According to a report from Thomas Goldkamp of On3 Sports, Fox Sports is blocking a bid by ESPN to create College Football RedZone, by denying the competing network access to real-time highlights from Big Ten and Big 12 games.
Everything gets worse when the lawyers and accountants get involved. Fox won't license its content for up-to-the-minute cut-ins, even after ESPN and the NFL reached an agreement to recreate the popular feature from NFL broadcasts.
Goldcamp notes, "While the NFL’s television rights deals are relatively consolidated, college football’s are not. And that could create some serious hurdles to a college RedZone package."
It's too bad. With programs in desperate need for new revenue after the House settlement and teams playing in far-flung conferences that stretch across the continent, RedZone could be a way to bring the best players and biggest moments into the homes of every college football fan every Saturday.
With smart TVs, big screens and picture-in-picture, fans could have a sports book/Buffalo Wild Wings experience right in their living room, able to witness all the biggest plays by the biggest stars.
It might keep fans in their recliners instead of outside raking leaves when their game is over while livening up the tailgate. It could build interest in the game and familiarity with the astounding array of talent in the college game, pull fans into the content on Fox and games outside their favorite conference.
Instead, we get the same old territorial squabble, a roomful of suits arguing about contracts when they could make the pie five times bigger. Just once it'd be great to see decision-makers and bean-counters grow the game, rather than blocking what everybody wants to see. Make a deal and make college football even more beautiful. Everyone deserves more Quack.