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Is ESPN really attempting to block Fox Sports 1 from acquiring NBA rights?

According to The SportsBusiness Daily, ESPN and Turner are close to an 8 year/$2 Billion deal, that leaves out Fox, and NBC (the 2 rumored candidates for a would-be 3rd NBA package) additionally according to a media source, ESPN lobbied to the NBA not to create a 3rd package of league games for a competitive sports network (Fox Sports 1, and NBCSN) what do you think? Is ESPN trying to squeeze out the competition by lobbying other professional sports leagues to not create a package of games on a competitive sports network?
 
I'm sure ESPN upped the ante for their package if the NBA wouldn't dilute the product with a third package. Keeping Fox from getting a major pro league is certainly something they'd want as such a move would give FS1 far more traction and visibility.
 
I'm sure ESPN upped the ante for their package if the NBA wouldn't dilute the product with a third package. Keeping Fox from getting a major pro league is certainly something they'd want as such a move would give FS1 far more traction and visibility.
Exactly, but you gotta remember one thing, ESPN is an 800 pound gorilla, that fs1 is trying to go after, well ESPN blocked fs1's shot at getting the NBA, I'd say they'll refocus, and regroup. I'd say they'll have rights to pick any and all big ten games first, plus gaining exclusive rights to the big ten title game. Then in 2021 I'd anticipate Fox to take a page or 2 out of Rogers' notebook on getting national nhl rights, now I expect NBC to bid on the rights but I have a feeling that NBC would be saving the money for when NFL, and NASCAR contracts are up in 2022, and 2024 respectively. So if Fox had a choice of getting rights to a major sports league that plays in the winter time (NBA or NHL) I'd say Fox will get the nhl in 2021.
 
I'm surprised the deal is worth that much. I don't know anyone that watches the NBA anymore.

:D

Agreed. For me, the basketball season ends with the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
Even if the NBA didn't draw millions of viewers, the NBA would still get gerbonkers money because that's what the sports landscape has been for close to a decade.

Exactly, but you gotta remember one thing, ESPN is an 800 pound gorilla, that fs1 is trying to go after, well ESPN blocked fs1's shot at getting the NBA, I'd say they'll refocus, and regroup. I'd say they'll have rights to pick any and all big ten games first, plus gaining exclusive rights to the big ten title game. Then in 2021 I'd anticipate Fox to take a page or 2 out of Rogers' notebook on getting national nhl rights, now I expect NBC to bid on the rights but I have a feeling that NBC would be saving the money for when NFL, and NASCAR contracts are up in 2022, and 2024 respectively. So if Fox had a choice of getting rights to a major sports league that plays in the winter time (NBA or NHL) I'd say Fox will get the nhl in 2021.

I think the NHL wishes they were with Fox already - current states and struggles aside, FS1's ceiling is much higher than NBCSN's, where the NHL will probably always be the (second-)biggest fish in a small pond, both because of NBCSN's relatively modest ambitions and the possibility that, all contracts being equal, ESPN would have much more to fear from them. The NHL finalized their deal with NBC RIGHT before word of FS1's creation started leaking (and their previous contract expired ju-u-u-ust about a year before their CBA did), and no matter how good NBC has been to the sport I'd bet anything they'd have jumped to Fox in a heartbeat if they knew what Fox was planning, making this reason #33429857 for hockey fans to hate Gary Bettman.
 
Even if the NBA didn't draw millions of viewers, the NBA would still get gerbonkers money because that's what the sports landscape has been for close to a decade.



I think the NHL wishes they were with Fox already - current states and struggles aside, FS1's ceiling is much higher than NBCSN's, where the NHL will probably always be the (second-)biggest fish in a small pond, both because of NBCSN's relatively modest ambitions and the possibility that, all contracts being equal, ESPN would have much more to fear from them. The NHL finalized their deal with NBC RIGHT before word of FS1's creation started leaking (and their previous contract expired ju-u-u-ust about a year before their CBA did), and no matter how good NBC has been to the sport I'd bet anything they'd have jumped to Fox in a heartbeat if they knew what Fox was planning, making this reason #33429857 for hockey fans to hate Gary Bettman.

Yep because back when The NHL renewed it's deal with then NBC/Versus FS1 was still Speed and FS2 was still FuelTV, I'd have to say that the NHL would've jumped to Fox had they were planning to launch FS1 back then, but by the time 2021-2022 gets here, FS1/2 would've been around for 9 years, so I have a GREAT feeling that the NHL will be back on Fox, and with the cable games going to FS1 and FS2. Probably looking at a Rogers Media type of a TV rights deal between Fox and the NHL. But you are absolutely right had Fox been planning to launch FS1 back when the NHL was negotiating it's new television contract, they would've jumped to Fox in a heartbeat, NBC no matter how great they've been to the NHL, they will lose the NHL to Fox/FS1 much like TSN did, when they lost it's national NHL rights to CBC/Rogers
 
According to The SportsBusiness Daily, ESPN and Turner are close to an 8 year/$2 Billion deal, that leaves out Fox, and NBC (the 2 rumored candidates for a would-be 3rd NBA package) additionally according to a media source, ESPN lobbied to the NBA not to create a 3rd package of league games for a competitive sports network (Fox Sports 1, and NBCSN) what do you think? Is ESPN trying to squeeze out the competition by lobbying other professional sports leagues to not create a package of games on a competitive sports network?
And neither NBC nor NBCSN couldn't really take on the NBA since they have the NHL (Which overruns the NBA about 99% of the season). Fox & Fox Sports 1 are loaded too with a mixture College Football, MLB & NASCAR so they're out too

That only leaves CBS & the CBS Sports Network. CBS Sports needs SOMETHING to keep people (And cable companies) interested in keeping CBS Sports Network in their lineup because what they're doing now just ain't working.....

JMO.....

Cheers & 73 :D
 
And neither NBC nor NBCSN couldn't really take on the NBA since they have the NHL (Which overruns the NBA about 99% of the season). Fox & Fox Sports 1 are loaded too with a mixture College Football, MLB & NASCAR so they're out too

That only leaves CBS & the CBS Sports Network. CBS Sports needs SOMETHING to keep people (And cable companies) interested in keeping CBS Sports Network in their lineup because what they're doing now just ain't working.....

JMO.....

Cheers & 73 :D

Exactly but CBS/CBS Sports Network would have too many conflicts with college basketball.
 
If The NBA is willing to forego a bidding between ESPN and Fox that could drive up what they receive, they must feel that ESPN is giving them a sweet enough deal to account for it.

Short term thinking to be sure because if FS1 is unable to get traction and departs the business, ESPN's future offers will be less sweet to the point of being bitter.
 
What makes you guys think FOX wants the NHL? Only time they carried it was a short time in the 90s with the stupid glow puck. I feel the NHL likes being on NBC and NBCSN. The coverage is great NBC does a great job.

As for NBA it would be great to see it on NBC and NBCSN as it was great back in the 90s. But you have to think NBC has SNF which I don't see them getting rid of only if they had a Sunday afternoon package maybe.
 
What makes you guys think FOX wants the NHL? Only time they carried it was a short time in the 90s with the stupid glow puck. I feel the NHL likes being on NBC and NBCSN. The coverage is great NBC does a great job.

I agree. I'm a lifelong hockey fan but I'm realistic enough to know that it's never going to be football or baseball or even basketball in this country. It may even get passed by soccer in overall popularity in my lifetime. But there'll always be a core group that loves the sport and those people don't mind whose logo is in the corner of the screen just as long as the games are on TV.
 
What makes you guys think FOX wants the NHL? Only time they carried it was a short time in the 90s with the stupid glow puck. I feel the NHL likes being on NBC and NBCSN. The coverage is great NBC does a great job.

As for NBA it would be great to see it on NBC and NBCSN as it was great back in the 90s. But you have to think NBC has SNF which I don't see them getting rid of only if they had a Sunday afternoon package maybe.

Because they have FS1 now, back in 2011 when the nhl negotiated a 10 year deal with comcast. Fs1 was Speed, and fs2 was FuelTV. Had Fox was planning to launch Fox Sports 1 at the time of it. The nhl would've jumped to Fox in a heartbeat. That's how cheap Comcast is, they'd just rather spend the money on properties they got (Olympics, NFL, and NASCAR) then spend on acquiring properties like the nba. They could've grabbed a pice of the nba rights, but because NBC is owned by comcast cough..cough..cough..Cheapcast they will not bring back the nba on NBC.
 
NBC did bring back NFL by getting Sunday Night Football. This was before Comcast. And now they are getting Nascar again. So I don't see how NBC is being cheap. And as for NBA it would be hard now as they have NHL and NFL rights.

As for FOX they are cheap using the same theme song for all sports. I don't wanna hear the damn NFL FOX theme during baseball postseason. By the way awful move putting postseason baseball on FS1.
 
NBC did bring back NFL by getting Sunday Night Football. This was before Comcast. And now they are getting Nascar again. So I don't see how NBC is being cheap. And as for NBA it would be hard now as they have NHL and NFL rights.

As for FOX they are cheap using the same theme song for all sports. I don't wanna hear the damn NFL FOX theme during baseball postseason. By the way awful move putting postseason baseball on FS1.
Yawn.. Not that awful the playoffs on all of the big four major professional sports leagues since the 1990s, and I wanna hear the Fox NFL theme song thank you very much!!
 
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