NBC Contract Extended Through 2025

[WakeUpEchoes]

BOOOM. Someone can make a thread if they want.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>RT @<a href="https://twitter.com/ourand_sbj">ourand_sbj</a>: NBC says it renewed its Notre Dame deal through the 2025 season. Here's the press release: <a href="http://t.co/D1eHZvSrT8" title="http://www.nbcumv.com/mediavillage/sports/nbcsports/pressreleases?pr=contents/press-releases/2013/04/18/notredamenbcspo1366299482518.xml">nbcumv.com/mediavillage/s…</a></p>— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) <a href="https://twitter.com/slmandel/status/324923281645920257">April 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
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[WakeUpEchoes]

From the press release:

...with the vast majority airing on NBC. It also allows for games to air on NBC Sports Network. As it has since 2009, NBC Sports Digital will continue to live stream Fighting Irish home games.

Hmmm...

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

From the press release:



Hmmm...

This I thought was agreed upon a year or two ago...

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

This I thought was agreed upon a year or two ago...

I didn't know that. Do we know how much the new contract is price-wise? I didn't see it in the release.

 

[greyhammer90]

I kinda wish we could've played with the idea of leaving NBC a little more. I haven't been impressed with their coverage in awhile.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

I kinda wish we could've played with the idea of leaving NBC a little more. I haven't been impressed with their coverage in awhile.

Dan Hicks will change the in game stuff for the better.

But, I agree they need better pregame coverage and intro stuff.

 

[greyhammer90]

Dan Hicks will change the in game stuff for the better.

But, I agree they need better pregame coverage and intro stuff.

Honestly it's more in terms of the during the week stuff. No one (statistically) watches NBCSports. ESPN and even FOX get more viewers for sports and they are consistently putting out info and coverage for teams and conferences they are in bed with. I feel like NBC is a huge miss for national exposure on non-game days. I'm on my phone so I won't continue, but an example:

ESPN runs coverage of highlights all gameday. Every other game has video, when ND is at home it's just a scoreboard. In fact, the first time we get to see highlights of an ND game is college football final... The show that comes on at 1:30 AM on the east coast.

 

[Jerry]

The problem ND has is nobody really cares about the schools other sports. It's not like they could have a Long Horn Network type deal where people are just crazy about everything ND and will watch the woman's water polo team, ect. Also not being in a conference obviously hurts because you only have so many ND basketball fans but The Big Ten Network for example gets to draw viewers from the entire Big Ten fan base. I was sort of hoping ND might pool some deal together with ND and the ACC. Not sure how the ACC's current contract is with ESPN? But I thought the move to the ACC was going to involve the TV deal? Maybe it was just a play to sweeten this NBC deal? Who knows?

 

[JD Irish]

NBC is a dying network. I don't understand why ND isn't exploring other options. We definitely could get better exposure elsewhere.

 

[clashmore_mike]

NBC is a dying network. I don't understand why ND isn't exploring other options. We definitely could get better exposure elsewhere.

Really? ND isn't getting enough exposure for you? NBC has started rolling out some more shows like the Strong and True series, the South Bend to Chicago thing. They've aired a couple hockey games and had a special on their game in Chicago. NBC Sports channel is just getting started and reported growth of viewership in their hockey coverage and soccer coverage. It wasn't a huge jump, but if they can keep steady growth, the station will do fine.

ND does a pretty good job of producing it's own stuff through FIDM and their YouTube channel, maybe some more of that will be incorporated into NBC in the future.

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

Really? ND isn't getting enough exposure for you? NBC has started rolling out some more shows like the Strong and True series, the South Bend to Chicago thing. They've aired a couple hockey games and had a special on their game in Chicago. NBC Sports channel is just getting started and reported growth of viewership in their hockey coverage and soccer coverage. It wasn't a huge jump, but if they can keep steady growth, the station will do fine.

ND does a pretty good job of producing it's own stuff through FIDM and their YouTube channel, maybe some more of that will be incorporated into NBC in the future.

My thoughts exactly. I think Notre Dame gets excellent coverage. Streaming games, national television, basically our own website domain on the NBC website, not to mention all of the documentaries that NBC does for Notre Dame. Last year the Michigan/Michigan State game, the big o'le "little brother" rivalry that everyone writes home about, was a NOON GAME ON THE BIG TEN NETWORK. No thank you. The OSU and Michigan spring games were on the Big Ten Network AND THEY WEREN'T LIVE. They were shown at 9 P.M. that night.

I'll take the NBC deal and all of my games on national television over an ACC/ND TV deal with ESPN for now.

Edit: I'm also not sure what more "pre-game" coverage we could get. Just analysts talking about the game? Showing them run out on the field?

 

[clashmore_mike]

NBC also sent their studio crew to Notre Dame for the last 2 (more?) home games and had the set on the sideline for pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage right? Maybe they could expand those pre and post game shows to show some interviews/pressers live, but again they are just rolling that part out.

 

[Rhode Irish]

Don't see how this is anything but good news. Even if you don't like NBC (I do think they have the best programming of the major networks, hence the worst ratings because people are mostly dumb), it is a national network and ND football is its main property along with Sunday Night Football, which is the most widely watch television program in America.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

This means stadium changes are coming, IMO. It happened on the last contract and its a benefit that has cash value to ND and doesn't get split with the visiting team. If ND wants more benefits like that this would be the time to revisit that.

Also, I bet BK & co. just made the university a heap of money by taking ND back to the BCS and driving up viewership immediately before the new agreement.

 

[phork]

Wonder what the terms are. Anything less than $20mill a year is robbery.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

ND played in 5 of the top 15 rated regular season games.

 

[Irish YJ]

NBC has been a good and trusted partner, or at least as far as I know.... So, I kind of like the loyalty.

Anyway, does any of CFB team pull more jack than ND with it's NBC contract?

 

[domerfreak]

Wonder what the terms are. Anything less than $20mill a year is robbery.

espn is saying 15 million annually....isnt that the current contract rates anyways heres the link.

NBC extends Notre Dame Fighting Irish football deal through 2025 - ESPN

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I love that EVERY ND game is on national TV EVERY year. Go Irish!

 

[NDPhilly]

ND played in 5 of the top 15 rated regular season games.

Jesus Christ we dominate that list. No other team in College Football had more than TWO.

 

[phork]

NBC has been a good and trusted partner, or at least as far as I know.... So, I kind of like the loyalty.

Anyway, does any of CFB team pull more jack than ND with it's NBC contract?

Err currently we are 3rd in jack to Indiana and Purdue in the state of Indiana. This contract should have been in the $20mill range.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

espn is saying 15 million annually....isnt that the current contract rates anyways heres the link.

NBC extends Notre Dame Fighting Irish football deal through 2025 - ESPN

Unsourced:

The contract, reportedly worth $15 million annually for football, had never run for more than five years.

I have a very hard time believing Swarbrick would lock us into a 10-year contract at the exact same rate (1) when most major conference teams are already making far more; and (2) on the heels of ND's most profitable season in ~22 years.

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

ND played in 5 of the top 15 rated regular season games.

We run ****.

 

[Rhode Irish]

Whiskey is right that there is a good chance the deal is worth more than 15M/per because official numbers haven't been reported. But besides that, there is more to the deal than just money. Having your own network means your games are on in every market across the country. It is hard to put a value on that. Even if Indiana gets more from the B1G deal than we get (and we'll see about that), they aren't getting anywhere near the exposure that ND gets. Nobody in the country is. And that is worth something in its own right.

 

[Jerry]

ND played in 5 of the top 15 rated regular season games.

Hilarious that the Big Ten Championship game did worse ratings than ND/BC.

 

[no.1IrishFan]

Does anyone know if the deal includes a clause that stipulates all games must be covered on NBC's main network, or can they air games that might draw less viewers on their sports network channel?

Dumb question?

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

Does anyone know if the deal includes a clause that stipulates all games must be covered on NBC's main network, or can they air games that might draw less viewers on their sports network channel?

Dumb question?

It's an open question. The press release says the agreement lhas the option for games to be aired on NBC Sports Network. I read in an interview today that this will not happen before the 2014 season. But it will likely happen, and I'm not sure if it has to be a mutual agreement or if NBC can unilaterally decide which game.

It also leaves open the possibility for at least one or two night games on NBC a year. Definitely a Shamrock series game, one more game, and NBC said if there is a really big game they will make it a night game. But they mostly like the 3:30 time for ND games.

 

[phork]

It's an open question. The press release says the agreement lhas the option for games to be aired on NBC Sports Network. I read in an interview today that this will not happen before the 2014 season. But it will likely happen, and I'm not sure if it has to be a mutual agreement or if NBC can unilaterally decide which game.

It also leaves open the possibility for at least one or two night games on NBC a year. Definitely a Shamrock series game, one more game, and NBC said if there is a really big game they will make it a night game. But they mostly like the 3:30 time for ND games.

5 night games in 2 years I think they said.

Whiskey is right that there is a good chance the deal is worth more than 15M/per because official numbers haven't been reported. But besides that, there is more to the deal than just money. Having your own network means your games are on in every market across the country. It is hard to put a value on that. Even if Indiana gets more from the B1G deal than we get (and we'll see about that), they aren't getting anywhere near the exposure that ND gets. Nobody in the country is. And that is worth something in its own right.

Its worth something yes, but it also takes the heat off the school for not paying your Head Coach and then the assistants. Want to win like Bama? Pay up like Bama pays.

Alabama coaching salaries increase 40 percent since winning titles | The Daily Bama Blog

Don't forget also they have the ability to shuffle games to NBCSports, not sure how many people have access to that.

Like I said, if this deal is not up over $20mill a year then ND got jobbed. You don't think Fox or CBS might pick ND up? ND sells itself.

 

[dshans]

I'm too damn lazy to look this up (and not really all that interested), but do the numbers that Purdue, Indiana, et al. garner from the B1G include all sports and not just football? If so, the numbers as presented are skewed.

The old apples and oranges conundrum.

 

[chicago51]

Well this likely means the ND football program doesn't plan on joining a conference anytime soon, thats for sure.