Is the epidemic of cord cutters a good thing for UConn?

[CL82]

Let's face it, the status quo sucks for us. And while I would much rather we were on the P5 with gravy train, we aren't in it appears that that is unlikely to change in the near future. If that's true then any change in the status quo is a good change as it should create opportunities for future realignment.

At least that's what I've been telling myself.

 

[Waquoit]

No

 

[huskypantz]

The only hope is that the addition of UConn can soften the blow for the next conference that renegotiates their contract in the age of cord-cutting. And that is a whim and a prayer.

 

[UConnJim]

UConn is still living off the Big East breakup fees. The hope was that the next AAC contract would increase in value resulting in higher media for UConn to offset the loss of Big East revenues. With cord cutting, it's doubtful the AAC is getting much of an increase in the next media contract.

The hope is that the next AAC contract will allow UConn to get back some of its media rights to monetize. That would be a positive.

If cord cutting leads to shrinking media rights fees for P5 conferences, that would probably be very bad for some weaker P5 schools as I would expect some conference trimming.

 

[Fishy]

The cord-cutting trend is probably the worst part of the absolute perfect storm that we drew in realignment.

They slaughtered the golden goose right in front of us.

 

[uconnbill]

I blame ESPN giving ridiculous money to the NFL and NBA and basically starting the downturn of cable tv as we know it.
I am not sure that cord cutting will kill UConn anymore than what happened five years ago when the ACC took Louisville.

My hope is that Twitter, Hulu, Netflix, or some other cord cutting source gives the AAC some good money

 

[pepband99]

Cord-cutting will likely enable or accelerate the breakoff of the P5 from the NCAA. Very very bad, unless you think we get dragged along, which i wouldn't bet very much on, in that scenario.

 

[chickenhead]

Cord-cutting will likely enable or accelerate the breakoff of the P5 from the NCAA. Very very bad, unless you think we get dragged along, which i wouldn't bet very much on, in that scenario.

P5 football is basically already severed from the NCAA. I can't envision a scenario where the media properties (it won't be only networks in the future) pay as much for the NCAA tourney with just the P5 schools. P5 schools have the best of both worlds. They include teams that increase THEIR revenue with schools that can never win.

 

[CL82]

March Madness is the NCAA's cash cow. Once the TV money dries up the P5 may decide that it more cost effective to keep that money for itself.

 

[August_West]

Let's face it, the status quo sucks for us. And while I would much rather we were on the P5 with gravy train, we aren't in it appears that that is unlikely to change in the near future. If that's true then any change in the status quo is a good change as it should create opportunities for future realignment.

At least that's what I've been telling myself.

OMG youre still at this?

 

[SubZero]

"Future realignment" seems to be trending toward getting rid of the Big 12 and placing those teams into the remaining P4 so ESPN can bump up payment to the P4 but eliminate having to pay the Big 12. I don't see how that helps us at all.

 

[IMind]

"Future realignment" seems to be trending toward getting rid of the Big 12 and placing those teams into the remaining P4 so ESPN can bump up payment to the P4 but eliminate having to pay the Big 12. I don't see how that helps us at all.

It only helps us if someone says... why the frick are we going to pay West Virginia, Baylor, Kansas State, Ok State, Texas Tech, TCU, and Iowa State no one lives in those places... let's just add Kansas, UConn, Texas and Oklahoma and be done with it. That's the future I'd try to plan for.... and the only way something like that happens is if Men's Basketball goes back to being 30 game winners... football doesn't suck... and Geno is still around. Even then it's a long shot, pipe dream.

 

[CL82]

OMG youre still at this?

Meh, it's the off season.

[Site filters blocked my original reply]

 

[UConnJim]

Look at all of these channels for college football:

ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, ESPNNews, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, Big 10 Network, Pac12 Network, SEC Network, Regional Sports Nets, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox.

That's 16+ possible outlets on a given Saturday. Forget Regional Sports Nets for a second. There are 16 potential cable + over the air outlets for college football any given week and there are a potential for ~32 P5 games per week, not including bye weeks which works out to 2 P5 games per outlet per week. There is massive overcapacity in sports cable nets, and we have new entrants like Twitter, Amazon, Apple,... so there is demand for the G5 games. And, the channels are going to have to have content to maintain their pricing to customers. Are people going to pay $7/month for ESPN if your favorite teams are never on the network or if the media companies degrade the content? That is why I never understood why ESPN trashed Big East football as they should have been marketing it to build demand as they need content.

It will be interesting how this all plays out, but ESPN locked in expensive content at a time when distribution is changing.

 

[BlueHen]

"Future realignment" seems to be trending toward getting rid of the Big 12 and placing those teams into the remaining P4 so ESPN can bump up payment to the P4 but eliminate having to pay the Big 12. I don't see how that helps us at all.

My guess is that if the Big 12 goes away, some, but not all, of the Big 12 schools will find a home in the P4. UConn may be in a position to join the P4 at that time, worst case it can align itself with the remnants of the Big 12.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I blame ESPN giving ridiculous money to the NFL and NBA and basically starting the downturn of cable tv as we know it.
I am not sure that cord cutting will kill UConn anymore than what happened five years ago when the ACC took Louisville.

My hope is that Twitter, Hulu, Netflix, or some other cord cutting source gives the AAC some good money

Hulu just inked NBC Universal for live stream programming. It now has all four major networks on board. Expect within the next few months Hulu to implement a streaming service for under about $40/month that includes Hulu's original content, its live streaming and archived material.

Hulu and NBCUniversal ink expansive agreement to bring top channels to Hulu’s upcoming live TV streaming service – MacDailyNews - Welcome Home

 

[UCHuskies08]

It's the worst thing that could have possibly happened.

There was stupid sports network money being thrown at the P5. Having stupid amounts of money would make it easier to let other schools in. Now that the gravy train has stopped, we would have to bring even more to the table to justify taking up a slice of a potentially shrinking pie.

Beyond that, it completely screws the AAC in its upcoming negotiation, when it had a pathetically small contract number to begin with.

Twitter. Hulu, et al. are not going to even come close to matching the per school per year numbers that ESPN doled out.

We are well and truly f-ed, friend.

 

[CL82]

So as those stupid amounts of money start to wane, there will be pressure to replace them. Does the Hartford/New Haven DMA + Fairfield County become more of an attraction? How about the UConn basketball brand, for ratings?

In the end, it was hard to make the case that UConn's addition to a conference was worth $40-50 million a year. Once the TV money goes away (or is reduced) it is easier to bring value?

We don't get a piece of today's gravy train, but do we at least have a shot at being in a more geographically attractive conference with peers?

 

[Adios]

Corporate sponsorship will get bigger. Simple.

 

[Nostical]

Don't ever underestimate the ability of the streaming services to become just as competitive and foolish as their cable brethren. When Twitter wants to make a splash by overbidding Hulu for Notre Dame, and when Amazon says let's grab the rights to the Pac12, and when Apple with their wads of ungodly cash wants to rev up their Apple TV with the NFL, and when Facebook says why not us, SEC..... the money will be there and the cycle will repeat. Just like those stock market bubbles everyone says won't happen again because "we all learned our lesson". Somehow, I think UConn will do just fine. And yes, that includes a feeling that our once proud programs currently at their nadir (football and Men's BBall) are going to climb back and become respectable, then relevant, then desirable, and then the shiny object everyone wants.

 

[uconnfan68]

I blame ESPN giving ridiculous money to the NFL and NBA and basically starting the downturn of cable tv as we know it.
I am not sure that cord cutting will kill UConn anymore than what happened five years ago when the ACC took Louisville.

My hope is that Twitter, Hulu, Netflix, or some other cord cutting source gives the AAC some good money

Those outlets want money too. Who pays and how?

 

[Fishy]

Those outlets want money too. Who pays and how?

That is the question no one seems to ask.

 

[Adios]

Subscriptions and advertising. Subscriptions seems to be the rage these days.

 

[billybud]

Those outlets want money too. Who pays and how?

I don't know how that works...but subscription channels (HULU, VUDU, etc) are paying ESPN for content access...and like YouTube, are paying the cable rate of $7.00. The advantage of these subscription packages is less content than cable for a lesser charge than most cable rates.

They are much like internet based versions of a cable skinny bundle.