A very fun column today from Blum that quietly makes some great points.
BLUM: Big 12, conference of the future
- Thread starter ChrisMWilliams
- Start date
I kind of missed 2024 & crapped myself when I read the $5 B Google affiliation. Should have stopped right there and went to BBall forum!
I really like this article by Brent. It reminds me A LOT of statements made by friends in the Twin Cities who in the first years of the 21st century were lamenting how satellite radio let them down by not being able to offer their college alum radio station (that had broadcasts of their college football and basketball teams). Not long after that, we discovered streaming audio and cable modems, so streaming the old college game was possible for those with some technical know how. Streaming the video of the games took longer, but by now has been available for a few years as long as you don't care how much you spend (or if you are on financial budgets, don't care that some revenue is being cheated from your already financially viable team). I DO see a point in time where the government will need to reign in the availability of the 'free' streams of college sports. And I would like to see that event taking the form of the availability of more Ala Carte methods for viewing (of things that are not just sports related). I don't know if the B12 is positioned in the best way to make this possible, or if a much larger conference would be necessary to force the hand of the cable conglomerates; so I don't necessarily buy into this fantasy, but I'm happy to hear someone else is dreaming of that same beautiful vision.
I'm surprised Blum didn't mention the 2 time defending national Champs and currently undefeated in 2024 Iowa State Cyclones
Imagine being able to watch a game in 3D on your living room floor or coffee table, via something like the Microsoft Hololens. Users can select the view they want (sideline, endzone, bird's eye, orthogonal, etc.), zoom in or out (I'd love an "All 22" view, to see what players are doing more than 10 yards away from the ball), and control the angle of replays yourself. Like rewatching plays in Madden, but on a live game.
I had to reread the title to realize it was funning me. However - I was hoping for all of it when I finished. To not be the laughingstock of the country - to be the "I told you so" conference - to make the B1G cry over their cable losses - pure ecstasy! Bwolsby as commish was so farfetched I cringed - need a more open guy - like Mark Cuban. A bit off but has the stones to risk it!
The Big12 is not dead, as the premise of Blum's article, a lot can change over the next 6-7 years. That said, no matter what changes occur over the next 6-7 the Big12 will need to expand if it wants TV Rights revenue to remain in the ballpark of the SEC & Big10. The current Big12 has too many small TV market programs, with smaller fan bases. Also any technology available to the Big12, will likely be available to other conferences.
Corporations that dominate the marketplace today, will likely dominate the marketplace in 6-7 years, as they will protect their content & delivery franchises. AT&T already owns DirecTV and now wants to buy Time Warner. No reason Disney (ESPN) can't go out and buy a Netflix, Twitter, etc. if it enhances delivery of their content.
Regardless if the future is similar to today's sport channel dominated market or a future of twitter, netflix or whatever streaming entity exists- eyeballs will still be critical. More accurately, it might be eyeballs who are willing to pay $250-$500/year to watch their team/conferences games.
Corporations that dominate the marketplace today, will likely dominate the marketplace in 6-7 years, as they will protect their content & delivery franchises. AT&T already owns DirecTV and now wants to buy Time Warner. No reason Disney (ESPN) can't go out and buy a Netflix, Twitter, etc. if it enhances delivery of their content.
Regardless if the future is similar to today's sport channel dominated market or a future of twitter, netflix or whatever streaming entity exists- eyeballs will still be critical. More accurately, it might be eyeballs who are willing to pay $250-$500/year to watch their team/conferences games.
Relative to Google alignment, will this make the new Google Home a valid option for ISU games aligned through Chromecast, or just basic radio. I have read articles about the Amazon ECHO, and found it intriguing - especially when elderly people are not tech savvy and just request ISU XXXX radio. Next question is would a conference try to align with Amazon.
Wow, once again Blum chimes in with wildly inaccurate hypotheses that are based more in fiction than reality. Can you please explain to me how 3D technology will advance that far in just 8 years? I can't wait to pull this back up in 2024 and remind you just how silly you were!!
