No Longer the Status Quo.

Money Talks But PPV Speaks Louder.

I guess we take for granted watching live broadcasts of sporting events, especially college football.  In 1951, a mere 66-years ago, NBC broadcast the first live, nationwide coverage of a live sporting event.  That day it was a college football game between Duke and Pitt.  For perspective, there were 133 college football games broadcast live on TV or steamed online on the opening weekend of college football back in September.  That’s right, 133 games in one weekend.

Yes, we all know that this live broadcast frenzy is fueled by the networks who bid for college football’s broadcast rights.  Many years ago this bidding was enhanced when the FCC abolished the NCAA rights and allowed individual conferences to bid out their conference schedule broadcast rights.  The numbers the networks pay are incredible but they are betting on big paybacks from advertisers who love the gigantic ratings.  It sounds like a plan until you find out that ESPN alone, in 2012, agreed to a 12-year, $5.64 billion dollar contract for the rights to the college football playoffs and the six associated bowl games.  $471m a year in a socio-economic atmosphere of cord-cutting and rampant pirating of broadcasts from numerous dubious sources.  ESPN has made such bad deals that they are now going through their second set of headcount cuts to minimize their cost structure.   This is ESPN’s scenario – CBS and Fox are basically in the same predicament due to the contracts they signed for rights to broadcast the Big Ten, ACC, Pac-10 and SEC conferences.  This take is focused on college football but for perspective ESPN has announced that they are doing a deep-dive study on whether they can afford to keep producing and broadcasting Monday Night Football.

There is not a clear cut answer to the financial dilemma but get familiar with the acronym PPV because it is coming fast.  We pay way too much for cable television but I guess we rationalize the money spent every month on the amazing amount (not necessarily quality) of content. PPV, Pay-for-View, is the model that most European broadcasters have gone to – including the ability to watch live sports that once were part of a subscriber’s monthly package.  Get ready U.S.A. because that SEC and Big Ten ‘free’ football we watch during the Fall is about to change dramatically.  The go forward reality is PPV.

Adios and have a Funday Sunday!!!!

November 23. Give Thanks.

Just My Take:  A List of Things We Really Should Be Thankful For…..

  • Families, friends, associates, and partners
  • Advantages provided by living in a democratic society
  • Siri
  • Tax cuts (whenever that may really happen)
  • Beer
  • Technology – because as much as we may complain about it – it could be tough to live without a mobile phone, Google maps, and ESPN.com
  • Wine
  • A dishwasher
  • Arthur Blank, Jim Smith & Darren Eales – for the hard work many years ago that has now made Atlanta United top of mind
  • Bourbon
  • Celebrating children – no matter what
  • Mortgage interest tax deduction (for the time being)
  • Peter King’s blog:  Monday Morning Quarterback
  • A really good hug
  • Professors and teachers who really care
  • Healthcare professionals who are not self-serving
  • No clouds and 77
  • Health, because without it, none of the above really matters

Adios, have a FUNDAY SUNDAY and a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Honor. Viva Italia. Gameday Saturday. It’s Dark. Hans Solo.

Don’t Dare Take A Knee This Weekend (Or Ever).  Don’t Let the Swedes Ruin Next Summer.  Really Hope?  Saturday is for Football.

After World War I ended, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day.  In 1918, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a peace treaty was finally signed ending the “War of All Wars”.  Unfortunately, the wars never ended and President Eisenhower signed a bill changing the name from Armistice Day to a more inclusive Veteran’s Day.  A national holiday thanking and saluting all of those who have served and thoughts and prayers to all of those who fell.  With today being Veteran’s Day, here’s hope that all of us salute and respect the flag – flown at a parade or presented by a Color Guard, you better not take a knee.

Italian National Team – wake up dammit.  The thought of not having Italy at next summer’s World Cup is horrible.  Yesterday, Sweden took a 1-0 win into Monday’s second leg.  With the U.S.A. failing to qualify, the Italians give us some hope as we head into next summer.

Hope Solo and Sepp Blatter – a match made in heaven.

With the issues surrounding the National Football League, many people are restating that Saturday is for football.  This statement definitely resonates today with many important games including Georgia – Auburn and Miami- Notre Dame.  The NFL is a massive business with a lot of very smart people in their management ranks.  They will figure it out but until then we can take in both types of ‘football’ on Saturdays – all morning, day and evening.

Have I mentioned that I dislike daylight savings time ending?

Adios, have a great weekend and a Funday Sunday!

 

 

Short Takes for the 1st Sunday in November.

Man Up.  Sophia.  Tata.  Way Too Long.  Good to Bad.  Take a Knee.  The Dark of the Sun.

People working with people.  Business travel with a mix of women and men.  The pressure, anxiety, and sometimes isolation of being on the road away from home.  Management that provides for an atmosphere of bad behavior.  People parlaying their position of power into solicitation.  All of this happens on a regular basis, day in and day out.  Any and all of this has been prevalent and is unfortunately top of mind due to the alleged actions of  Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby and Kevin Spacey.  I am sure that some of the many allegations socialized through the media have no substantiation but even if 1% of the many allegations are true some type of severe ramifications need to happen, and happen fast.

There is a recent photo of Sophia Loren on social media channels.  She is still beautiful and stunning……at 77 years-old.  Wish she could tell us how.

It looks like Tata Martino, Atlanta United’s manager, has turned down an approach by U.S. Soccer to be their next manager.  Bad for U.S. Soccer and very good for Atlanta United.

Other than money derived from commercial breaks, is there any reason Major League Baseball should not reduce the number of innings from 9 to 7?

In one day Houston’s sports fans go from exhilaration with their World Series win to tears with the ACL injury to the Texans starting quarterback, DeShaun Watson.

The National Football League reports that their season-to-date attendance and TV ratings are slightly off plan from a year ago……really NFL?

Hoping that everyone remembers (except Arizona and Hawaii) to set their clocks back one hour late Saturday night or very early Sunday morning.  Does the 5:45pm darkness bother anyone else?  Cannot wait for the 1st Sunday in March.

Adios and have a great Saturday & Funday Sunday!!!