Interesting article from S Fla

[mike012]

http://www.voodoofive.com/2013/2/22...tv-rights-streaming-weeknights-hate-epic-fail


seems big east has to take the ESPN deal.

 

[UConnDan97]

Wow. That article made me feel worse than I already did, and I didn't think that was possible.

Here's the question; if this article is right about the fact that the Big East has no choice but to accept the ESPN offer, then why is it that ESPN requires the presidents of the universities to "ratify it over the weekend", as other reports (including ESPN's) have stated? If they truly have no choice, what does it matter if the presidents accept? Something isn't adding up...

 

[jrazz12]

Wow. That article made me feel worse than I already did, and I didn't think that was possible.

Here's the question; if this article is right about the fact that the Big East has no choice but to accept the ESPN offer, then why is it that ESPN requires the presidents of the universities to "ratify it over the weekend", as other reports (including ESPN's) have stated? If they truly have no choice, what does it matter if the presidents accept? Something isn't adding up...

My thought was that if they rejected this deal, the dumba$$ in the commissioner's seat has to go back to the drawing board and try again. Not that they default back to the NBC offer.

My question is, what is the feasibility/contractual obligation for UConn and the rest of the league for that matter in rejecting a league-wide media rights deal and selling our media rights on our own through some combination of ESPN/CBS/SNY? duck Tulane and East Carolina, and the networks are saying the same thing. But, is that a thing? Is that possible?

Either way, if the vote on this deal doesn't have to be unanimous, Herbst should be taking out a fat veto stamp and affixing to the offer in big red letters, "UConn rejects this sh!tty deal"

 

[Fishy]

The presidents can opt not to sign a television contract and broadcast the games via smoke signal.

The right to match is a right to match.

 

[UConnDan97]

My thought was that if they rejected this deal, the dumba$$ in the commissioner's seat has to go back to the drawing board and try again. Not that they default back to the NBC offer.

My question is, what is the feasibility/contractual obligation for UConn and the rest of the league for that matter in rejecting a league-wide media rights deal and selling our media rights on our own through some combination of ESPN/CBS/SNY? duck Tulane and East Carolina, and the networks are saying the same thing. But, is that a thing? Is that possible?

Either way, if the vote on this deal doesn't have to be unanimous, Herbst should be taking out a fat veto stamp and affixing to the offer in big red letters, "UConn rejects this sh!tty deal"

Yeah, you pose some good questions along with my questions. There is so much unknown to the general public about what the rights and options of the Big East are (it might help if any one of the journalists covering any one of the Big East teams actually got off their backside and covered the damned story!). If we sell our rights separately, there is no doubt in my mind that UConn and Cincy make out better, but obviously there will be about 5 or 6 schools that will make out worse.
Also, it's not clear to me if in the event of a "no" vote by the presidents, if the whole thing goes back to market or not. And if it does, do we believe it will be better or worse than it is today? I know many of us would love to get our hands on more info...

 

[whaler11]

The presidents can opt not to sign a television contract and broadcast the games via smoke signal.

The right to match is a right to match.

Exactly this is what rejecting the contract would mean. NBC's bid is strange. It was almost pointless - they didn't pony up enough to even make it a decision on ESPN's end. Gives them a ton of ESPN3 content and they get almost as much for ESPN3 as Comcast gets for the NBCSports television channel. Saw somewhere yesterday that Verizon and one other largish (TW maybe) pay 19 cents for ESPN3.

 

[pj]

We know how schools get out of a bad conference TV contract: they leave the conference.

All this means is that as soon as the various exit fees are collected and distributed, every team leaves the conference.

But you're right, something doesn't add up: If ESPN always had control of the next TV contract for the Big East, why were they so eager to blow up the Big East?

 

[UConnDan97]

We know how schools get out of a bad conference TV contract: they leave the conference.

All this means is that as soon as the various exit fees are collected and distributed, every team leaves the conference.

But you're right, something doesn't add up: If ESPN always had control of the next TV contract for the Big East, why were they so eager to blow up the Big East?

We actually had been presented with an interesting opportunity that doesn't happen very often. The opportunity was to blow up the conference and reform it as another, which essentially would have reset any contractual obligations that we were bound by. We would still become the same collection of new teams, but under different circumstances. However, we are basically being held hostage by the exit fees and perhaps more importantly, by the NCAA (the way they pay out their NCAA credits 6 years after the fact, as well as the automatic bids disappearing and perhaps not returning).

At least the consolation to all of this is that the NCAA credit money and the exit fee money will restore us to an amount that is higher than the current contract for a short period of time. Not much more, though...

 

[upstater]

That's a fan site.

The question is: did ESPN match?

Some people are saying it didn't.

Seems the BE might not be convinced it did either.

 

[CL82]

The presidents can opt not to sign a television contract and broadcast the games via smoke signal.

The right to match is a right to match.

Smoke signals might well get the content to more viewers

ESPN Secures Big East Rights, Appears Interested In Airing As Few Big East Games As Possible

I can't see a situation where the BE presidents don't need to ratify this. As Fishy has said elsewhere the question is if not this then what. I think UConn could make it work but I'm less confident for the newbs.

 

[SubbaBub]

That's a fan site.

The question is: did ESPN match?

Some people are saying it didn't.

Seems the BE might not be convinced it did either.

This. If the substance of the deal beyond the dollars isn't the same as NBC, then it's not a matching offer. If NBC guarantees a certain number of national TV games then ESPN can't match with streaming content.

I have zero confidence the BE was that specific in negotiations with NBC.

I'm being to get Conspiracy Kitty's telepathic signal that Aresco might be a plant.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[sportsart]

This. If the substance of the deal beyond the dollars isn't the same as NBC, then it's not a matching offer. If NBC guarantees a certain number of national TV games then ESPN can't match with streaming content.

I have zero confidence the BE was that specific in negotiations with NBC.

I'm being to get Conspiracy Kitty's telepathic signal that Aresco might be a plant.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

If this is not the case then Aresco is being paid off by ESPN. There is no way an for a former high up CBS sports exec can be stupid enough to have a deal matched that is not truly matched.

 

[Fishy]

This was the easiest offer in the world for ESPN to match.

The money is nothing, the exposure is nothing - ESPN has a half-dozen ways to burn off that content, including offloading to other networks.

Any positive vibe over the NBC offer came from the Blaudschun piece that was seeded by Aresco - I can only imagine the glowing words over the potential exposure was a cover for the dismal financial terms.

But it just wasn't a serious offer. Comcast clearly doesn't see the Big East as some sort of pillar to build their sports channel with or to lead into ND football with. They went shopping at the Dollar Store and made an offer on some stuff they saw listed for cheap.

Aresco 'checking to see' if the Big East offer matches is surely more of the same - a dog and pony show to muddy up the fact that he failed to bring so much as one serious offer to the Big East.

 

[upstater]

This was the easiest offer in the world for ESPN to match.

The money is nothing, the exposure is nothing - ESPN has a half-dozen ways to burn off that content, including offloading to other networks.

Any positive vibe over the NBC offer came from the Blaudschun piece that was seeded by Aresco - I can only imagine the glowing words over the potential exposure was a cover for the dismal financial terms.

But it just wasn't a serious offer. Comcast clearly doesn't see the Big East as some sort of pillar to build their sports channel with or to lead into ND football with. They went shopping at the Dollar Store and made an offer on some stuff they saw listed for cheap.

Aresco 'checking to see' if the Big East offer matches is surely more of the same - a dog and pony show to muddy up the fact that he failed to bring so much as one serious offer to the Big East.

Now the next question: does ESPN sue UConn and/or the state of Connecticut.

 

[zls44]

Now the next question: does ESPN sue UConn and/or the state of Connecticut.

What?

 

[djct1999]

Name one thing that Herbst has either said or done that suggests she would have the "courage" to reject ESPN. That is almost as crazy as some tiny school in Bridgeport hiring Bobby V as the AD. Wait a second.......................................

 

[upstater]

What?

If UConn breaches the contract...

 

[Fishy]

Rejecting the contract would not be courage - it would be insanity.

The fall back plan there would be no television contract.

 

[metsfan2323]

The Big East should declare ESPN's offer to be a non match and go with NBC. If ESPN wants to sue let them sue. Do not give ESPN the satisfaction of having this league for nothing. Having games streamed on the internet is not the equivalent of TV programming.

 

[djct1999]

Insanity is how I define the current situation we find ourselves in. Seriously, how the hell did this happen?

 

[upstater]

The BE chose ESPN today

 

[CL82]

Rejecting the contract would not be courage - it would be insanity.

The fall back plan there would be no television contract.

Fishy, do you believe that we could not get $2M for our MBB and FB rights? What about $3M? If I were Herbst, I'd be spending this weekend calling presidents and shopping our individual rights. Everyone agree that the BE deal is terrible. The question is would schools be better off selling there own rights. I don't know if that is the case, but the NBC offer and the ESPN match makes it a possibility.

 

[upstater]

Fishy, do you believe that we could not get $2M for our MBB and FB rights? What about $3M? If I were Herbst, I'd be spending this weekend calling presidents and shopping our individual rights. Everyone agree that the BE deal is terrible. The question is would schools be better off selling there own rights. I don't know if that is the case, but the NBC offer and the ESPN match makes it a possibility.

Even if Herbst wanted to do that, she'd have to go along with the league vote. 3/4s are needed to approve.

Last time around, Pitt, G'town, West Virginia and Rutgers voted against Marinatto's recommendation to take the ESPN deal, and they carried the day because there were only 11 votes to approve it. Syracuse and Louisville, BTW, voted to approve the last ESPN deal.

I remember the days when we looked at Tagliabue as some kind of wizard for BE TV rights. That effer screwed things up for us pretty badly.

 

[CL82]

The Big East should declare ESPN's offer to be a non match and go with NBC. If ESPN wants to sue let them sue. Do not give ESPN the satisfaction of having this league for nothing. Having games streamed on the internet is not the equivalent of TV programming.

There is zero chance ESPN would sue us. First, they really don't care about the conference tv rights. Second, the very last place ESPN wants to be is in court where they would open themselves to a counter-suit. Discovery has the potential to be a nightmare for them.

 

[CL82]

Even if Herbst wanted to do that, she'd have to go along with the league vote. 3/4s are needed to approve.

Last time around, Pitt, G'town, West Virginia and Rutgers voted against Marinatto's recommendation to take the ESPN deal, and they carried the day because there were only 11 votes to approve it. Syracuse and Louisville, BTW, voted to approve the last ESPN deal.

I remember the days when we looked at Tagliabue as some kind of wizard for BE TV rights. That effer screwed things up for us pretty badly.

She'd need the votes, but this is a horrible deal for Cinci, USF and UConn. I don't know what everyone else made previously but this may not be enough of a bump to justify their conference change.

I didn't know, or didn't remember, the votes for turning down the 13M offer. That's interesting.