Michigan-Ohio State cancelation is a financial disaster for FOX

FOX could be hurting after Michigan football and Ohio State football’s game being canceled.

Not having Michigan football playing Ohio State football this year could be crippling for FOX.

Because The Game is the one game FOX does everything in its power to broadcast every single season, having the Big Ten rivalry game being canceled for 2020 is a devastating blow. FOX is expected to lose $18.5 million by not being able to broadcast this game between the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes and the unranked Michigan Wolverines. This is awful for all parties involved here.

How big of a deal is this for FOX to not be able to broadcast The Game?

While FOX is well diversified in its sports broadcasting portfolio because it has the rights to show MLB games, NFL games and NASCAR races, the college football season has not been their friend. FOX does have a wide array of Power 5 games it can call. However, their broadcasting packages include the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the Pac-12, and two of those conferences initially canceled.

From a single-game perspective, losing the game is about as bad if CBS were to have Florida vs. Georgia canceled or Army vs. Navy. When you think of FOX college football, The Game is the first game that always come to mind, and now it will not be airing it for the 2020 season. While FOX could flex over Minnesota vs. Nebraska from FS1, that game will draw nothing close to The Game.

Because ESPN has the rights to the College Football Playoff, The Game is FOX’s college football Super Bowl. While FOX is part of the actual Super Bowl rotation with CBS and NBC, so much of their advertising revenue and overall budget comes from this top-tier college football rivalry game. It is the most significant game of the early window on rivalry week and now that is gone.

Networks do lose millions with each game’s cancelation, but losing The Game is a huge number.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.