ND and the NBC headache...

[Left Seater]

Let me start this by saying props to ND for getting their own TV deal. Everyone of us would love for our school to have the same deal.

Now for some facts on the ND deal with NBC. The five year deal signed in late 2004 started in the '05 season and pays ND $9 million per season. $45 million over the total. In 2005 ND went 9-3 and pulled in a 3.6 share. In 2006 they went 10-2 and pulled in a 2.9 share. This season they went 3-9 and pulled a 1.8. Furthermore NBC is now in 4th place in total viewers and the prime time line-up is getting killed, or at least it was prior to the writers strike. Finally, ABC has pulled at least double the number of ABC on its college football games the past two years and last season ND was 10-2.

Now NBC is nowhere near ready to bail on ND football, but they are looking to drop the amount per year as the two sides go back to negotiate an extension. NBC has had to give tons of free ads to some of their top advertisers since the ratings for ND football have fallen so low. That is all well and good, but then you throw the writers strike on top of this and on some nights NBC is giving away half of their prime time ads to make up for the drop in ratings of ND football. In fact they have taken some shows and have made them completely make ups and they are not selling any new ads in order to get back to the numbers they promised during the selling of those ads.

The bigger problem for NBC is that next season even though the Irish will likely be much better they are going to be getting a lot less for their ads. Props to ND for their deal, and it sucks to be you NBC, but maybe you will learn something from all this.

I guess my question after all of that is will ND take less on their next contract or will NBC try to negotiate some sort of payment schedule based on the ratings of the ND games?

[Adelpiero]

ND will take less, maybe not a a whole lot less, but they will take it. Noone else will give them the $$$ they are getting from NBC and they realize there are no other networks that will bend over and shill like they do for them.

ABC won't
CBS won't SEC is their #1
ESPN won't

only way ABC does, is if they would put ND #1 and then force big12 and pac10 to take next slots, which would push USC and topbig12 games to Fox, who would have first choice of teams and matchups.

So their marriage will continue

[Killian]

First off, I think the net effect on NBC of ND football sucking doesn't materially effect their bottom line. Given the time slot and the amount of money that is generated through ad's, I think them taking a dump in ratings won't hit them that hard.

During the length of this contract, ND has been willing to renegotiate their side of things after a ratings shortfall, and NBC has done the same when ND has rebounded. I don't see this contract going anywhere anytime soon, especially with Kevin White as ND's AD.

[King Crimson]

next year is not a problem. if Big Time Charlie and the Irish are going 5-6 in two years, that's a problem.