This whole situation is being propagated by one main driving force. SPORTS. FOX wants a bigger piece of the sports pie and right now ESPN rules the roost. The NFL alone has garnered over a Billion Dollars from various networks including Monday Night Football on ESPN. FOX wants some of that money. Sports broadcasts are a known value to the networks, no risk, especially college football and Pro sports. NBA on TNT and TBS, College football on FSN's and several ESPN's as well as the major networks. Local NHL, MLB, NBA, college football and basketball on the FSN's. It's a gold mine without the risk of new half hour and one hour shows, with new ones offered every year. Several have already gone bust (Outlaws etc), costing the networks lots of money. Sports = BIG reward and minimal RISK. For everything you like to watch on TV, sports is the engine that drives the bus.
Excellent post. This is why I support Fox. If they dont get the revenue needed ESPN will mop up the floor and there wont be any sports worth watching for us using OTA.