AAC to ESPN+?

[Linart]

The Harford Courant this morning reports that ESPN now has an exclusive (and more lucrative) deal to broadcast UConn basketball games. Unfortunately most of them will be broadcast on ESPN Plus, a streaming-only channel which will require something like a Roku or Apple TV. This will cut out many normal cable subscribers. Does anyone know whether SNY will continue to broadcast the majority of basketball games? I would hate to lose our wonderful analysts and commentators even though I personally will be able to view them.

 

[UConnCat]

The big games will still be on the ESPN cable channels. What is not clear is what will happen to the SNY contract and the SNY games that were available out-of-region on espn3. Either way, sounds like the games not broadcast on the ESPN channels will be on ESPN+ which is a $5/month streaming service.

Perhaps a reporter will ask about the SNY deal.

 

[Oldbones]

I guess that poor ESPN hasn't heard that our women's basketball program is doomed to mediocrity.

 

[JoePgh]

My guess is that SNY will still be in business, broadcasting (as they do now) the lopsided games that ESPN and CBSSN do not care to broadcast except online. But I don't really know.

I think UConn is getting something on the order of $3 - $4M per year from SNY, which is roughly as large as the increment in the ESPN contract. So it would be a "no gain" situation if they ditched SNY for this ESPN contract.

 

[Jaybird65]

ESPN will continue to have 1st choice on games for their family of networks. If ESPN is really pushing the ESPN+ service, it could impact the number of games made available to secondary sources.

 

[Gabbyfan]

Sny won't be part of the Uconn picture much longer. Uconn has taken the extra 4 million a year, at the expense of free access to a lot of Uconn women's games. While Sny was part of many cable packages, fans got to see the games without added expense. Now it will take $4.99 per month and you need Apple TV, or Roku or a Firestick to watch these games Sny used to broadcast. How do you like them apples?

 

[Blueballer]

There's no question mark. ESPN is going to chargeus a monthly fee to see the UCONN women's games. Sickening. One more reason not to like them. ESPN+ better offer a LOT of P5 games nationally to justify a monthly fee.

 

[UConnCat]

$4.99/month for 4-5 months

 

[Oldbones]

Sny won't be part of the Uconn picture much longer. Uconn has taken the extra 4 million a year, at the expense of free access to a lot of Uconn women's games. While Sny was part of many cable packages, fans got to see the games without added expense. Now it will take $4.99 per month and you need Apple TV, or Roku or a Firestick to watch these games Sny used to broadcast. How do you like them apples?

 

[hoopsfan22]

Sny won't be part of the Uconn picture much longer. Uconn has taken the extra 4 million a year, at the expense of free access to a lot of Uconn women's games. While Sny was part of many cable packages, fans got to see the games without added expense. Now it will take $4.99 per month and you need Apple TV, or Roku or a Firestick to watch these games Sny used to broadcast. How do you like them apples?

It sucks because SNY had a lot of UConn content not related to the games like the Geno Show, All-Access Show, pre and post game and full senior day coverage which I guess will all go bye bye now.

 

[Vowelguy]

The Harford Courant this morning reports that ESPN now has an exclusive (and more lucrative) deal to broadcast UConn basketball games. ... Does anyone know whether SNY will continue to broadcast the majority of basketball games?

www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-sp-american-athletic-conference-espn-uconn-tv-20190319-20190319-54xninkht5c5zat6sbx2m33634-story.html

I think it was pretty well stated in the article:

It is unclear whether SNY will continue to carry UConn women’s basketball games.

If the Courant didn't know, why does anyone on the board presume to know?

If you have a source that confirms anything, please post the link. Otherwise ....

 

[UConnCat]

More clarity from the Journal Inquirer's radio/TV editor. One more year left on the SNY contract and it's unclear what happens after that.

New AAC TV deal costly for fans

There is still one year left in UConn’s contract with SNY to televise at least 15 women’s games. So those games could end up on ESPN Plus the year after — it sure would make the service more marketable — and SNY would be out of the UConn business.

Just last week, UConn touted its SNY relationship in a press release, headlined:‘UConn Basketball Scores Big on SNY’ and noted the strong ratings of the women’s team. “SNY is uniquely positioned to partner with UConn to provide unprecedented coverage of (UConn’s) basketball programs in a way that no other media partner could,” SNY president Steve Raab said.

Wednesday, Raab said in a statement to the Journal Inquirer that "we have not been contacted directly by either the American Athletic Conference or ESPN with details. So at this point, we do not know any specifics beyond next year.”

Not all AAC games will be streaming-only. A small amount of college basketball will be reserved for CBS. Navy football games will continue to air on CBS Sports and the big football, and men and women’s basketball games will be seen on ESPN’s cable channels — ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.

 

[jimazee]

Soon there will be a hundred streaming services each offering a hundred packages, some of which will include a UCONN game or three, which will sometimes be blacked out during certain months depending on where you live and who your cable company is...every other year.

I miss CPTV...

 

[JordyG]

Hey moderators, where can I find a dislike button?

 

[Biff]

Hey moderators, where can I find a dislike button?

 

[PacoSwede]

ain't greed wonderful!!!!

 

[CL82]

Sny won't be part of the Uconn picture much longer. Uconn has taken the extra 4 million a year, at the expense of free access to a lot of Uconn women's games. While Sny was part of many cable packages, fans got to see the games without added expense. Now it will take $4.99 per month and you need Apple TV, or Roku or a Firestick to watch these games Sny used to broadcast. How do you like them apples?

Maybe. I'm not sure. It think the SNY deal may be worth more than trying to use WBB to push + subscriptions.

Not all AAC games will be streaming-only. A small amount of college basketball will be reserved for CBS. Navy football games will continue to air on CBS Sports and the big football, and men and women’s basketball games will be seen on ESPN’s cable channels — ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.​

​

Everything else will be shifted over to ESPN Plus and require a subscription.​

But that is just plain wrong from what I've read elsewhere.

 

[JordyG]

View attachment 41145

Angels in the bits.

 

[winlots]

Imagine most of you would think it would be going too far to just boycott the whole espn family until they conduct themselves in a more fan friendly manner?
No more required streaming, no more "whip around" etc

 

[JimGunther]

I began DVRing the games a few years ago...... Then when SNY went premium on my cable (Comcast New Haven), I began watching the highlights on YouTube. Easy transition. I can click on all the extra features -pre and post game pressers(for the most part) there too.
I've reached my tipping point with cable.

 

[Vowelguy]

It's amazing to me that the president of SNY doesn't know the future status, when he could just read the BY "experts" who already have explained it here.

SNY VP: Future of UConn-SNY relationship unclear as ESPN, AAC prepare to announce TV deal

 

['nuff sed]

It's amazing to me that the president of SNY doesn't know the future status, when he could just read the BY experts who already have explained it here.

SNY VP: Future of UConn-SNY relationship unclear as ESPN, AAC prepare to announce TV deal

All it means is that any SNY deal is negotiated through ESPN.

They have a year to get that deal renegotiated. The ball is in SNY’s court. They pay or go home.

My guess, if SNY thinks they need this for their content - they keep it.

No one will talk during negotiations - it’s all posturing for now.

If you’re outside of SNY coverage you’re streaming, although a jail broken fire stick can get just about anything.

 

[FLJOE]

That list of ESPN+ live content reads like a group of castoffs: programming not valuable enough to appear on one of ESPN's eight cable networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, Longhorn Network, SEC Network).A

 

[hoopsfan22]

That list of ESPN+ live content reads like a group of castoffs: programming not valuable enough to appear on one of ESPN's eight cable networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, Longhorn Network, SEC Network).A

Look for UConn WCBB on ESPN The Ocho.

 

[JavaMan]

The American Athletic Conference and ESPN officially announced Wednesday a new 12-year television agreement that will begin once the current pact expires next year.

Under the deal, about 500 AAC sporting events during the 2020-21 school year, including basketball and football games, will be available exclusively through ESPN+, the $4.99/month digital streaming service launched last year. ESPN+ is available through internet browsers or on devices such as Apple TV, Roku, Android TV and Fire TV. The number of AAC games on ESPN+ will increase to at least 1,000 per year beginning in 2022-23, according to a conference press release.

ESPN and AAC did not disclose financial terms of the deal Wednesday, but Sports Business Journal reported last week that ESPN will pay the conference $1 billion over the 12 years. The new agreement will increase UConn’s TV revenue intake from $2.16 million to about $7 million, per SBJ, providing slight relief to an athletic department that spent $41 million more than it generated in revenue in 2018 and no longer receives pay-outs stemming from the dispersal of the former Big East Conference.

As the saying goes: "the price of poker just went up".

Link to full article HERE
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