The mere prospect of losing a single NFL game to the Disney-Charter Spectrum dispute helped broker a new deal between the two battling companies.

Just hours before the start of ESPN’s coverage of “Monday Night Football” featuring the highly anticipated matchup of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, Disney and Charter completed what they are calling a “transformative agreement,” ending a standoff that lasted nearly 11 days.

The deal gets networks such as ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU back on the country’s second-largest cable carrier, providing a key segment of linear carriage for Disney — Charter’s 14.7 million subscribers — and at elevated rates for the company.

A Win For Spectrum Subscribers?

Perhaps more importantly for consumers, the deal grants Charter a series of digital elements, including the ability to offer ESPN+ and an ad-supported version of Disney+ to linear-TV subscribers, as well as the forthcoming full, direct-to-consumer version of ESPN to Spectrum TV Select subscribers. 

Charter will also market Disney-owned streaming services to its customers, particularly its broadband-only consumers. That elevated combination of linear and streaming programming will allow Charter to offer a heightened level of choice to consumers. 

After the now-concluded U.S. Open and two weekends of college football failed to prompt a deal, Disney and Charter’s announcement directly referenced giving Charter subscribers access to Disney programming “in time for ‘Monday Night Football.’” That restored access will be particularly impactful in New York, one of Charter’s top markets, with Monday’s Jets game.

“This deal recognizes both the continued value of linear television and growing popularity of streaming services, while addressing the evolving needs of our consumers,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger and Charter CEO Chris Winfrey in a joint statement.

With Charter’s enhanced ability to customize linear and streaming packages for consumers, as well as most-favored-nation clauses that can promote deal parity across the cable business, Disney could ultimately strike similar agreements with other major carriers. 

Fox Sports is looking to develop a new men’s postseason college basketball tournament that could alter the sport’s end-of-season competitive landscape. 

The event would involve teams from several power conferences that didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament, according to multiple reports.

The competition would involve 16 teams, begin in 2024 or 2025, and be staged entirely in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena between the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight and Final Four. The new tournament would feature teams from the Big 12, Big East, and Big Ten — all of which have existing rights deals with the network. 

Fox vs. ESPN

The effort would heighten an existing battle between Fox Sports and ESPN, particularly within college sports. The pair of networks have already locked down a large portion of major college basketball and football rights outside of the NCAA Tournament itself, which is shown on CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery networks.

ESPN airs the NCAA-owned NIT, and if Fox Sports’ plans come to fruition, the NIT would likely lean further into participating teams from mid-major conferences. ESPN’s existing relationships with the ACC and SEC are reportedly impediments to those conferences’ participation in the potential new tournament, while the Pac-12’s ongoing instability has left its potential involvement uncertain.

Newly installed NCAA president Charlie Baker is said to have asked conference commissioners to “back away” from Fox Sports’ efforts, in part due to concerns regarding the NIT, which has existed since 1938.

Michigan State has suspended head football coach Mel Tucker after allegations of sexual harassment — putting nearly $100 million dollars in limbo.

MSU interim president Teresa Woodruff said the school will wait until a Title IX investigation is concluded before taking further steps — which in all likelihood will result in Tucker’s firing. The Spartans will reportedly seek to dismiss Tucker with cause so as not be on the hook for a massive buyout fee. 

In 2021, Tucker signed a fully guaranteed 10-year, $95 million contract extension after an impressive first two years in charge of the team. Tucker currently has about $80 million left on the massive deal, which was set to run until 2032. 

When negotiating with Tucker, MSU had to secure the necessary funding from influential alumni like Mat Ishbia, who now owns the Phoenix Suns.

It’s unclear when the Title IX investigation will conclude or what next steps Tucker could take to claim some or all of the money remaining on his contract.

Bad News For Big Ten

Tucker’s situation at MSU is the most recent unfortunate circumstance for Big Ten schools this year.

Northwestern fired head football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal, Iowa State is dealing with a sports betting scandal among some of its players, and anonymous former players accused Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck of creating a toxic culture.