Lucrative TV package next step for Texas, Big 12 survivors

IOWA CITY - Now that the Big 12 has reconciled, the challenge begins for Commissioner Dan Beebe to fulfill the promises of television riches to its 10 members.

The league has two television deals, one with ABC/ESPN that runs through 2016 and another with Fox Sports Net through 2012. Beebe was assured by multiple media contacts that the league's rights fees would skyrocket in the next round of negotiations, which in part helped save the conference.

“We love ABC and the Disney family, but we understand and are appreciative and even hopeful for competitors being in the marketplace when our rights become due,” Beebe said Tuesday in a teleconference with reporters. “Certainly the projection is there's a high level of interest, not only by Fox and ABC, but by other media companies as we go forward. We're very excited that level of interest will drive the rights fees up like it did in the recent ACC negotiation.”

ESPN outbid Fox for television rights to broadcast football and basketball for $155 million annually over 12 years, according to SportsBusiness Journal. That was an $88 million increase annually but short of the SEC's $200 million per-year pact with CBS and ESPN or the Big Ten's multiple television deals that exceed $220 million.

The Big 12 earned $69.98 million from television deals in 2009, according to federal tax returns. That was an increase from $57 million in 2008 and $51.5 million in 2007. There are reports that Beebe assured conference schools Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M it could receive up to $20 million annually from a new deal, while other schools, such as Iowa State, would make around $17 million. Beebe said there were no specific guarantees made to schools and declined to reveal numbers when speaking with reporters.

“In the spirit of not having negotiated any kind of deals and just getting verification of our value in the future, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to say what those are,” Beebe said. “I wouldn't want to give away any negotiating position for us in the future. I don't want to limit it to certain number when it could actually be a much higher number than what we're estimating.”

SportsBusiness Journal also reported Fox Sports Net executives have told Big 12 officials it would increase its annual payout to between $130 million and $140 million, up from its current $19.5 million yearly payout.

Beebe said Tuesday he'll consider multiple outlets for the Big 12's television rights.

“We're under contract and proud partners with ABC/ESPN,” Beebe said. “We have every anticipation that they will compete hard for our rights, but we also have an indication that there are other media companies that are very excited about trying to get into and expand their college football exposure as they go forward.”

Unlike the Big Ten's league owned network, Beebe also agreed that each Big 12 school has the right to form its own network. Texas President Bill Powers said Tuesday that the Pac-10 wanted to start a leaguewide network, while Texas was interested in its own.

“Certainly the television network was an issue,” Powers said.

“The bottom line is the Big 12's TV package is going to be as good as any other television package.”