Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[itgoeslike]

It really is a brutal piece of journalism.

The headline is that they're 'right on target'.

Sentence two admits that Swofford said nothing and that the author has a 'sense', (read 'hope'), that the network will launch in 2017. And then he tries to plump up the positives.

And then Swofford slides the sticky bits right past Teel...

“If we’re going to do this,” Swofford said, “we need to do it in the right way from the beginning that gives us the opportunity to have long-term success, and that’s what we’re trying to do and time it in a way so the distribution can be good, if not great, coming out, if we go this route. The other alternative is larger rights fees (from ESPN).”

And boom. They have nothing.

The issue for the ACC is that they signed their deal and never made provisions for a network. Now, they want ESPN to put more money into something they already own and then have it compete on some level with an already solid business, the SEC Network. It's not working by anyone's rational measure.

The tell is the 'alternative' - asking ESPN for more money.

Well, good luck.

The larger rights fees Swofford is referring to could be the $2M consolation prize that each school gets if there is no ACCN. The reality is that the ACC is a spectator in these negotiations. ESPN has to calculate the lesser of two evils—the cost to recover the third tier rights they sold off and launch the network, or pay the consolation prize.

 

[Exit 4]

I don't see that total # of homes part as being much of an issue. Most of those were likely homes that didn't watch ESPN anyway. If they did they will be back using ESPN plus. You can't just stop watching sports cold-turkey.

A heck of a lot of homes don't watch sports. Many more than sports fans realize.

 

[TerryD]

The only path to more money for the ACC is getting ND football as a full member. Cue TerryD to tell us the odds of that happening.

Nope, I am reading more and posting less.......

 

[Kolumbo]

right on target. That must be the largest fuzziest target on the east coast. the last line of his article is classic: "At the risk of shameless self-promotion: My book, “Press Pass: Thirty Years of Bylines, Headlines and Deadlines,” is available here." haha.

 

[uconnfan68]

A heck of a lot of homes don't watch sports. Many more than sports fans realize.

But they pay anyway if they want cable.

 

[uconnfan68]

"Right on target" is another way of saying "It doesn't look good, but it's what we expected."

Sounds like my yearly reviews... I didn't realize it meant that. ;^)

 

[Exit 4]

But they pay anyway if they want cable.

Unless they become cord cutters like two members of my extended family. I have two different HH in my extended family blissfully enjoying a post cable tv life. Both are affluent - just didn't think cable was delivering value. And yep, both households watch zero sports, so there goes another two who for decades paid for tv sports w/o watch a thing. The EZ tv $ gravy train for cable sports peaked two years ago.

 

[whaler11]

Yeah if you don't watch sports it's a lot easier to walk away.

 

[jostar1]

David Ubben ‏@davidubben · 3h3 hours ago
Mike Gundy: "In my opinion, there's going to be two teams added (to the Big 12). ... That just seems to be the direction it's going."

David Ubben ‏@davidubben · 3h3 hours ago
Should clarify that Gundy didn't necessarily express a strong desire for expansion. Just his read on the situation.


David Ubben
@davidubben
Columnist and TV analyst, Fox Sports Southwest.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

Big 12 on their sights soon. Texas Tech could do an "A&M"-type of move.

Tech, Okie State, Kansas State, TCU -> PAC
Kansas and Oklahoma - > Big Ten
Texas, UConn, Baylor, Iowa State, West Virginia - > ACC

 

[whaler11]

Just saw on MattSarz twitter that Gameplan and Full Court aren't going to be available anymore on Comcast or DirectTv. Interesting to see what they do with those.

 

[CL82]

Big 12 on their sights soon. Texas Tech could do an "A&M"-type of move.

Tech, Okie State, Kansas State, TCU -> PAC
Kansas and Oklahoma - > Big Ten
Texas, UConn, Baylor, Iowa State, West Virginia - > ACC

Your failure to use slashes makes you not credible.

 

[don356]

If we're going to quote this gal, let's just cut her name to SR. Her full name is way to distracting.

 

[The Funster]

DirecTV sells for 49B....Sikorsky sells for 9B, why does this amaze me?

 

[Nostical]

DirecTV sells for 49B....Sikorsky sells for 9B, why does this amaze me?

Shouldn't amaze you. Sikorsky makes lousy TV's. They spin around the room.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

Cue Joe Biden at the Obamacare signing ceremony.

 

[nd73]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN · 13m13 minutes ago

Add Jimbo Fisher, David Cutcliffe, Frank Beamer & Dave Doeren to list who believe Notre Dame should be in league/play 13 games

 

[Dooley]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN · 13m13 minutes ago

Add Jimbo Fisher, David Cutcliffe, Frank Beamer & Dave Doeren to list who believe Notre Dame should be in league/play 13 games

Well, we took the scenic route but eventually ended up at the same place that we all knew would come: conference members crying about the sweetheart deal that they handed ND. Hmmm...when have we heard this before??

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN · 13m13 minutes ago

Add Jimbo Fisher, David Cutcliffe, Frank Beamer & Dave Doeren to list who believe Notre Dame should be in league/play 13 games

This would be great news for UConn if Notre Dame cared what anyone said about them.

 

[FDNY99]

Well, we took the scenic route but eventually ended up at the same place that we all knew would come: conference members crying about the sweetheart deal that they handed ND. Hmmm...when have we heard this before??

Extremely interesting group of coaches McMurphy has in his tweet. Can't wait to hear a school like FSU bitching up a storm when they win the ACC champ game with 1 loss but somehow get bounced out of the CFP by a 1 loss ND team.

 

[nd73]

This would be great news for UConn if Notre Dame cared what anyone said about them.

We should pay attention because they are our "partners". But it will take more then coaches to perk ears up, AD's or Presidents then that would be a cold splash of water.

I have to admit this was quicker then what I imagined for the complaining to begin, new it would come just not so soon.

 

[junglehusky]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN · 13m13 minutes ago

Add Jimbo Fisher, David Cutcliffe, Frank Beamer & Dave Doeren to list who believe Notre Dame should be in league/play 13 games

Fine by me... as long as they add UConn as #16!

 

[nd73]

ESPN pushing an agenda
Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 18m18 minutes ago
ACC coaches want Notre Dame to join a league. If ND joins a league before 2027, its contractually bound to join ACC

 

[CallMeBruce]

Well, it's an agenda that probably helps us, so I'm cool with it.

 

[Seaa Blue]

ESPN pushing an agenda
Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 18m18 minutes ago
ACC coaches want Notre Dame to join a league. If ND joins a league before 2027, its contractually bound to join ACC

But I wonder if ND would then get to keep its home game TV revenue. There's likely something to that effect in the contract, and it would be interesting to see how that plays out.