A national headline by The Associated Press last summer stated the Big Ten was about to see “maximum exposure” as it began its record seven-year, $8-billion contract with three of the four major networks -- Fox, CBS and NBC -- after ABC and its ESPN properties proved too cheap.
Maximum exposure? Quite the opposite. Instead of appearing on the actual networks, the Big Ten allowed NBC to pick apart the conference schedules for exclusive telecasts on its fledgling Peacock streaming service, a 3-year-old limited to less than 9 percent of the U.S. -- 24 million subscribers inching to 30. Peacock took 32 basketball games, denying exposure to over 300 million non-subscribers apiece. Nearly 10 billion potential viewers blacked out in one season.
Not the way to expand fan bases. How many casual viewers, possible students and recruits want to search and pay extra while so many other games are right on hand nationally for free?
Gutted worst was Purdue and its highest-profiled basketball team, ranked in the nation’s top four all season with the reigning national player of the year. Six Purdue games were pulled off the regular airways by Peacock, including the showdown as No. 2 against then-No. 1 Arizona, a 21-point win at archrival Indiana and a 32-point home blowout over ever-ballyhooed Michigan … impressive wins that impressed few live … plus the visits to Maryland and Illinois. At least Purdue’s worst showing was also confined to Peacock.
CBS, meanwhile, selected only three Purdue games for its featured Sunday telecasts -- available to 300 million households apiece -- and all three on the road. Thus, Mackey Arena, one of the nation’s best environments, housing one of its best teams, would go unseen on the national networks aside from three late-season games on Fox. Purdue’s other home games were relegated to the lesser Fox channels -- FS1 with less than 75 million households and BTN with less than 50 million.
What a deal. The Big Ten screwed its own founder and its best basketball product. Thanks a billion. Looks like we were expected use our share to go out and buy our own air time.
Maximum exposure? Quite the opposite. Instead of appearing on the actual networks, the Big Ten allowed NBC to pick apart the conference schedules for exclusive telecasts on its fledgling Peacock streaming service, a 3-year-old limited to less than 9 percent of the U.S. -- 24 million subscribers inching to 30. Peacock took 32 basketball games, denying exposure to over 300 million non-subscribers apiece. Nearly 10 billion potential viewers blacked out in one season.
Not the way to expand fan bases. How many casual viewers, possible students and recruits want to search and pay extra while so many other games are right on hand nationally for free?
Gutted worst was Purdue and its highest-profiled basketball team, ranked in the nation’s top four all season with the reigning national player of the year. Six Purdue games were pulled off the regular airways by Peacock, including the showdown as No. 2 against then-No. 1 Arizona, a 21-point win at archrival Indiana and a 32-point home blowout over ever-ballyhooed Michigan … impressive wins that impressed few live … plus the visits to Maryland and Illinois. At least Purdue’s worst showing was also confined to Peacock.
CBS, meanwhile, selected only three Purdue games for its featured Sunday telecasts -- available to 300 million households apiece -- and all three on the road. Thus, Mackey Arena, one of the nation’s best environments, housing one of its best teams, would go unseen on the national networks aside from three late-season games on Fox. Purdue’s other home games were relegated to the lesser Fox channels -- FS1 with less than 75 million households and BTN with less than 50 million.
What a deal. The Big Ten screwed its own founder and its best basketball product. Thanks a billion. Looks like we were expected use our share to go out and buy our own air time.
