Fox Sports has dropped out of the bidding for the BCS making ESPN the exclusive home of the series.
Here’s a statement.
FOX Sports has elected not to match an offer the BCS Group has received from ESPN to televise BCS games from 2011-2014, and plans to notify the organization by phone today.
Even with today’s vast economic uncertainties, FOX Sports made a very competitive bid to keep broadcasting BCS games free to every home in America, one that included a substantial rights fee increase, and certainly as much as any over-the-air network could responsibly risk. Unfortunately, the University presidents and BCS commissioners were not satisfied and they’ve decided to take their jewel events to pay television. We wish everyone well.
Kind of a terse statement if you ask me.
Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal (under the same corporate umbrella as Fox) has the story.
Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette has a quick blurb on the story as well.
We’ll have more reaction when we get an official announcement that ESPN has signed to carry the BCS.
