Major Announcement... TV? (Update>CBSSN)

[Big East Fa]

Also just noticed this: Tennessee game, an away game, will be on CBSSN. Looks like the SEC took those rights.

SEC is not on CBSSN.

 

[billybud]

I read that Learfield IMG helped facilitate the deal, I haven’t seen that this contract is directly between IMG and CBSSN? Have you seen something else?

Sounds like Learfield is "exclusive multimedia rights holder"...whatever that encompasses...I suspect that UConn going Indy left a void..since football was in the AAC agreement..and IMG stepped in and assisted UConn with the CBS contract.

UConn Sports Properties solely represents the University of Connecticut. In complete collaboration with the university, this locally based Learfield IMG College team is committed to extending the affinity of the Huskies’ brand to businesses and corporations of all sizes looking to align with the undeniably loyal and passionate collegiate fan base.

As UConn’s exclusive athletics multimedia rights holder, UConn Sports Properties manages all aspects of the rights relationship providing corporate partners numerous opportunities in which to bolster their own brand through such assets as venue signage; event sponsorships and promotion; corporate hospitality; radio; as well as digital engagement and visibility via the official athletics website, UConnHuskies.com.

 

[huskymedic]

I read that Learfield IMG helped facilitate the deal, I haven’t seen that this contract is directly between IMG and CBSSN? Have you seen something else?

Sounds like Learfield is "exclusive multimedia rights holder"...whatever that encompasses...I suspect that UConn going Indy left a void..since football was in the AAC agreement..and IMG stepped in and assisted UConn with the CBS contract.

UConn Sports Properties solely represents the University of Connecticut. In complete collaboration with the university, this locally based Learfield IMG College team is committed to extending the affinity of the Huskies’ brand to businesses and corporations of all sizes looking to align with the undeniably loyal and passionate collegiate fan base.

As UConn’s exclusive athletics multimedia rights holder, UConn Sports Properties manages all aspects of the rights relationship providing corporate partners numerous opportunities in which to bolster their own brand through such assets as venue signage; event sponsorships and promotion; corporate hospitality; radio; as well as digital engagement and visibility via the official athletics website, UConnHuskies.com.

>>The agreement between CBS Sports and UConn Athletics was facilitated by Learfield IMG College, the university’s athletics multimedia rights holder. UConn Sports Properties is the Learfield IMG College Hartford-based team that exclusively represents the Huskies and works alongside Benedict on all aspects of the rights relationship.<<

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Lol, so you don't think the craptastic 12 year TV deal that paid us less for media rights for all sports on a net basis than the Big East gets just for basketball played a role in our decision making?

Okay then.

Had Uconn been better, the conference would have been better, the deal might have been better.

But we will never know.

 

[UCMB88]

That is Awful Announcing. Clown college in terms of writers.

Exactly!! Used to be a decent website, but like mostly all other sites/blogs/outlets now, the writers feel compelled to insert their "hot take" on the story. You know it's a clown college when the author writes: "When you also throw in the deals CBS has with Conference USA and both Army and Navy for their home games, UConn is looking at a situation where they’ll be fifth in the pecking order behind two conferences and two service academies (and you’re naive if you think otherwise)." Nothing like talking down to your audience and telling them they may be naive! Jacka**!

 

[Ajs120102]

SEC is not on CBSSN.

According to an article from NH register it says

“This fall, CBS Sports Network will television UConn home games with Indiana, Liberty, Middle Tennessee State and Army. Future games included in the deal include Purdue in 2021, Syracuse and Boston College in 2022 and Duke, North Carolina State and Tennessee in 2023.”

 

[CL82]

Had Uconn been better, the conference would have been better, the deal might have been better.

But we will never know.

Lol, kind of a stretch...

 

[Storrs South]

Yeah. ESPNU was basically a bunch of guys with iPhones broadcasting the games. News was pretty bad too but the video quality on ESPNU was usually pretty awful

Now imagine what it is going to look like when all those AAC games are on ESPN+ produced by the schools....

 

[Exit 4]

Now imagine what it is going to look like when all those AAC games are on ESPN+ produced by the schools....

Yep, three cameras, dirty lenses, 480i, 8 bit color. mono sound.

 

[huskysupporter]

Had Uconn been better, the conference would have been better, the deal might have been better.

But we will never know.

you speak too logically - no one wants to hear that.

 

[Ajs120102]

I am very anti AAC deal but pretty sure football games are produced by the league themselves. Don’t know why people think it’s the schools. That’s only for Olympic sports.

 

[Exit 4]

I am very anti AAC deal but pretty sure football games are produced by the league themselves. Don’t know why people think it’s the schools. That’s only for Olympic sports.

Makes me feel even better.

According to this story below the burden to carry all production cost will fall to the school anytime ESPN decides to put your product on ESPN+. Football is exempt, so this is aimed squarely at basketball and olympic sports. And given its a 12 year deal, its not out of the question that at some point the cable landscape will have changed causing ESPN to narrow its linear channels such that the AAC BB is predominately on ESPN+. Yikes.

The AAC contract is a 12 year pandora's box destine for tension between Bristol and the ADs about ESPN+.

New AAC TV deal provides more money to ECU, but also challenges

ECU must begin producing its own broadcasts for its home sporting events outside of football in late 2020.

247sports.com

 

[CL82]

I am very anti AAC deal but pretty sure football games are produced by the league themselves. Don’t know why people think it’s the schools. That’s only for Olympic sports.

Now that you mention it, I think that is right, at least for football.

 

[Dooooooomed]

I am very anti AAC deal but pretty sure football games are produced by the league themselves. Don’t know why people think it’s the schools. That’s only for Olympic sports.

Where do you think the league gets their $ from?

 

[Ajs120102]

Where do you think the league gets their $ from?

Yes that’s also true. There will be an initial investment from the schools up to 1 mil or more to build a studio just for Olympic sports. Football broadcast money will likely come out of general fund. Either way the deal still sucks. Not in the immediate future. I think it’s kinda dumb of us to act like it wasn’t more beneficial for UConn in the next 2-3 years to remain in the AAC money wise. But UConn can potentially make millions more after that because of how locked the AAC is in that wayyyy to long deal.

 

[Exit 4]

Yes that’s also true. There will be an initial investment from the schools up to 1 mil or more to build a studio just for Olympic sports. Football broadcast money will likely come out of general fund. Either way the deal still sucks. Not in the immediate future. I think it’s kinda dumb of us to act like it wasn’t more beneficial for UConn in the next 2-3 years to remain in the AAC money wise. But UConn can potentially make millions more after that because of how locked the AAC is in that wayyyy to long deal.

Way too long of deal with a dangerous chance of being buried behind the paywall.

That all said, I think the fact that while Navy was respected to cut their own media deal, Aresco steadfastly refused to carve out our WBB program. Had WBB been 100% carved out, free to make its own media deal, I think we would have stayed...albeit reluctantly. We invested oodles in our WBB program. It deserved respect. The crappy AAC had no right, not a scintilla, to try to capture our investment in WBB and spread it to the other putrid members. It was intolerable and so we left.

 

[Storrs South]

Way too long of deal with a dangerous chance of being buried behind the paywall.

That all said, I think the fact that while Navy was respected to cut their own media deal, Aresco steadfastly refused to carve out our WBB program. Had WBB been 100% carved out, free to make its own media deal, I think we would have stayed...albeit reluctantly. We invested oodles in our WBB program. It deserved respect. The crappy AAC had no right, not a scintilla, to try to capture our investment in WBB and spread it to the other putrid members. It was intolerable and so we left.

The thing you'll notice too, ECU is expecting $300k in annual production costs. UConn was forecasting $500k-$1 million annually. That's all due to WBB getting put on ESPN+. UConn would be burdened to make a greater investment in quality and quantity of events that no one else in the conference had to stomach since its the school that cares about their WBB program.

 

[Exit 4]

The thing you'll notice too, ECU is expecting $300k in annual production costs. UConn was forecasting $500k-$1 million annually. That's all due to WBB getting put on ESPN+. UConn would be burdened to make a greater investment in quality and quantity of events that no one else in the conference had to stomach since its the school that cares about their WBB program.

Yes, all while WBB potentially serving as a primary tent pole to the ESPN+ product which is certain to have a narrow audience for most of the next 12 years.

 

[CL82]

Yes that’s also true. There will be an initial investment from the schools up to 1 mil or more to build a studio just for Olympic sports. Football broadcast money will likely come out of general fund. Either way the deal still sucks. Not in the immediate future. I think it’s kinda dumb of us to act like it wasn’t more beneficial for UConn in the next 2-3 years to remain in the AAC money wise. But UConn can potentially make millions more after that because of how locked the AAC is in that wayyyy to long deal.

I don't think it was. Here's a quick and dirty comp:

1. The deal was back loaded with the initial payment, before production costs, being @$5M per school. So take out atleast $1M for the infrastructure build out, another at least $1M (annually) for production costs and whatever the leagues cost is for the football production costs and the Big East's deal for just basketball is a higher value. (Call it $4M for the BE vs. <$3M (net) for the American.)

2. We just got another $500k for our football home game rights. ($4.5 vs. <$3M)

3. The move to the BE saves us @ a year in travel costs. ($4.5 vs. <$500K.)

4. We were selling more gear and it will undoubtedly pick up even more once we actually join.

5. The American deal is for 12 years. The BE is just about to renegotiate their deal. They will likely make more.

 

[mikeinmanila]

6. The added attendance (eventually) with games people actually want to see (in all sports) will add millions.

Moving to the BE was a "slam dunk".

 

[CallMeBruce]

Yes that’s also true. There will be an initial investment from the schools up to 1 mil or more to build a studio just for Olympic sports. Football broadcast money will likely come out of general fund. Either way the deal still sucks. Not in the immediate future. I think it’s kinda dumb of us to act like it wasn’t more beneficial for UConn in the next 2-3 years to remain in the AAC money wise. But UConn can potentially make millions more after that because of how locked the AAC is in that wayyyy to long deal.

It's not dumb to care more about net than revenue. The PAC-12 has been producing their own events for years and it costs each team an average of $1.4 million a year. That plus the travel savings alone more than makes up the difference in the TV deals, not to mention the fact that people might actually buy tickets now that we're playing games against schools they've heard of. And that doesn't account for the IMG deal, for which part of the revenue comes from events produced for SNY, which wouldn't have happened under the AAC deal.

 

[Storrs South]

It's not dumb to care more about net than revenue. The PAC-12 has been producing their own events for years and it costs each team an average of $1.4 million a year. That plus the travel savings alone more than makes up the difference in the TV deals, not to mention the fact that people might actually buy tickets now that we're playing games against schools they've heard of. And that doesn't account for the IMG deal, for which part of the revenue comes from events produced for SNY, which wouldn't have happened under the AAC deal.

A random question, I am looking back at the IMG deal and see this mentioned

The social media part of the deal will include an embedded correspondent within UConn Athletics, with a plan to provide behind-the-scenes glimpses of the athletic programs that will include “sponsor integration,” which IMG says will allow brands to creatively connect with fans.

Have we seen any of this since the agreement was signed in October 2018? I know before 2017 we had Emily, Erica, and maybe one or two others, but don't recall anything described above since then. Did IMG/UConn just abandon this?

 

[Big East Fa]

Exactly!! Used to be a decent website, but like mostly all other sites/blogs/outlets now, the writers feel compelled to insert their "hot take" on the story. You know it's a clown college when the author writes: "When you also throw in the deals CBS has with Conference USA and both Army and Navy for their home games, UConn is looking at a situation where they’ll be fifth in the pecking order behind two conferences and two service academies (and you’re naive if you think otherwise)." Nothing like talking down to your audience and telling them they may be naive! Jacka**!

You nailed it. The highlighted part got myself po'd. The writer can give his thought, fine. Yet, if you disagree with me you are naive.

 

[Big East Fa]

According to an article from NH register it says

“This fall, CBS Sports Network will television UConn home games with Indiana, Liberty, Middle Tennessee State and Army. Future games included in the deal include Purdue in 2021, Syracuse and Boston College in 2022 and Duke, North Carolina State and Tennessee in 2023.”

If the Tennessee game is on the road, the article is wrong. The SEC nor does any so called Power 5 play it's broadcast rights games on CBSSN.

 

[Big East Fa]

Now imagine what it is going to look like when all those AAC games are on ESPN+ produced by the schools....

I watch some Horizon League basketball on espn3/ESPN+, the broadcast are of the style of 1995. Yuck.