ESPN Chasing C-USA Broadcasting Rights

[Drew]

"Sources at two C-USA schools indicated Thursday that ESPN has become a late but serious bidder for the league's TV rights. The nation's dominant sports TV network has proposed televising an unspecified number of Thursday and Friday night football games.

League officials previously said they were negotiating with Fox Sports, the CBS Sports Network and the American Sports Network, whose contracts with C-USA expire at the end of June. Five C-USA games have already been moved to a Thursday or Friday night for TV, a sign that the league likely has a finalized an agreement with at least one TV partner."

http://pilotonline.com/sports/colle...cle_b52006e3-ebea-528c-bbde-f00cae3db1b7.html

Could see this and then the American filling the old B1G slots at 12ET on ESPN/2/U

 

[B1GOSU]

I doubt ESPN loses out on the B1G entirely. I would be shocked if they don't win the rights to the remaining half of B1G games. Ratings would plummet if they have no B1G games at all.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I doubt ESPN loses out on the B1G entirely. I would be shocked if they don't win the rights to the remaining half of B1G games. Ratings would plummet if they have no B1G games at all.

Prepare thyself.

 

[Drew]

I doubt ESPN loses out on the B1G entirely. I would be shocked if they don't win the rights to the remaining half of B1G games. Ratings would plummet if they have no B1G games at all.

Agree but think we would just see a shift of the B1G scheduled games to ABC at 12 and ESPN/2/U/ABC at 3:30

 

[shizzle787]

ESPN losing rights to the Big Ten entirely is the best possible thing for the AAC as we would have more nationally televised games, and some like OP said at 12 on the Deuce.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

I could see it now: the Sun Belt to OneWorldSports

Seriously, this is an interesting development.

 

[shizzle787]

I could see it now: the Sun Belt to OneWorldSports

Seriously, this is an interesting development.

I could see BeIN Sports add their 2 channel as it is they already have problems balancing La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1.

 

[hardcorehusky]

This is a good move by BeIN. La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Championship League overlap on times during the daytime.. Nothing at night for programming but re-runs. If they want to have any American viewership at night, football and basketball will help.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Is this the appropriate time to ask WTH is BeIN?

Never heard of them.

 

[hardcorehusky]

It is the Al Jazeera Sports Network

beIN Sports - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ray Hudson is their best known commentator. He is outlandish and entertaining.

 

[huskymedic]

C-USA, beIN SPORTS partnership born out of necessity

 

[AZHuskiePop]

"Sources at two C-USA schools indicated Thursday that ESPN has become a late but serious bidder for the league's TV rights. The nation's dominant sports TV network has proposed televising an unspecified number of Thursday and Friday night football games.

League officials previously said they were negotiating with Fox Sports, the CBS Sports Network and the American Sports Network, whose contracts with C-USA expire at the end of June. Five C-USA games have already been moved to a Thursday or Friday night for TV, a sign that the league likely has a finalized an agreement with at least one TV partner."

http://pilotonline.com/sports/college/old-dominion/odu-budgets-for-at-leas eduction-in-tv-revenues/article_b52006e3-ebea-528c-bbde-f00cae3db1b7.html

Could see this and then the American filling the old B1G slots at 12ET on ESPN/2/U

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Isn't the irony ESPN having to build up a conference (s) they sought to destroy a few years ago amazing

 

[junglehusky]

C-USA, beIN SPORTS partnership born out of necessity

"...
which is partly funded by the House of Thani, the ruling family of Qatar."

Ah yes, I remember when Danaerys Stormborn, First of her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Roynar and the First Men, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons had to go into Qatar to confront the House of Thani (pictured below).

 

[hardcorehusky]

This is good for UCONN - if the Big 10 goes away from ESPN, and they lost CUSA(which is small change inventory), there is more room for a Big 12 or gasp an AAC to better their contracts. Why? ESPN still needs content. The ACC is theirs already, the SEC they split with CBS - so BIG 12 (which is split with Fox) and the AAC are their best roads to new content.

Also, if beIN and NBC start to get involved more- the pressure will build on ESPN to either lock down the Big 12 (and give them their network), or boost up the American. Now they spend less money(but more for the conferences) and everyone looks better

 

[whaler11]

This is good for UCONN - if the Big 10 goes away from ESPN, and they lost CUSA(which is small change inventory), there is more room for a Big 12 or gasp an AAC to better their contracts. Why? ESPN still needs content. The ACC is theirs already, the SEC they split with CBS - so BIG 12 (which is split with Fox) and the AAC are their best roads to new content.

Also, if beIN and NBC start to get involved more- the pressure will build on ESPN to either lock down the Big 12 (and give them their network), or boost up the American. Now they spend less money(but more for the conferences) and everyone looks better

CUSA wasn't on ESPN. They were on CBSSN and Fox. ESPN walked away in 2011.

ESPN actually now has the first five FB picks, CBSSN the next 5, the American Sports Network has 15-20 games and beIN gets 10 games.

Their per team rake is going from 1.1 million to about $500k - so not a great time to take mediocre 'content' to the market.

beIN's all day ratings average was 15k viewers this year - which is about 2-3 rating homes.

 

[ZooCougar]

Is this the appropriate time to ask WTH is BeIN?

Never heard of them.

They are based in Miami, they are connected to FIU somehow. The owner of Miami FC of the NASL is a worldwide distributor of sports broadcast rights and they play in FIU's stadium. BeIN also started broadcasting that league. BeIN is also worldwide.

Not really a bad play at all by CUSA.

 

[BlueandOG]

"...
which is partly funded by the House of Thani, the ruling family of Qatar."

Ah yes, I remember when Danaerys Stormborn, First of her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Roynar and the First Men, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons had to go into Qatar to confront the House of Thani (pictured below).

Winter is coming

 

[whaler11]

Behold CUSA deal in all it's glory

Official Athletic Site

 

[hardcorehusky]

Good for CUSA. They are back on ESPN in a limited way for exposure. The others are about money and while Whaler doesn't rate beIN highly- if you are into soccer - specifically PSG and Ligue 1, Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga and Juventus and Serie A - it is the best channel going by far. Their problem is once the soccer seasons end and the Copa Americas end, they have nothing that will attract American eyeballs.

 

[huskymedic]

Behold CUSA deal in all it's glory

Official Athletic Site

Sources: ESPN3 to become bigger player for ODU, Conference USA

>>Rights fees paid to the league are expected to drop significantly from the $14 million per year guaranteed by Fox and CBS Sports five years ago to perhaps $5 million. Media outlets report that CBS Sports rights fees dropped from $7 million to $1 million<<.

 

[whaler11]

Good for CUSA. They are back on ESPN in a limited way for exposure. The others are about money and while Whaler doesn't rate beIN highly- if you are into soccer - specifically PSG and Ligue 1, Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga and Juventus and Serie A - it is the best channel going by far. Their problem is once the soccer seasons end and the Copa Americas end, they have nothing that will attract American eyeballs.

I watch beIN - I just happened to see their ratings yesterday. It's not like I compile them.

 

[whaler11]

o

Sources: ESPN3 to become bigger player for ODU, Conference USA

>>Rights fees paid to the league are expected to drop significantly from the $14 million per year guaranteed by Fox and CBS Sports five years ago to perhaps $5 million. Media outlets report that CBS Sports rights fees dropped from $7 million to $1 million<<.

That's great - streaming four games at a time on ESPN3 is a fun Saturday.

The degenerates will be very thankful.

 

[ZooCougar]

Good for CUSA. They are back on ESPN in a limited way for exposure. The others are about money and while Whaler doesn't rate beIN highly- if you are into soccer - specifically PSG and Ligue 1, Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga and Juventus and Serie A - it is the best channel going by far. Their problem is once the soccer seasons end and the Copa Americas end, they have nothing that will attract American eyeballs.

Once the Copa ends the season is like a month away. Is it ever not soccer season?

Their problem in North America is that they have little in the way of live programming in the mid to late afternoon on.

 

[whaler11]

Once the Copa ends the season is like a month away. Is it ever not soccer season?

Their problem in North America is that they have little in the way of live programming in the mid to late afternoon on.

Does anyone get it in HD? Directv maybe?