AAC Media Contract details

[Slasher]

Can SNY just pick up the ESPN+ games similar to what happens now with the UConn games that were only on ESPN3?

I think that is the main question. Seems to be open to negotiation based on what David Borges tweeted.

 

[Guapo]

Can SNY just pick up the ESPN+ games similar to what happens now with the UConn games that were only on ESPN3?

Everything has a price but I can almost guarantee that price is higher than SNY will be willing to pay

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I think we are forgetting the fact that we are 80% going to be pretty good again within a few years and therefore have most, if not all games on cable tv.
If we still suck in 3 years, we deserve to be on ESPN+.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I can’t wait to field calls from my 70 yr old parents about how to watch WBB on “something called ESPNt”

 

[UofCT]

I think we are forgetting the fact that we are 80% going to be pretty good again within a few years and therefore have most, if not all games on cable tv.
If we still suck in 3 years, we deserve to be on ESPN+.

Bingo. If we still suck in 3 years then it's all over anyway.

 

[Towney007]

It was a nice run.

 

[NEforceUConn]

It was a nice run.

Please - Positive, positive, positive!

 

[whaler11]

It was a nice run.

what’s wrong?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This league has been a catastrophic mistake for UConn athletics, and it just keeps getting worse. Taking us off SNY is a death sentence to recruiting and broader fan support outside Connecticut.

Everyone that argued staying in the AAC would help us down the road in the next realignment need to add getting dropped from SNY into your fantasy scenario. Why would any conference add us if we have no following in New York City?

The Big East had a down year, so maybe if we beg them nicely they will let us in before our basketball program becomes completely irrelevant. We are one phone call to Danny Hurley away from being UNH.

 

[Mano]

This is sad just watching us wither away these last few years.

Guys don’t forget, donate, donate, donate!!!

 

[whaler11]

This is sad just watching us wither away these last few years.

Guys don’t forget, donate, donate, donate!!!

Have you ever seen more tone deaf idiocy in your life.

I love the new donate to the sport of your choice. well they all lose money on paper so it’s just an accounting trick to where they move the subsidy dollars.

 

[freescooter]

I just don't get the concerns about exposure, so let's look at the facts.

Football

At least 40 football games on either linear TV with at least 20 on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2. Remember, most (not all) Navy home games will be on CBS networks. So at least 40 out of 89 football games on linear TV with another 6 to 7 Navy games on linear TV. Plus, the conference championship is on ESPN/ABC.

It seems like this is an upgrade from the current package.

Men's Basketball

At least 65 regular season games on linear TV with ESPN and another small amount of games with CBS. This seems like a decline from at least 107 games on linear TV in the previous contract. Conference tournament will remain on ESPN linear networks.

More games will be on ESPN+, but ESPN will clearly be broadcasting the best games on the linear networks. And, UConn will be on linear networks for early season tournaments and marquis road games, so I don't think UConn mens' basketball exposure will change that much.

Women's Basketball

At least 13 regular season games on linear networks, so I would assume most (10+) will be UConn women's games. Plus, away games will probably be on linear TV networks. My guess is the women will get more linear TV games, but the SNY games will go to ESPN+.

Believe it or not, women's basketball will probably get INCREASED exposure on ESPN networks. This year, only 6 AAC controlled games were on linear TV and it looks like that will increase to 9 to 10? Also,many UConn away games were on linear TV.

Impact on SNY

Could be the big loser, but my guess is that they will buy the content from ESPN to remain viable in CT. With UConn sports gone, there would be little reason for CT cable companies to carry SNY.

ESPN+

Seems to be the big winner. $5/month is not expensive, so I will subscribe.

Media Money

$7 > $2, so UConn will get more money with some impact on how you view games. For me, I am out of market with no SNY coverage, only ESPN3, it will cost me $5/month extra, but I will still able to watch the games the same way.

Nobody is going to agree with you because AAC, but this is a pretty fair analysis. In some ways I liken this to when the Red Sox and Yankees went from WSBK and WPIX (?) to NESN and YES. People bitched then everyone got cable and they didn’t anymore. It’s new. Everyone is bitching. Then more and more games teams sports will go online and they won’t anymore

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The biggest thing about this whole ordeal is the length of the deal.

We didn't have much bargaining power to between with, but if you said were going to be getting $7M/year for the next 5 years or so, while maintaining a presence on ESPN, while also seeing how the ESPN+ experiment would go, I think it would have been doable.

Now, it looks like our conference hoops games on cable ESPN are going to be cut in half, were going to be making ~$5M a year (I believe @zls44 mentioned the money is backloaded), lose our SNY affiliation (or at least we won't be monetarily compensated for it) and our fanbase now needs to shell out $5/month and stream the games.

It is what it is - a complete **** sandwich.

If Hurley can get this thing turned around, and football still sucks, it's time to cut bait, swallow our pride and advocate for hoops membership to the ACC.

If you think the Big East and Fox Sports 1 is saving this AD, you're kidding yourself.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Apparently there is a look in clause after 6 years. This is according to Memphis President.

 

[Towney007]

what’s wrong?

Oh sorry!

No this is great so thrilled for the 2,000 admissions mistake alums who get to love action role play SEC next door to Cabella’s while we flush our identity down the drain. Great day.

 

[billybud]

 

[billybud]

Whaler....Thought that might be a possibility.

 

[UConnJim]

This league has been a catastrophic mistake for UConn athletics, and it just keeps getting worse. Taking us off SNY is a death sentence to recruiting and broader fan support outside Connecticut.

Everyone that argued staying in the AAC would help us down the road in the next realignment need to add getting dropped from SNY into your fantasy scenario. Why would any conference add us if we have no following in New York City?

The Big East had a down year, so maybe if we beg them nicely they will let us in before our basketball program becomes completely irrelevant. We are one phone call to Danny Hurley away from being UNH.

If you read the fine print, it is still possible that UConn games remain on SNY. It appears that it is up to SNY to make an offer on the content, which is what they are doing now anyway. For SNY, no UCOnn content would knock them off most Connecticut cable systems, so I would bet they will pay whatever it takes to retain UConn content.

 

[Guapo]

If you read the fine print, it is still possible that UConn games remain on SNY. It appears that it is up to SNY to make an offer on the content, which is what they are doing now anyway. For SNY, no UCOnn content would knock them off most Connecticut cable systems, so I would bet they will pay whatever it takes to retain UConn content.

Counter argument: ESPN just captured its largest fanbase for ESPN+ why give those captive audience eyeballs to SNY?

 

[whaler11]

If you read the fine print, it is still possible that UConn games remain on SNY. It appears that it is up to SNY to make an offer on the content, which is what they are doing now anyway. For SNY, no UCOnn content would knock them off most Connecticut cable systems, so I would bet they will pay whatever it takes to retain UConn content.

And when ESPN gets multi-millions a year from SNY... well at least we have the exposure.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Oh sorry!

No this is great so thrilled for the 2,000 admissions mistake alums who get to love action role play SEC next door to Cabella’s while we flush our identity down the drain. Great day.

3PM on a Wednesday and drunk already?

 

[polycom]

Nobody is going to agree with you because AAC, but this is a pretty fair analysis. In some ways I liken this to when the Red Sox and Yankees went from WSBK and WPIX (?) to NESN and YES. People bitched then everyone got cable and they didn’t anymore. It’s new. Everyone is bitching. Then more and more games teams sports will go online and they won’t anymore

Being first isn't always been the best.

 

[whaler11]

Counter argument: ESPN just captured its largest fanbase for ESPN+ why give those captive audience eyeballs to SNY?

Of course but it gives the league cover for now which is what a good corporate partner does.

 

[whaler11]

Being first isn't always been the best.

It’s also nothing like that because it was a financial windfall for pro teams moving to cable.

 

[polycom]

It’s also nothing like that because it was a financial windfall for pro teams moving to cable.

i thought this point was obvious.