Every day I see posts touting "record viewership numbers" for this event or that event. All well and good but the proof will be when all events have reported their second round of ratings that include Nielsen's Big Data and Out of Home numbers. Are the increases real or were they there all the time?🤔

Seems to me the stated reasons for not taking the CFP package in its entirety out to bid are a bit shallow. Nothing cited seems all that difficult. Easy one first... CBS and TNT have been jointly selling NCAA MBB champ for years. Ask them how they do it! Negotiating champ game exits is just that...a negotiation. Many champ games were added in the middle of existing packages. Getting rid of them should not be that hard. ESPN wouldn't have pitched a fit over the champ games as long as they were still involved in CFP. The $150m head start is really irrelevant. Let's say the package was worth $1.8b a year. $900m if two partners, $600m if three. A level very doable financially by all three.

but, did ESPN confirm it?

Always has, always will!😎

Big Ten TV partners get to put about $70 million per game in their pockets no longer having a Big Ten championship game to worry about. Upcoming schedule: •FOX: 2027, 2029 •CBS: 2028 •NBC: 2026

I'm thinking that a lot of non CFP Bowl games will be playing their final games this season.🏈

sportsvideo.org/2026/10/13/m… If you are in the media business you really ought to see this place. They have built an amazing facility that can handle pretty much anything you want to throw at it.

Didn't really expect ESPN to say anything other than there is little interest in rights to an expanded CFP. Not really in ESPN’s best interest to do otherwise. If the CFP signed a contract where ESPN has very advantageous renewal and/or backend rights that leave them as the only bidder for semi's and champ game, then so be it. There’s really nothing the CFP can do. Trying to sell a standalone package of first and second round games the CFP recoups the $300m Champ game money, but little more. ESPN ends up taking it all and creates their own sublicense packages. 🤔 All one needs to do is to look at recent top-tier rights deals to understand that the only way the CFP is going to reap significantly more dollars is to increase the number of games and open the entire process (from game 1 to champ game) to multiple networks/streamers. Look at recent history…The NFL has done that with Netflix and Prime Video. The NBA did it by going to three packages from two, booting TNT, and bringing in NBC and Prime Video. The Big Ten/Fox did it by bringing in CBS and NBC. Create new packages and bring new bidders to the table equals more $'s. Trying to run an auction with a singular bidder is, by definition, not an auction. If the bidding process is not open, then ESPN’s article is about spinning a narrative that saves face for the CFP and gives the impression that ESPN is providing everybody a huge favor taking the new games because nobody else was really interested. 😎

This service isn't long for the world. Skydance will likely price incentivize standalone Discovery+ subs into a Skydance bundle or whatever the survivor is between Paramount+ or HBO Max.

A Pro in every sense of the word, and a nice guy as well!🏈

An amazing collection of sports rights! What will Skydance Global Sports Group (SGSG) do with all of these shiny toys? My latest for @awfulannouncing

Not that Oregon deserved to win that game (based on how they played), but why do you have a replay room if you can’t get the replay and rule right? This wasn’t a spot issue, it was not knowing the rules issue!

well, two weeks ago we saw good Dylan. This week we get bad Dylan.🦆

NHL hasn't exactly been a huge success story in Atlanta over the years. I’m not sure bringing in NHL games from Nashville is going to change that. 🤔 But, the BUZZR, digital channel 5.3 needs some programming!🏒

Changes will come… but nothing is going to happen overnight. Status quo for now.😎

Still early, but looking like tropical storm Isaias might cause some problems throughout the southeast this Saturday. Get ready for a lot of games switching channels if weather delays set in.🏈📺

For years, the Rays have figured out the baseball side. It’s the business and stadium side they’ve always had problems with. Hopefully this time around they get it right on both sides. ⚾🏟️

Yankee home game?🤔⚾

Thought at a minimum we’d get a shot, or seven, from the ACC replay center. 🤔

Watching the Northwestern/PSU game and wondering where everyone went? Great new stadium, big time opponent, and big win. 🤔

Based on the work product to date by the new ownership, we are supposed to be surprised? 🤔