AAC Media Contract

[calluke]

I read it as “marquee games such as UConn-Cincy will be on one of those 3 networks but a vast majority will be Espn+”

Congrats. You apparently speak whale.

 

[upstater]

& they still draw more than FS2!

 

[Vuce]

Ok so school me on this young uns. I have directv with DVRs on each TV so I record every UConn hoops and football game. I mostly watch live but if I am not home I can pick it up later or pause while I am watching live. I have watched some UConn games on espn 3 but rarely. When we are delegated to espn+ can I record the game? Can I pause it and come back 25 min later to pick it up? I only have one smart TV. Will this be like 1979 just before cable and VCRs started?

And if I get this I will only be spending $30 a year. September through February. I ain’t paying those bastards at espn any more than I have to

 

[superjohn]

So how smart will we feel 10 years from now when Buffalo, Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina or any number of G5 schools is eight years into enjoying our slot in the AAC?

Our problem with is as much about people in CT hung up on themselves than about anything else. If Hurley got us into the tournament this year we'd hear a lot less drop football tantrums.

What?!?? That would be just like the AAC to add Buffalo, Old Dominion, and Coastal Carolina.

 

[Exit 4]

Indifferent? Why would we give one iota about those schools in the AAC?

Because you want to win. But instead too many people around here are hung up on other story lines.

Just win.

 

[Exit 4]

What?!?? That would be just like the AAC to add Buffalo, Old Dominion, and Coastal Carolina.

If we leave the AAC one of those CUSA schools or Buffalo from the MAC will quickly take our place. Yeah, thats reality.

 

[superjohn]

If we leave the AAC one of those CUSA schools or Buffalo from the MAC will quickly take our place. Yeah, thats reality.

You seem to be saying this like it's a good thing for the league. They should add Fairfield while they're at it.

Why would we care what other cr@ppy schools the league adds once we've left the league?

 

[BFieldHusky]

This is me speculating but with the ACC Network starting in the fall, ESPN will need content. So I still think UConn will be on the ESPN networks a ton. As will Memphis. Cincy. Houston. I think the games that will be on ESPN + will be your Tulane vs. ECU type of game. UConn will have some games vs them on ESPN +.

 

[upstater]

I think the biggest problem is the casual viewer that still likes walking into a sports bar anywhere in the country and seeing UConn on a TV, there is a familiarity with the program that still says; Hey UConn is on I will watch this. That is over now with this for any games on a damn streaming service. 12 years?

Did you completely miss the part where that's only half the package? UConn will be on ESPN and ESPN2.

 

[McLovin]

Because right now people don't think, hey I want to watch a basketball game, let me flip on Amazon Prime and see what's on... ESPN is still the king for sports.

Yeah and 5 years ago movie studios laughed when Netflix said they would start making exclusive content. Now Netflix has (roughly) the same market cap of all of Disney (which includes their parks, movie studios, ESPN, etc.). Times change and times change fast. ESPN is not still the king of sports.

 

[auror]

Ok so school me on this young uns. I have directv with DVRs on each TV so I record every UConn hoops and football game. I mostly watch live but if I am not home I can pick it up later or pause while I am watching live. I have watched some UConn games on espn 3 but rarely. When we are delegated to espn+ can I record the game? Can I pause it and come back 25 min later to pick it up? I only have one smart TV. Will this be like 1979 just before cable and VCRs started?

And if I get this I will only be spending $30 a year. September through February. I ain’t paying those bastards at espn any more than I have to

If you have a smart TV, I believe you should be able to use an ESPN+ app on your TV. Or you can get a third party hardware device such as a Roku, Apple TV, etc. and download the app to them. This would be how you get ESPN+ on non-smart TVs.

From the app, you will not need to record anything, you can just watch the event replay at any time.

 

[Fishy]

The contract is fine - it’s more money than I expected.

The decent UConn matchups will still be on the ESPN networks and there’s likely going to continue to be some CBSSN involvement for some reason. If you’re Tulane, every one of your games is going to be on +, but the higher profile teams will still kick around on the network.

 

[upstater]

The contract coverage is somewhat similar to what the AAC has now. Of course, it depends on the Tier 3 rights, which I don't know.

Let's look at UConn basketball in 2018/2019:

7 SNY/ESPN3 games (For me, that's ESPN3 as I don't have SNY in Boston)
8 CBS SN games

Look at Tulane basketball in 2018/2019:

9 games no TV
6 games ESPN3
4 CBS SN
1 Cox Sports New Orleans
1 ESPN+

USF Basketball in 2018/2019

5 games no TV
9 games ESPN3
5 CBS SN

Look at UConn football in 2018:
1 SNY
1 ESPN3
5 CBS SN
4 ESPNU
1 ESPN News


I really don't think the coverage is going to be that different, but ESPN3 and CBS SN games will probably now be on ESPN+.

This is the best post in the thread. Well done. A comparison is in order.

For me, I can't even get those ESPN+ games this year because SNY is similarly unavailable to me, and yet because some carriers have it in NY state, the games were blacked out. Couldn't watch them--unless I went to a sports bar with a carrier like DirecTV.

Let's imagine those CBSSN games convert to ESPN+ games. For some, this will be a loss. For half the fanbase that couldn't get CBSSN, it's the same.

Basketball will still likely have 15 games on ESPN, CBS, ESPN2 and ESPNU (mostly U).

The one that will likely be hurt is football. Unless they can cut a deal with SNY--which I don't see the point of.

 

[auror]

I totally disagree. You are not comparing the current contract between ESPN and the AAC and this contract. The coverage is very similar. The reason you may not think so is that many of the schools in the AAC already have many of their basketball games on ESPN3 and, unlike UConn, they don't have all of their games on TV. Yes, we will probably have no games on CBS SN. Basically, we will still see the same amount of UConn football and basketball games on ESPN networks as we do now.

But we're locked into the status quo for 12 years at a low market rate. That is the death sentence.
Well, we're not at least. The conference is. That's the nice part of no Grant of Rights.

So is the deal worse than current? In my opinion, I don't think so, no, even accounting for ESPN+. The slightly more $ is a good thing. Potentially being on ESPN2 instead of CBS SN is a good thing (with ACC moving stuff to ACC Network).

Is it a bad deal for the conference in the long-term? Yes. For 12 years, they needed to do better on the $. Just the inflation is going to render the contract closer to current day ~$4.5 mil by the end of the deal. Not to mention if any big streaming players do decide to get into live sports more seriously over the next 5-10 years, we're not able to take advantage.

 

[whaler11]

Whaler did you get picked on as a kid ?

Nah that lunatic has attacked me in a half dozen threads even though he has been as wrong as wrong can be.

I enjoy pointing out when those who claim
inside info make fools of themselves - a good number of people believe their claims otherwise.

 

[UConnNick]

He has an 8 million dollar buyout currently. He could have had a P5 job last year. He turned it down for less money. You really think he is looking to jump ship after year one?

He will be damn quick if he can't get any recruits because mom and dad don't get to see all the games on TV.

 

[uconnyankee]

3 takeaways from the AAC’s reported new TV deal

fair write-up... I think Uconn has 3 years to right football. Give RE this year to show improvement. If not, take the $5M, hire a proven coach with big name cache to get recruits fast.

 

[Exit 4]

You seem to be saying this like it's a good thing for the league. They should add Fairfield while they're at it.

Why would we care what other cr@ppy schools the league adds once we've left the league?

Because they will end up with as much or possibly more exposure than us over the next 40 years.

 

[whaler11]

Ok so school me on this young uns. I have directv with DVRs on each TV so I record every UConn hoops and football game. I mostly watch live but if I am not home I can pick it up later or pause while I am watching live. I have watched some UConn games on espn 3 but rarely. When we are delegated to espn+ can I record the game? Can I pause it and come back 25 min later to pick it up? I only have one smart TV. Will this be like 1979 just before cable and VCRs started?

And if I get this I will only be spending $30 a year. September through February. I ain’t paying those bastards at espn any more than I have to

The replays go up. And you can go back to any point in the game you want while it is in play.

 

[FriarJ]

Did you completely miss the part where that's only half the package? UConn will be on ESPN and ESPN2.

Oh UConn content will be on ESPN and ESPN2? Yeah I completely missed that part. So what’s the problem then? If all UConn games are on ESPN and ESPN2 then it’s all good and you are making more money. Congrats!

 

[BY06518]

So how smart will we feel 10 years from now when Buffalo, Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina or any number of G5 schools is eight years into enjoying our slot in the AAC?

Our problem with is as much about people in CT hung up on themselves than about anything else. If Hurley got us into the tournament this year we'd hear a lot less drop football tantrums.

'With a good basketball program and in good conference that gets respect come NCAA Tournament time pretty good.

The AAC like the football program sucks.

 

[blue93]

This is me speculating but with the ACC Network starting in the fall, ESPN will need content. So I still think UConn will be on the ESPN networks a ton. As will Memphis. Cincy. Houston. I think the games that will be on ESPN + will be your Tulane vs. ECU type of game. UConn will have some games vs them on ESPN +.

This is exactly my feeling. If our brand is as powerful as everybody says it is and Hurley is the real deal, we shouldn’t have that much to worry about in terms of MBB TV coverage. ESPN will still need to fill its time slots. Football and women’s hoops (against lesser opponents) could be another story, but I’m not convinced that this is the end of the world right now.

It’s not a great deal, but I don’t think it changes much if our time horizon in this league is only 4 or 5 years (whether that’s to P5 or BE).

 

[gampelcrazies]

What does the last line in the article mean: "Renewal talks with CBS have not begun."

Does that mean games might go to CBSSN too? Or CBS games on Saturday/Sunday?

 

[BFieldHusky]

What does the last line in the article mean: "Renewal talks with CBS have not begun."

Does that mean games might go to CBSSN too? Or CBS games on Saturday/Sunday?

Think it was referring to CBS games on Saturdays/Sundays.

 

[whaler11]

What does the last line in the article mean: "Renewal talks with CBS have not begun."

Does that mean games might go to CBSSN too? Or CBS games on Saturday/Sunday?

The handful of Men’s basketball games on over the air CBS.

 

[UofCT]

3 takeaways from the AAC’s reported new TV deal

fair write-up... I think Uconn has 3 years to right football. Give RE this year to show improvement. If not, take the $5M, hire a proven coach with big name cache to get recruits fast.

Or just start dropping bags

 

[Kauffmak10]

We’re thinking about this the wrong way:

If everyone’s biggest worry about this is not being in front of recruits eyes.. it’s actually not as bad as you think. Do you realize how kids (recruits) watch tv these days? I’m more than willing to bet over half of them already stream (whether on their phones, computers or other streaming devices) more than traditional cable boxes. This percentage will do nothing but rise in the near future. Traditional ESPN channel vs. ESPN+ doesn’t hold the weight it once did.. they’re both on the ESPN app and recruits will always have pretty easy access to the ESPN+ version whether they pay for it or just borrow a friends login info.

I work in the A/V in industry and see it happening in people’s homes everyday.. I would also be willing to bet that within 5-10 years it will ALL be via steaming. Cable boxes are dying off..

 

[kemba]

The contract is fine - it’s more money than I expected.

The decent UConn matchups will still be on the ESPN networks and there’s likely going to continue to be some CBSSN involvement for some reason. If you’re Tulane, every one of your games is going to be on +, but the higher profile teams will still kick around on the network.

Yea for UConn it seems pretty similar to what we have now exposure wise. Money is what it is.

Obviously we were never gonna come out of this deal thrilled because it was always going to be much worse than a p5, but i dont see why this is a new reason to panic

 

[whaler11]

I get that people are going to stream - but they are still going to stream ESPN.

It’s not like they are going to stream magic sports stream company that doesn’t exist.

Currently 86 million households can stream ESPN on Watch ESPN and 2 million accounts can stream on ESPN+.

So how does the fact ESPN+ is streaming matter when EVERYTHING on linear ESPN is already streaming on the EXACT SAME APP... and 43x more people have access. 43x more.

 

[Kauffmak10]

As for the being stuck in the AAC: Yes, it’s sucks.. BUT you gotta remember the conference is still in it’s infancy as a conference. It was bound to struggle getting started, just like a lot of new businesses do. New businesses don’t get the same treatment from banks that longer established businesses get.. Gotta make good decisions and put the time in. We need to remember it’s a similar process with getting a conference off the floor.. We live in a world that wants/needs instant action but not everything works like that.

If everyone’s biggest worry about the media contract is not being in front of recruits eyes, we’re thinking about it in the wrong way.. Do you realize how kids (recruits) watch tv these days? I’m more than willing to bet over half of them already stream (whether on their phones, computers or other streaming devices) more than traditional cable boxes. This percentage will do nothing but rise in the near future. Traditional ESPN channel vs. ESPN+ doesn’t hold the weight it once did.. they’re both on the ESPN app and recruits will always have pretty easy access to the ESPN+ version whether they pay for it or just borrow a friends login info.

I work in the A/V in industry and see it happening in people’s homes everyday.. I would also be willing to bet that within 5-10 years it will ALL be via steaming. Cable boxes are dying off..