ESPN to be flushed down the toilet by Big10??? Certainly looks that way!

[UConnJim]

yeah i wasnt including the tourney only regular season conference games. but the BE never has more than 2 games on FOX in a given week and we could lose all of those basic cable slots. with espn losing so much content maybe they will bid up the value of our next tv deal.

You are worrying about 2 games per week. FOX/FS1 is going to broadcast the BE Tournament so the are going to want to broadcast regular season games. And, the conference networks are grabbing more content because they have to stay relevant to attract viewers. Even football has been impacted by conference networks. Here is the TV coverage for Week 9 of 2021 for Big 10 football (no school had an off week):

BTN - 3
FOX - 1
ABC - 1
ESPN - 1
ESPN2 - 1

I brought this up before, but look at BC's basketball games ACC and home games TV coverage in 2021/2022:

ACC Network: 11 games
NESN: 6 games
ACCNX: 5
ESPNU: 2
ESPN2: 1
NESN+: 1

 

[bobbyinaz]

You are worrying about 2 games per week. FOX/FS1 is going to broadcast the BE Tournament so the are going to want to broadcast regular season games. And, the conference networks are grabbing more content because they have to stay relevant to attract viewers. Even football has been impacted by conference networks. Here is the TV coverage for Week 9 of 2021 for Big 10 football (no school had an off week):

BTN - 3
FOX - 1
ABC - 1
ESPN - 1
ESPN2 - 1

I brought this up before, but look at BC's basketball games ACC and home games TV coverage in 2021/2022:

ACC Network: 11 games
NESN: 6 games
ACCNX: 5
ESPNU: 2
ESPN2: 1
NESN+: 1

You are assuming that FOX will want to continue its relationship with the Big East which may or may not be the case.

We do know that FOX is about to throw a ton of cash at the B1G and part of that deal may or may not include more FOX & FS1 hoops games.

After spending all that cash on the B1G does FOX decide to keep whatever powder they have left for the Big East or potentially for the B12 which offers both football and hoops?

We don't know what will happen but I don't think any UConn fan can sit here today and be 100% confident that we will be OK after all of this shakes out

 

[Storrs South]

You are assuming that FOX will want to continue its relationship with the Big East which may or may not be the case.

We do know that FOX is about to throw a ton of cash at the B1G and part of that deal may or may not include more FOX & FS1 hoops games.

After spending all that cash on the B1G does FOX decide to keep whatever powder they have left for the Big East or potentially for the B12 which offers both football and hoops?

We don't know what will happen but I don't think any UConn fan can sit here today and be 100% confident that we will be OK after all of this shakes out

FOX isn't throwing cash at the B1G. FOX owns 60% of the B1G network so they are either paying themselves for the games they keep or receiving money for the games they sold to CBS and NBC.

That being said, it isn't unreasonable to wonder if FOX is no longer as interested in the Big East long term given ESPN is no longer taking on some of these CBB games.

But they also have FS2 so they really should have plenty of timeslots to play around with unless they opt to drop the channel like NBC has done with their own sports specific channel. We will get answers to many of these questions in a year or so.

The Big East is also cheap content in an environment where the only thing that seems to bring ratings these days is reality tv and sports. They can probably get the Big East for $100 million annually (currently $40-50 mil annually) and it is significantly less than what it would cost to get the Big 12, PAC 12, etc while still having buzz, decent ratings, and the Big East tournament.

 

[Sole]

I wonder if the big east has other options besides fox… maybe Amazon or Apple

 

[bendm]

But they also have FS2 so they really should have plenty of timeslots to play around with unless they opt to drop the channel like NBC has done with their own sports specific channel. We will get answers to many of these questions in a year or so.

The Big East is also cheap content in an environment where the only thing that seems to bring ratings these days is reality tv and sports. They can probably get the Big East for $100 million annually (currently $40-50 mil annually) and it is significantly less than what it would cost to get the Big 12, PAC 12, etc while still having buzz, decent ratings, and the Big East tournament.

Would the BE sell out for 100 million annually for the right to have most games played on fs2? I'd take less for our games to be on espn2.

 

[GruntCakes]

I wonder if the big east has other options besides fox… maybe Amazon or Apple

Nickelodeon?

 

[M.S.G.]

Maybe I'm dense, no actually I know I am.. BUT...

I see it here, I hear it constantly from Patriots fans about how much they haaaaaaaaaaaate big bad ESPN.

I just don't get it. Like people flat out refuse to even tune into the channel. I noticed posts even in this thread, people dancing on their grave, even commenting that there are "so many other ways to get your sports news" in this day and age.

But really, are there? I mean let's be honest. I'm a true blue Husky fan but was our predicament really to blame on ESPN? To me it was always very black & white - schools such as Rutgers, Syracuse, BC, Louisville got out of the Big East to chase the football Power 5 money and it paid off because they had football programs that moved the needle. We did not. So we missed out. You can make the argument that we have a bigger market share than BC in New England and Syracuse and Rutgers in the tri-state area. That's all fine and good, but to point the finger @ ESPN is just disingenuous when you can't face what's looking back at you in the mirror.

Fast forward a bit, we are bumped out of the Big East. Well, duh. None of those schools have football. We do, we have to scramble and we end up in the godawful conference. Was that our fault? Yes/No. If the football program wasn't a rudderless ship floating aimlessly, perhaps it would have been different. Is that why people blame ESPN also? Stuck in a conference that never made sense for us in the first place and we get a 3rd rate TV deal from ESPN? Uh duh, of course the AAC got a crap deal. It didn't, and never has brought anything to the table. Did we win the national championship out of the AAC? Sure did, but we had a player/coach to thank for that..

Am I compromising the facts here? I read a handful of posts in here tossing and turning at 4am this morning and it just kind of lame and whiny to blame ESPN for our own problems.

Don't even get me started on Patriots fans.............

To tack on a bit, okay so ESPN loses the Big 10, and replaces it with the SEC? Yeah.. You think they're going to lose a step? With the Big 12 and Pac WhateverIsLeft in tow - I mean????????????

Okay Fox levels up considerably and NBC scores in this scenario but I fail to understand how ESPN "loses"?

Explain it to me like i'm an 8 year old please.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Maybe I'm dense, no actually I know I am.. BUT...

I see it here, I hear it constantly from Patriots fans about how much they haaaaaaaaaaaate big bad ESPN.

I just don't get it. Like people flat out refuse to even tune into the channel. I noticed posts even in this thread, people dancing on their grave, even commenting that there are "so many other ways to get your sports news" in this day and age.

But really, are there? I mean let's be honest. I'm a true blue Husky fan but was our predicament really to blame on ESPN? To me it was always very black & white - schools such as Rutgers, Syracuse, BC, Louisville got out of the Big East to chase the football Power 5 money and it paid off because they had football programs that moved the needle. We did not. So we missed out. You can make the argument that we have a bigger market share than BC in New England and Syracuse and Rutgers in the tri-state area. That's all fine and good, but to point the finger @ ESPN is just disingenuous when you can't face what's looking back at you in the mirror.

Fast forward a bit, we are bumped out of the Big East. Well, duh. None of those schools have football. We do, we have to scramble and we end up in the godawful conference. Was that our fault? Yes/No. If the football program wasn't a rudderless ship floating aimlessly, perhaps it would have been different. Is that why people blame ESPN also? Stuck in a conference that never made sense for us in the first place and we get a 3rd rate TV deal from ESPN? Uh duh, of course the AAC got a crap deal. It didn't, and never has brought anything to the table. Did we win the national championship out of the AAC? Sure did, but we had a player/coach to thank for that..

Am I compromising the facts here? I read a handful of posts in here tossing and turning at 4am this morning and it just kind of lame and whiny to blame ESPN for our own problems.

Don't even get me started on Patriots fans.............

To tack on a bit, okay so ESPN loses the Big 10, and replaces it with the SEC? Yeah.. You think they're going to lose a step? With the Big 12 and Pac WhateverIsLeft in tow - I mean????????????

Okay Fox levels up considerably and NBC scores in this scenario but I fail to understand how ESPN "loses"?

Explain it to me like i'm an 8 year old please.

TL;DR.

I will say this. Back in the day, let's say 1990-2010, when I was younger and had nothing going on, I'd have ESPN on in the background regardless of what was showing on the TV. It was what sports fans did.

Now? If there is a game I want to watch and it's on ESPN, I turn on ESPN about 2 minutes after shceduled start time, watch the game and change the channel. That's it. They no longer hold a near monopoly on information and breaking news. By the time any news makes it to TV land it's not new anymore.

 

[Waquoit]

Would the BE sell out for 100 million annually for the right to have most games played on fs2? I'd take less for our games to be on espn2.

Why? Exposure? It's not the 90's anymore.

 

[Hogoff]

TL;DR.

I will say this. Back in the day, let's say 1990-2010, when I was younger and had nothing going on, I'd have ESPN on in the background regardless of what was showing on the TV. It was what sports fans did.

Now? If there is a game I want to watch and it's on ESPN, I turn on ESPN about 2 minutes after shceduled start time, watch the game and change the channel. That's it. They no longer hold a near monopoly on information and breaking news. By the time any news makes it to TV land it's not new anymore.

Yup. It’s been years since I’ve watched Sports Center or any of their other nonsense.

 

[pepband99]

PTI is still a daily watch for me, but that could move anywhere, and is only loosely connected to the rest of ESPN programming.

 

[bendm]

Why? Exposure? It's not the 90's anymore.

is a highschool player gonna come to UConn if he doesnt get fs2 and cant even watch our games without streaming them? what about his parents and grandparents? i know my grandma doesnt get fs2. these things matter. staff just spend an hour on the phone with stewart's grandpa. are we going to hook him up with a sports package if he doesnt get fs2? these are actual considerations. if i were him id opt for the team with all their games on a tv channel my family and i could actually watch.

 

[CL82]

is a highschool player gonna come to UConn if he doesnt get fs2 and cant even watch our games without streaming them? what about his parents? these are actual considerations. if i were him id opt for the team with all their games on a tv channel i could actually watch.

If a kid is choosing his college destination based upon his cable package, maybe his judgment is a little questionable?

 

[Chin Diesel]

is a highschool player gonna come to UConn if he doesnt get fs2 and cant even watch our games without streaming them? what about his parents? these are actual considerations. if i were him id opt for the team with all their games on a tv channel i got.

It's 2022 and FS2 is on every major streaming service. I don't know or care about the different packages with standard cable but if you are a D1 basketball player going to a major program you and your family can watch every game if it's on FS2.

 

[bendm]

It's 2022 and FS2 is on every major streaming service. I don't know or care about the different packages with standard cable

yes for an additional price....you might not care about it but there are plenty of people who do. my grandma is a huge husky fan she used to knit scrunchies for them to sell at the school store. she got 10 cents a scrunchy just for the sake of it. if i were a recruit and she couldnt watch all my games b/c she doestn get fs2 how can that not be a factor in my decision?

edit- @Who Ha why are you disliking a post about my grandmother whats wrong with you

 

[bendm]

If a kid is choosing his college destination based upon his cable package, maybe his judgment is a little questionable?

so you had no problem when we were in the aac and our games were on espn+? if not you were wrong then and youre wrong now

 

[Chin Diesel]

yes for an additional price....you might not care about it but there are plenty of people who do. my grandma is a huge husky fan she used to knit scrunchies for them to sell at the school store. she got 10 cents a scrunchy just for the sake of it. if i were a recruit and she couldnt watch all my games b/c she doestn get fs2 how can that not be a factor in my decision?

edit- @Who Ha why are you disliking a post about my grandmother whats wrong with you

You can stream FS2 cheaper than it costs for cable.

 

[Chin Diesel]

yes for an additional price....you might not care about it but there are plenty of people who do. my grandma is a huge husky fan she used to knit scrunchies for them to sell at the school store. she got 10 cents a scrunchy just for the sake of it. if i were a recruit and she couldnt watch all my games b/c she doestn get fs2 how can that not be a factor in my decision?

edit- @Who Ha why are you disliking a post about my grandmother whats wrong with you

We're four pages in to this topic so I'm never surprised when the conversation takes a turn. Matter of fact, I love to see how the telephone game works on BY messages.

That being said, this falls in the YHGTBSM category of worrying about losing recruits because grandma can't get FS2.

 

[bendm]

That being said, this falls in the YHGTBSM category of worrying about losing recruits because grandma can't get FS2.

it's easy to make light of it but hurley was literally on the phone with stewarts grandfather for over an hour a couple weeks ago. family and their ability to watch games matters to some recruits. i've heard it time and again idk how you havent. i'm not saying anything controversial here. the sky is blue, water is wet, it sucks to have all your games on FS2 or espn+ or cbs sports network, etc.

if all else is equal in a player's recruitment i'm picking the school with all their games on fox/fs1 or espn/espn2 instead of fs2 or espn+

 

[CL82]

so you had no problem when we were in the aac and our games were on espn+? if not you were wrong then and youre wrong now

Our games were never on ESPN plus. We left right before that debacle.

In any event, it’s good to know that no top quality recruits will go to the ACC teams since they have a deal with ESPN, which you apparently think is it a disincentive for their recruitment.

 

[CL82]

i said i'd rather be on espn2 than fs2 or espn+ how can you even disagree with that?

I think everyone can agree with that, it just wasn’t your original contention. Your original point was that kids are going to pick the college teams they play for based upon cable channels. Exposure is certainly a consideration, but it isn’t s be all and end all in my opinion.

 

[huskymedic]

I think everyone can agree with that, it just wasn’t your original contention. Your original point was that kids are going to pick the college teams they play for based upon cable channels. Exposure is certainly a consideration, but it isn’t s be all and end all in my opinion.

… and if the recruit is big enough, Nonni will get her streaming nut taken care of.

 

[bendm]

… and if the recruit is big enough, Nonni will get her streaming nut taken care of.

nonni/nana isnt good with computers but she got a brand new 55" tv for her 100th birthday. that and a one way ticket to the assisted living home.

 

[Waquoit]

is a highschool player gonna come to UConn if he doesnt get fs2 and cant even watch our games without streaming them? what about his parents and grandparents? i know my grandma doesnt get fs2. these things matter. staff just spend an hour on the phone with stewart's grandpa. are we going to hook him up with a sports package if he doesnt get fs2? these are actual considerations. if i were him id opt for the team with all their games on a tv channel my family and i could actually watch.

Your points are moot. The paradigm has shifted already. Great-grandparents know about streaming. You sound like the guy with all his money in buggy whips.

 

[AzHusky]

Back in the day when the women were on CPTV, we purchased a subscription so the wife could watch the games here in Arizona. If people want to watch the game they will pay for the streaming service needed.

 

[bendm]

Big Ten Network: 121 games
BIG+ (streaming): 37 games
FS1: 29 games
ESPN/ESPN2: 24 games
FOX: 10 games
CBS: 10 games
ESPNU: 6 games

And, the Big 10 basketball tournament was broadcast on the BTN with the championship and semis on CBS.

so i may have overreacted a bit regarding how the big10 leaving espn would impact BE airtime on the fox channels

according to the Athletic here is how the BIG10 bball tv schedule breaks down:

CBS: up to 11 regular-season men’s basketball games in 2023 and will carry 15 games (13 of which will be conference games) from 2024 onward; will continue to carry the Big Ten tournament semifinals and the championship game, which leads into the CBS Selection Sunday show each March.

Peacock: will stream 32 regular-season men’s basketball games (20 conference games) in 2023-24 and 47 games (32 conference games) from 2024-25 onward as well as the Big Ten tournament’s opening night doubleheader.

BTN: will carry a minimum of 126 men’s games per year. BTN will air the four Thursday games and four quarterfinal games of the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament.

Fox/FS1: will carry a minimum of 45 regular-season men’s basketball games per year

bottom line: the ~45 games on FOX/FS1 is only an increase of half a dozen or so games from the 39 they are currently carrying

 

[MexicoHusky]

ESPN has no issues making and breaking teams/conferences. Seems fitting they may get burned in the same way.