ESPN and Bivens

gxer · 08-25-2009, 12:09 PM

Interesting Article.
------------------
Insiders say Bivens blames the Votaw administration for saddling her with long-term deals through 2009, which prevented her from striking deals during the first couple of years of her tenure as commissioner, when the economy was hot.

Maybe so, but Bivens’ hard-line negotiating style did nothing but alienate partners like ESPN. Plus she never changed her business model when the economy went south last year. Bivens did manage to secure a 10-year deal with Golf Channel, which included a small rights fee, but it came with a cost. Tournaments now are responsible for paying Golf Channel production costs to the tune of $250,000 per event. That burden is one of the reasons the Corning Classic folded its tent and the Jamie Farr Classic is on the bubble and probably won’t be back next year.

ESPN-Last LPGA tour event

MoReb51 · 08-25-2009, 12:38 PM

Sounds like she's playing the Obama Blame Game.

Marie · 09-09-2009, 06:59 PM

Friends saw the deal Votaw made and tournaments already paid between $250,000 and $350,000 for the tv time. It's easy to make friends when someone agrees to let everyone walk all over the tour. At least Bivens stood up for the women. Seems that Rochester and Toledo renewed 3-4 years ago. Think they might have leveraged a recession to squeeze the LPGA?

Marie · 09-09-2009, 07:09 PM

when r u goin gto dump your parents and get a life?

LoJo · 09-09-2009, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by Marie

when r u goin gto dump your parents and get a life?

Marie...Who are you addressing? gxer? MoReb?

Michelle Wie? WTF does she have to do with this thread?

LoJo · 09-09-2009, 07:32 PM

Good article find, gxer.

Of course Bivens is "blaming" Ty or the economy or the stars alignment for her failures with negotiating contracts.

The article pointing out that ESPN is "worldwide" leader in sports broadcasting is big. MyLPGA posters in England, Canada or Australia and elsewhere can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe many ESPN broadcasts are covered in those countries by their various sports channels, whereas many Golf Channel productions are not.

Tournaments being saddled now with those huge ($250k) Golf Channel production costs will be a challenge for the next commish to negotiate.

heddwyn · 09-09-2009, 07:58 PM

In Oz, we get golf on one of the Foxsport channels, regardless of the originating broadcaster in the USA (or Europe). We get TGC coverage on Fox, a lot of it is very delayed, more so than your tape delays.

The final round of the Canadian Open, which we got all four days incidentally, was shown at 11.30pm local Calgary time, often US tournaments are shown around 8 hrs after they finished playing. For someone like me, it doesn't make watching compulsory when I already know the result.

Putter · 09-09-2009, 08:51 PM

LoJo, one of our sports networks here (TSN) used to pick up feeds from ESPN for the golf, but hasn't for a few years. We aren't "allowed" to have ESPN up here thanks to the broadcast regulators who, I guess, think it's not good for us. Anybody can get TGC in Canada if they pay for it...which I do.

heddwyn · 09-09-2009, 09:43 PM

Oh yeah, Bivens stood up for women all right. So much so she lost them a load of tournaments and access to income. Obviously you don't follow golf too much, Marie, otherwise you'd notice that some players hadn't played for around six weeks before the Safeway.

08-25-2009, 12:09 PM	#1
gxer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 4,048	ESPN and Bivens Interesting Article. ------------------ Insiders say Bivens blames the Votaw administration for saddling her with long-term deals through 2009, which prevented her from striking deals during the first couple of years of her tenure as commissioner, when the economy was hot. Maybe so, but Bivens’ hard-line negotiating style did nothing but alienate partners like ESPN. Plus she never changed her business model when the economy went south last year. Bivens did manage to secure a 10-year deal with Golf Channel, which included a small rights fee, but it came with a cost. Tournaments now are responsible for paying Golf Channel production costs to the tune of $250,000 per event. That burden is one of the reasons the Corning Classic folded its tent and the Jamie Farr Classic is on the bubble and probably won’t be back next year. ESPN-Last LPGA tour event __________________ *My "dream" girl: LPGA seasonal tour stats <=65.50 & >=270* Last edited by gxer; 08-25-2009 at 12:11 PM.

08-25-2009, 12:38 PM	#2
MoReb51 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 292	Sounds like she's playing the Obama Blame Game. __________________ DaHjaj 'oH QaQ jaj Daq Hegh. legh SoH Daq [Hades] In Klingon it means: "Today is a good day to die. See you in Hades."

09-09-2009, 06:59 PM	#3
Marie Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9	Bivens/tv Friends saw the deal Votaw made and tournaments already paid between $250,000 and $350,000 for the tv time. It's easy to make friends when someone agrees to let everyone walk all over the tour. At least Bivens stood up for the women. Seems that Rochester and Toledo renewed 3-4 years ago. Think they might have leveraged a recession to squeeze the LPGA?

09-09-2009, 07:16 PM	#5
LoJo Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The Golf Course Posts: 2,217 Images: 1	Originally Posted by Marie when r u goin gto dump your parents and get a life? Marie...Who are you addressing? gxer? MoReb? Michelle Wie? WTF does she have to do with this thread?

09-09-2009, 08:51 PM	#8
Putter Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,296 Images: 26	LoJo, one of our sports networks here (TSN) used to pick up feeds from ESPN for the golf, but hasn't for a few years. We aren't "allowed" to have ESPN up here thanks to the broadcast regulators who, I guess, think it's not good for us. Anybody can get TGC in Canada if they pay for it...which I do. __________________ Putter

09-09-2009, 07:09 PM	#4
Marie Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9	when r u goin gto dump your parents and get a life?

09-09-2009, 07:32 PM	#6
LoJo Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The Golf Course Posts: 2,217 Images: 1	Good article find, gxer. Of course Bivens is "blaming" Ty or the economy or the stars alignment for her failures with negotiating contracts. The article pointing out that ESPN is "worldwide" leader in sports broadcasting is big. MyLPGA posters in England, Canada or Australia and elsewhere can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe many ESPN broadcasts are covered in those countries by their various sports channels, whereas many Golf Channel productions are not. Tournaments being saddled now with those huge ($250k) Golf Channel production costs will be a challenge for the next commish to negotiate.

09-09-2009, 07:58 PM	#7
heddwyn Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,380	In Oz, we get golf on one of the Foxsport channels, regardless of the originating broadcaster in the USA (or Europe). We get TGC coverage on Fox, a lot of it is very delayed, more so than your tape delays. The final round of the Canadian Open, which we got all four days incidentally, was shown at 11.30pm local Calgary time, often US tournaments are shown around 8 hrs after they finished playing. For someone like me, it doesn't make watching compulsory when I already know the result.

09-09-2009, 09:43 PM	#9
heddwyn Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,380	Oh yeah, Bivens stood up for women all right. So much so she lost them a load of tournaments and access to income. Obviously you don't follow golf too much, Marie, otherwise you'd notice that some players hadn't played for around six weeks before the Safeway.

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