FOX may be willing to end its relationship with the Bowl Championship Series one year early.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that there are “rumblings that FOX could sell” its BCS television rights for the 2009-10 season “to ESPN if the Worldwide Leader made them an offer they couldn?t refuse.”
In November, ESPN outbid FOX for the rights to four of the five BCS games, including the National Championship Game.
One of the reasons why FOX may be willing to part with the BCS so quickly is the fact that the network does not have the rights to the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, which is set to air on ABC as part of a separate Rose Bowl deal.
FOX would no doubt find being a lame duck easier if it at least had the rights to the most important game — as opposed to the three lower-rated appetizers, the Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls. Since gaining rights to the BCS in 2006, FOX has averaged a 7.8 rating for the Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls, down 23% from the 10.1 ABC averaged for the same three bowl games from ’99 to ’06*, and well below the 15.9 rating FOX has averaged for its three National Championship games.
* Does not include Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls that were designated as the National Championship game.
