quote:
Now, maybe if we had not been deluged for the past year and half, by many aTm fans, about how we were going to see a substantial increase in the CBS deal thanks to aTm being invited into the conference ... then perhaps it would not be so damn funny right now. Who knows, perhaps it will pay-off when the current contract expires. And I do agree that being released from the 3:30 EST time-slot obligation is a big deal. CBS is getting a bargain, and they'll eventually have to pony-up or risk losing the broadcast rights to the SEC to ABC, who wants the conference badly.

Care to post some quotes to back that up? Or do you prefer strawmen, so that you can tar all A&M fans with the same brush (assuming you can actually find a few individuals to pin those claims on)?

Nice of you to concede that CBS giving up exclusivity for the 2:30 slot counts for something.

If you look at the big picture, the fact is that the deal that the SEC negotiated in 2008 turned out not to be very good after all. CBS was (and still is) getting a relative bargain, and ESPN owned every other football game save and except the one PPV game reserved to each school. The conference had no inventory to sell but that one PPV game retained by each school.

Enter A&M and Missouri.

Now, CBS still has a pretty good deal as far as cash outlays, but they no longer have exclusivity (a huge deal for making the SEC Network attractive). This is negotiating 101--your contracting partner can't come up with more cash, so you accept other consideration.

ESPN has sold back its inventory to the SEC, and will operate (and ensure distribution of) a cable network where the SEC will receive 50% of the profit. ESPN already had a good deal with the SEC, but sees the value in partnering on a cable network, and was willing to give back inventory to do it. The partnership between the two is stronger than ever, and should lead to a very strong network.

Would this have happened without A&M and Missouri--not on these terms. Without Missouri and Texas in the cable footprint, the SEC Network would be a much less attractive proposition.