AAC Media Contract details

[billybud]

Q: And if I could just come in with something that's a little more granular and has to do with UConn women's basketball which has had its own sort of separate platform, local distribution in the past, that has been obviously a big deal for folks in Connecticut, I'm wondering if there are any plans to farm out some of those games so they are available through more traditional platforms in the state of Connecticut, SNY, in the past, PBS, things along those lines?

BURKE MAGNUS: Obviously I think as this group -- as the group on the phone understands, we still have an entire year, the 2019-20 season under the terms of the prior agreement, which gives us plenty of time to have conversations and have meetings with all interested parties about this content, and that's what we intend to do.

So in the case of SNY specifically or CBS Sports Network, which sublicensed some content to us under the terms of the prior agreement, I'm certain we'll sit down with both of those guys and see where they are in terms of their interest in continuing those kinds of relationships. And we have the time to do it.

 

[CL82]

Your agreements are a demonstration of your values. The AAC cared about Navy's unique FB deal with CBSSN. The AAC did not care about UConn's unique deal with SNY. Simple as.

Sort of. Navy wasn't coming without concessions about it's unique FB deal with CBSSN. UConn was stuck in the OBE a/k/a the American. It had no leverage so it wasn't getting a carve out.

 

[Iconoclast]

Benedict should have his hair on fire and get SNY to help look at all other conference options that don't entail ESPN servitude. Ask lesser conferences about unequal revenue sharing. Be willing risk blowing up the American and its Bristol overlords. Use what leverage SNY has, shake the box and get something better than Tulane.

 

[billybud]

Looka like the schools will absorb producing costs...

Q. Just for clarification, anything that's designated in the schedule an ESPN+ game will be produced by the school or it might not be as clean as all that?

MIKE ARESCO: No, we will produce the events, and anything we do produce would be on ESPN+. We have certain minimums that we have to produce, but if we do things beyond that, and we may, then those events would be on ESPN+.

 

[freescooter]

Here’s the thing though. And I say this as the father of daughters all of whom competed in college athletics ranging from d1 scholarship programs to d3 non scholarship ones. It’s womens basketball. If this is just about women’s basketball on SNY, and it mainly is, you need to join the real world. In terms of viewership, influence, and overall importance it probably ranks somewhere around 14th out of 15 items on anyone’s list in terms of tv deals, conference realignment, prestige of athletic programs. Pretty much anything. It is certainly a good thing that UConn is great at it, it’s brought some notoriety but seriously even as great as UConn is, it is a niche sport nationally and outside of Connecticut and one or two other places, it barely qualifies as that. It’s a friends and family sport. And if carrying women’s basketball on SNY is what made us the 6th borough, we weren’t. If for some reason we go 5-24 over a couple of years, SNY will drop the program like a hot potato. Get a grip folks.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Looka like the schools will absorb producing costs...

Q. Just for clarification, anything that's designated in the schedule an ESPN+ game will be produced by the school or it might not be as clean as all that?

MIKE ARESCO: No, we will produce the events, and anything we do produce would be on ESPN+. We have certain minimums that we have to produce, but if we do things beyond that, and we may, then those events would be on ESPN+.

Oh great we can lose more money on Olympic sports.

 

[zls44]

Here’s the thing though. And I say this as the father of daughters all of whom competed in college athletics ranging from d1 scholarship programs to d3 non scholarship ones. It’s womens basketball. If this is just about women’s basketball on SNY, and it mainly is, you need to join the real world. In terms of viewership, influence, and overall importance it probably ranks somewhere around 14th out of 15 items on anyone’s list in terms of tv deals, conference realignment, prestige of athletic programs. Pretty much anything. It is certainly a good thing that UConn is great at it, it’s brought some notoriety but seriously even as great as UConn is, it is a niche sport nationally and outside of Connecticut and one or two other places, it barely qualifies as that. It’s a friends and family sport. And if carrying women’s basketball on SNY is what made us the 6th borough, we weren’t. If for some reason we go 5-24 over a couple of years, SNY will drop the program like a hot potato. Get a grip folks.

WBB got 3x the ratings on SNY that MBB did this season.

 

[junglehusky]

What are these iOS press releases? These aren’t instagram models.

UConn isn't putting it out on Notes. Mike Anthony is transcribing the statements on his phone. (I think.)

 

[noeynox]

What do you mean about not paying for ESPN+ and getting the games?

Also, agree with your football comment. If we're not going to be all in, I'd rather cut bait and stop dying on the vine.

I watch all all their relevant content now. They're ufc fights and boxing events. Pay nothing.

 

[polycom]

UConn isn't putting it out on Notes. Mike Anthony is transcribing the statements on his phone. (I think.)

I assume as much, but UConn should be putting out an official statement. Not talking through a beat writer, we are suppose to be a “blue blood” not a mid major

 

[bobbyinaz]

I assume as much, but UConn should be putting out an official statement. Not talking through a beat writer, we are suppose to be a “blue blood” not a mid major

Maybe it's because the already know what the answer is & would rather the statement come from someone else?

I find it very hard to believe that they went through all of this hoopla to announce this "amazing deal" but, they still don't have the details worked out yet.

 

[whaler11]

Wow. He doubled down.

Can’t wait to hear what happens. What leadership!

 

[whaler11]

Maybe it's because the already know what the answer is & would rather the statement come from someone else?

I find it very hard to believe that they went through all of this hoopla to announce this "amazing deal" but, they still don't have the details worked out yet.

Either way it’s damning right?

Either the answer is no deal or they don’t have any insight or influence. They got ESPN to provide some cover today - hopefully someone actually continues to follow up.

 

[whaler11]

Media Rights Teleconference - March 27, 2019

Q. Navy has this separate deal with CBS Sports Network for all its home games. You're getting your pick of one of those. Did you want more? Why let Navy have whatever the remaining five or six home games it has? Did you push for more than just one home game, and if not, why do you feel just one choice of one of the Navy home games to move over to ESPN from CBS Network is sufficient?
MIKE ARESCO: We discussed this with ESPN, and Navy has unique scheduling requirements as a military academy. You're well aware of their homecomings and they have to schedule games well in advance and can only do home games at certain times of the day, ESPN, as you know, is the major distributor of college football. So we looked at that, and it was a joint decision that there were certain things that ESPN probably wouldn't have been able to do or certainly those games would potentially have been in the package.

The relationship that Navy has with CBS Sports Network allows them a lot of flexibility, and so therefore that was why that deal was done.

ESPN is happy to have that home game because they are able to schedule that one premier home game each year, and that's going to be great. In addition, they get the Navy away games in our conference. There's much more scheduling flexibility with those games.



------------------


Your agreements are a demonstration of your values. The AAC cared about Navy's unique FB deal with CBSSN. The AAC did not care about UConn's unique deal with SNY. Simple as.

The AAC cared and they took that cash for themselves because UConn sits on their arse monitoring the situation.

The Navy would never allow their properties to prop up Tulsa and East Carolina - so they get to keep theirs.

Herbst wanted to kill sports all along - it was only rubes who ever believed otherwise.

 

[whaler11]

I’m wondering if this might be the opening gambit in UConn’s negotiation with the league to get a Navy football style deal. Maybe not immediately but eventually. Just like they put ESPN 3 games out to bid I imagine they will do the same with + games at some point too.

There is no gambit.

ESPN owns the rights.

If there is an SNY deal it’s ESPN’s money.

The whole point of buying rights for Plus is to make it attractive to subscribe to. Buying the rights for Plus and then subleting games to cable outfits defeats the entire purpose of buying the rights in the first place.

 

[intlzncster]

Why exactly is UCONN seemingly not a part of these negotiations? I can't read through all this BS.

 

[whaler11]

Why exactly is UCONN seemingly not a part of these negotiations? I can't read through all this BS.

Because ESPN is the seller, SNY is the buyer and Herbst and Benedict have less juice than raisins.

 

[intlzncster]

Because ESPN is the seller, SNY is the buyer and Herbst and Benedict have less juice than raisins.

Sweet. Time to go club with mens sports.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Because ESPN is the seller, SNY is the buyer and Herbst and Benedict have less juice than raisins.

This is the saddest part of all. I had erroneously assumed Benedict would have at least a scintilla of influence in these discussions. Obviously, he had less than none. We’re f$cked

 

[CL82]

The AAC cared and they took that cash for themselves because UConn sits on their arse monitoring the situation

So what could they have done?

 

[CL82]

Why exactly is UCONN seemingly not a part of these negotiations? I can't read through all this BS.

Because ESPN is the seller, SNY is the buyer and Herbst and Benedict have less juice than raisins.

We don't own the rights to these games the league does. Because we are the only ones with even vaguely valuable Tier 3 rights Aresco didn't carve out a niche for them. The first part of Whaler's quote is spot on. We're not at the table because we aren't a party. (The second part is irrelevant.)

Or if you want the short answer: Rule 1

 

[UConnDan97]

This is the saddest part of all. I had erroneously assumed Benedict would have at least a scintilla of influence in these discussions. Obviously, he had less than none. We’re f$cked

Agreed.

Quite frankly, when an AD puts out a statement to a journalist that essentially confirms he was largely in the dark for a decade-long tv deal for his university, he should be fired.

Really. Fired.

 

[zls44]

Bolding the names/schools of the people who made this deal come together. No UConn. No USF. No Cincinnati.

But you know who's on it? The schools that just quadrupled their media money! Now...I wonder if...maaaaaaaybe...they're less inclined to give a damn about a local TV deal since none of them have one!


----------------



AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE COMMISSIONER MIKE ARESCO
Opening Statement
I first want to thank Jimmy Pitaro, president of ESPN, and Burke Magnus, ESPN's executive vice president of programming and scheduling, as you've just heard Bernie describe him, and his team of Nick Dawson and Pete Derzis for their support of our conference.

This is one of the best negotiations I have been involved in, and I have been involved in quite a few during my career. I also want to recognize and thank our conference leadership, the chair of our board, President Renu Khator of the University of Houston; our Vice-Chair David Rudd, President of the University of Memphis; and Gerald Turner, President of SMU, who chaired or ad hoc media committee. All have offered valuable counsel and support, as have our athletic director chair, Tom Bowen of Memphis, and vice-chair Troy Dannen of Tulane University. Our presidents and athletic directors have enthusiastically supported this agreement and the vision it represents for the conference.

 

[zls44]

Our presidents and athletic directors have enthusiastically supported this agreement and the vision it represents for the conference.

Well, most of them, Mike.

 

[UCDaveD]

I'm done, drop football and get us the hell out of here.