AAC Media Contract

[Hurleyman216]

12 Years is way too long for a media contract, that's the worst part of this agreement. My only thought is that Aresco did this in the hopes that it would help the conference stay together when the next round of chips start to fall. In 6-7 years this is going to look like a bargain for ESPN...maybe enough so that ESPN will be lobbying to keep the AAC intact, but it's more likely to backfire than to keep the conference together. Just glad they didn't sign a GOR.

 

[aburks41]

Good news is that we didnt sign a GOR so when conference realignment happens again in 2022-2024 when the Big 10, Big 12, and Pac 12 tv deals expire, we will hopefully be ready to make a play and jump ship. If we get kicked in the nuts again, we drop football and move to the big east. Our AD needs to spend the next 3 years making UConn as attractive as possible.

 

[spudzj6]

Besides, during the lifetime of this deal, ESPN+ subscribers are only going to shoot through the roof. In 10 years, streaming will out view cable no question.

This. I scrolled quickly thru all the complaints to see if anyone caught onto this. I remember the AAC talking about getting in on the ground floor of streaming tv deals. While I agree with the other poster saying Twitter/Amazon might have gotten more exposure, getting a deal that guarantees streaming is actually a step in the right direction. This deal is for the next decade - if you are trying to make a deal that sustains your product in the near future, you don’t go with old technology.

Would I love a deal to see us on prime time every night, absolutely. But for a lower conference, I won’t judge this deal til we see what the future holds for streaming products. ESPN+ could be the start of opening a whole world of live sports streaming, or could quickly fall behind the power curve. Either way, he league has the right thought.

 

[Towney007]

To me the worst part of this deal is twelve years.

That’s a lifetime if ESPN+ doesn’t pop and they let it go fallow.

That's my whole thing, too.

Even IF everyone takes a huge step forward and miraculously we all end up being outstanding at football, the conference is locked into a deal for 12 years that's pennies on the dollars for what it's worth even assuming best case scenario.


Mix it in with the exposure issues, and this is embarrassing.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Good news is that we didnt sign a GOR so when conference realignment happens again in 2022-2024 when the Big 10, Big 12, and Pac 12 tv deals expire, we will hopefully be ready to make a play and jump ship. If we get kicked in the nuts again, we drop football and move to the big east. Our AD needs to spend the next 3 years making UConn as attractive as possible.

Sadly, this is pretty much my take as well. I would however petition the ACC to join as a hoops only member over the Big East though.

 

[HawkHusky]

So I take it we're not gonna keep getting that extra $1.1 million each year from WBB/SNY...

 

[superjohn]

12 Years is way too long for a media contract, that's the worst part of this agreement. My only thought is that Aresco did this in the hopes that it would help the conference stay together when the next round of chips start to fall. In 6-7 years this is going to look like a bargain for ESPN...maybe enough so that ESPN will be lobbying to keep the AAC intact, but it's more likely to backfire than to keep the conference together. Just glad they didn't sign a GOR.

This makes no sense.

 

[aburks41]

We are not Duke or Kentucky. Duke and Kentucky has always been bigger than us, regardless of our success. It is delusional to think we should be kept to the same standards.

I look at Gonzaga as our model. Do they have trouble recruiting? Not today! If we turn into a top-25 program, every single game will be on ESPN/2. They played every game on ESPN, ESPN2 or their RSN (Root Sports). If we are good enough, we won't be put on ESPN+.

The Big East from the 90's until 2013 was the most popular/best conference in college basketball. UConn happened to be the best program in that conference for those 15 years. We were absolutely on the same level as Kentucky during that time period. If you think current day Gonzaga is our comp, then you must not understand how big UConn's peak was. 99% of people cannot even name another team in the WCC aside from Gonzaga or Saint Marys lmao

 

[Hurleyman216]

Yeah and ESPN has 86 million subs and ESPN+ has 2 million subs.

But other than that cable is dead and everyone is streaming sports.

Yeah and ESPN+ has only been around for a year and cable has been around for an eternity. ESPN started ESPN+ because they've been losing MILLIONS of subscribers per year. Streaming will be king sooner than you think. I know you think you know everything about media, but you really have no clue.

 

[ucawn]

I hate how we’ll get the same as Tulane, ECU and Tulsa

 

[UConnSwag11]

I’m not subscribing

 

[whaler11]

That's my whole thing, too.

Even IF everyone takes a huge step forward and miraculously we all end up being outstanding at football, the conference is locked into a deal for 12 years that's pennies on the dollars for what it's worth even assuming best case scenario.


Mix it in with the exposure issues, and this is embarrassing.

The worst part is half the schools in this league are literally worth zero in a media deal - and ESPN gets to use UConn and a couple of others to build +.

It’s couch cushion change for ESPN. They collect 1 billion in affiliate cable revenue every 6-7 weeks. UConn is going to gross in this deal what ESPN picks up in just subscriber revenue in 4-5 days.

 

[superjohn]

To me the worst part of this deal is twelve years.

That’s a lifetime if ESPN+ doesn’t pop and they let it go fallow.

If we're still in the AAC in 10-12 years I think it's safe to say all that will be left here is the cesspool.

 

[ThabeetDown]

Yeah and ESPN has 86 million subs and ESPN+ has 2 million subs.

But other than that cable is dead and everyone is streaming sports.

ESPN+ has been around for a year. ESPN is losing subs at a rate of over 2 million/year and it's only going to start getting worse.

 

[auror]

To me the worst part of this deal is twelve years.

That’s a lifetime if ESPN+ doesn’t pop and they let it go fallow.

Do we know for sure there are no outs or re-negotiation periods?

 

[Hurleyman216]

This makes no sense.

It makes sense if you're the commissioner of a conference and trying to keep a conference together (you sign a long-term media deal). It also makes sense if you're ESPN because there are a handful of programs in the AAC (UConn, Cincy, UCF, Memphis, Houston) that are likely worth more like $25-30 M/year in a P5 conference. So, for example if the AAC gets broken apart and 2 teams go to the ACC, ESPN will be paying almost as much for those 2 teams as they pay for the entire AAC right now. It's all about brand value and eyeballs. Now, if the conference continues to break through and improve in football and bball then this contract is a steal for ESPN.

 

[UofCT]

Idk, but I really cannot see UConn or Cincy being put on ESPN+. We draw too many eyes (which actually may be a reason to put us on ESPN+ lol) but ESPN knows Hurley is a big name and will want to keep him on cable TV, even if that means were on ESPNU a bunch

If ESPN cared about UConn we would be in the ACC

 

[whaler11]

Yeah and ESPN+ has only been around for a year and cable has been around for an eternity. ESPN started ESPN+ because they've been losing MILLIONS of subscribers per year. Streaming will be king sooner than you think. I know you think you know everything about media, but you really have no clue.

Anyone who reads these threads can see I’ve forgotten more than 90% of those here know.

Kind of a bad spot for you to keep attacking me when you called for at least $10 million a team.

I pointed out the league was going to plus since the day ESPN launched it while you were talking about Amazon or some other insane babbling of multiple fantasy bidders.

You should stop popping off and read and learn something.

 

[Guapo]

Ok, I’ve had some time to digest this news, to think it over; I’ve taken some deep breaths and I have to say....

this is awful*

*see me in the foot notes








*awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful awful

 

[gwhuskyfan]

 

[whaler11]

ESPN+ has been around for a year. ESPN is losing subs at a rate of over 2 million/year and it's only going to start getting worse.

No kidding thanks for the update.

Weird how the only power 6 (lol) league moving to ESPN+ is the AAC. They must be the only smart ones.

 

[calluke]

Yeah and ESPN+ has only been around for a year and cable has been around for an eternity. ESPN started ESPN+ because they've been losing MILLIONS of subscribers per year. Streaming will be king sooner than you think. I know you think you know everything about media, but you really have no clue.

Streaming will be king no doubt. But ESPN+ is a stand alone specialty app. It has no connections with DirecTV Now, Hulu Plus, Sling, or any of the other growing streaming service. People are already getting sick of having to pay multiple monthly streaming subscriptions. Wait till the Disney+ app comes out.

Would have been great to align with an online giant that is already established and not going anywhere (Twitter, Amazon, Youtube, Facebook, etc...)

 

[Candyman]

This is what I am referring to!!! Look who we are with now. Its about perception. ESPN+ can be great and the future but its still a mid-major network.

 

[whaler11]

If we're still in the AAC in 10-12 years I think it's safe to say all that will be left here is the cesspool.

It’s either the AAC or a football-less Big East.

Up next is the actual P5 squeezing the weaklings.

 

[ThabeetDown]

The Big East from the 90's until 2013 was the most popular/best conference in college basketball. UConn happened to be the best program in that conference for those 15 years. We were absolutely on the same level as Kentucky during that time period. If you think current day Gonzaga is our comp, then you must not understand how big UConn's peak was. 99% of people cannot even name another team in the WCC aside from Gonzaga or Saint Marys lmao

I was born and raised in Connecticut and went to UConn during peak BE years. I know how big UConn was, is now, and can be. I was referring to Gonzaga in terms of being to recruit and be an elite team year in and year out despite playing in a terrible conference. There is nothing wrong with that model because we are in a terrible conference! We shouldn't try to be Duke and UK, we should try to be UConn, which is closer to Gonzaga than Duke/UK. The amount of you that live in the past way too much is not shocking for this toxic community.