http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3185088 DEAL ESTABLISHES STAND-ALONE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Also Includes Television, Radio, Internet, Sponsorship & Merchandising Rights The League Championship Series and World Series. The NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. NASCAR's Daytona 500. Clearly, FOX Sports is America's king of televised sports championships, and its crown now shines more brilliant as college football's most precious jewel moves to FOX. FOX Sports and the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) announced today that they have reached an exclusive four-year agreement covering all media distribution and sponsorship rights for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, FedEx Orange Bowl and Nokia Sugar Bowl from 2007 through 2010, and a new, stand-alone, BCS National Championship Game from 2007 through 2009. Financial terms were not disclosed. "We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with FOX Sports," said Kevin Weiberg, Big 12 Commissioner and BCS Coordinator. "We very much look forward to the creative energy that the FOX team will bring to the Bowl Championship Series, and I am certain that college football fans will find that the presentation of the games will bring a new level of excitement and energy to these classic bowl contests." "I am also pleased that we were able to successfully negotiate a television contract for the expanded BCS," added Weiberg. "The new model brings an enhanced opportunity for highly-rated teams to play in BCS games, including teams from conferences that have not had an automatic berth. This model will also showcase in a more distinct fashion the BCS National Championship Game in a unique telecast window after the BCS bowl games." "Few sports boast the passion and pageantry of college football, and the BCS is the Mt. Everest of college football," said Peter Chernin, President & COO, News Corp. "The deal we‘ve agreed to with the BCS will prove to be financially advantageous for all concerned." In addition to telecast rights, the contract also covers national radio rights; Internet rights; all sponsorship rights, including naming rights, signage and virtual signage opportunities and in-game enhancements; ancillary programming on FOX and/or FSN; and a joint venture (FOX, BCS and Bowls) to identify and exploit merchandising opportunities. "The agreement with FOX proves that the new BCS model has great market appeal," said David Frohnmayer, President, University of Oregon and BCS Presidential Oversight Committee Chair. "We look forward to our partnership with the network and joining its lineup of high-profile championship sporting events." The addition of the BCS to FOX's already impressive array of championship caliber events comes just two weeks after the network reached a new six-year agreement to continue as television home to the NFL's NFC Sunday afternoon package, which gives FOX the next eight NFC Championship games plus Super Bowls this February and in 2008 and 2011. Existing agreements with MLB and NASCAR guarantee that the next two American and National League pennant winners and world champions will be decided on FOX, as will Daytona 500 victors in 2005 and 2007. Since 1995, over 35 champions have been crowned on FOX. "Since our inception, FOX Sports has worked aggressively to provide our viewers the very best sports programming possible," offered FOX Sports Chairman David Hill. "Some of the nation's most dramatic and memorable sports series, games and moments over the last decade have been captured by our cameras, and described by our announcers, and I know that in years to come that the BCS will add to our legacy. We're just sorry that we'll have to wait two years for this to begin." Over the last two years, the Fiesta, Orange, and Sugar Bowls have averaged an 11.1 household rating, which would rank the three BCS Bowls in a tie for seventh among all prime time shows this broadcast season-to-date. These games also attract audiences that are both upscale and better-educated than average, both compelling features for advertisers. The BCS championship game, which right now is presented as the Fiesta, Orange, Rose or Sugar Bowl on a rotating basis, is one of the most powerful events in television. The last two BCS title games (the 2004 Sugar Bowl and 2003 Fiesta Bowl) averaged a 15.0/26 household rating/share. Only one show in all of prime time is averaging a better rating this season-to-date. The 15.0 for the last two BCS title games is better than the two-year averages of the NBA Finals (9.0/16), NCAA Tournament Final (11.8/19), Monday Night Football (11.5/19), the final round of the Masters (7.8/19), and the Belmont Stakes (10.4/25). An estimated 50 million Americans are expected to watch the 2005 Orange Bowl, this year's BCS championship game. FOX and its related cable channels are not strangers to college football. FOX Sports has televised the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day since 1999. FSN has national cable rights to Pac 10 and Big 12 football, and the recently launched Fox College Sports carries over 100 games culled from FSN's owned-and affiliated regional sports networks.
Great....now we can see 10,000 promos for "That 70s show" & "Arrested Development" between Dec. 31 and Jan. 5 every year. :dis:
After the way ABC handled the situation last year and tossed USC's salad, I for one am happy that Fox has taken over.
So what happens to the Rose Bowl? What if it's a year where Rose Bowl is the national championship - Fox doesn't broadcast it?
I believe you're right. Charles Hanagriff said the Rose Bowl had a contract with ABC until 2010, if I'm not mistaken.
Does this mean that we are going to get a true championship game from two of the winners of the bowls involved??? Is this stand-alone game going to be the championship game of a 4 team play-off???
No. The stand alone game is just the championship game. All they are doing is allowing 2 more teams to be involved in the BCS normal 4 games and a seperate championship game for #1 and #2. Same system really, just more teams and more money of course.
