syracuse Orange basketball head coach Jim Boeheim will make his debut as an analyst on Saturday, Dec. 2 on the ACC Network. Boeheim will be on the broadcast for the matchup between Florida State and North Carolina at 2 PM ET featuring play-by-play announcer Wes Durham and sideline reporter Cory Alexander.

Boeheim will make his studio debut on Tuesday, Dec. 5 during halftime of the men’s prime-time doubleheader games on the day – which consists of Central Connecticut against Boston College at 6 PM ET, followed by Cornell taking on Syracuse at 8 PM ET.

On the program, he will be joined by host Kelsey Riggs and analyst Luke Hancock, and he will also remain on the air for the 10 p.m. edition of Nothing But Net, the network’s signature basketball show.

Additionally, Jim Boeheim also joined Westwood One and is reportedly set to work on The CW coverage of ACC basketball, debuting this Saturday with pre-taped segments during halftime of two conference games. News of Boeheim working with The CW was first reported by Mike Waters of Syracuse.com.

Boeheim departed Syracuse University after 47 seasons as a coach and holding an overall win-loss record of 1,015-441. He has the second-most wins at the Division I level in the history of college basketball, only being surpassed by former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

BSM Staff