06-21-2017, 10:53 AM
Just not buying the passion argument as a wholesale reason the Pac-12 is behind. Sports on TV are a different product than sports in person. Football is the most popular sport by far for TV viewing. You can get a decent audience for MAC Tuesday night games, FFS.Â
IOW, getting the product on TV is the battle with the model ESPN and their conference partners have build their businesses on. After that, the ratings will come and they don't matter much with guaranteed revenue, even if nobody watches. But if rating are important, does anyone honestly think the country wouldn't be interesting in watching the future NFL stars in the Pac-12, across the country? And this whole discussion about revenues is based on a what we know to be dying cable TV model. Which conference is better positioned when 25% fewer households don't have cable or satellite TV? How about 50%?Â
IOW, getting the product on TV is the battle with the model ESPN and their conference partners have build their businesses on. After that, the ratings will come and they don't matter much with guaranteed revenue, even if nobody watches. But if rating are important, does anyone honestly think the country wouldn't be interesting in watching the future NFL stars in the Pac-12, across the country? And this whole discussion about revenues is based on a what we know to be dying cable TV model. Which conference is better positioned when 25% fewer households don't have cable or satellite TV? How about 50%?Â