Matt Brown: Big East may not renew with Fox

[aburks41]

I’d be interested in a turner package with TBS/TNT/HBO.

But IMO I think the Big East is going to end up with ESPN. The linear package only deals are a thing of the past. It’s inevitable that these games are going to end up on a service like ESPN plus which is sad.

In a perfect world it would be great to have a FOX/ESPN split deal.

Like @Storrs South said on twitter, having a halftime show with Shaq and Chuck on TNT would be hilarious

 

[Rico444]

Like @Storrs South said on twitter, having a halftime show with Shaq and Chuck on TNT would be hilarious

If it's anything like their coverage during the NCAA Tournament, then no thanks. Chuck in particular doesn't seem to put much effort into getting to know about the teams. I don't really blame him, because he covers the NBA full-time, which is why I don't expect that team to handle college basketball coverage even if they got the package.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

So basically as with everything media related and UConn we're going to get .

 

[Jaydumo20]

It's amazing how some Yarders know so much about TV rights/deals/network capabilities. I learn a lot in very bite sized fashion. We have a very knowledgeable fan base. I appreciate you.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Dang. As an out-of-state fan, I really enjoy the fact that our games are reliably getting national coverage on FS1 (a channel I get!) or better.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

Is Tier 3 rights still a thing? I wonder if the conference would get any added value by selling those separately, maybe to RSNs. Would love to see some of the smaller matchups on SNY for example and it would surely be better than ESPN+ or FOXsports GO

 

[nomar]

A condition of any BE media deal must include the rights to "Roundball Rock".

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Is Tier 3 rights still a thing? I wonder if the conference would get any added value by selling those separately, maybe to RSNs. Would love to see some of the smaller matchups on SNY for example and it would surely be better than ESPN+ or FOXsports GO

Fox owns them I believe and sells them to places like CBS sports network. Fox keeps the $.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

curious, why is espn+ seen as so awful (other than the obvious espn sucks)? I feel like just about any family in the country with kids has the disney+ package with disney/hulu/espn+ so it'd make it pretty readily available to a lot of folks - sports junkies with kids who have to have Bluey on the big screen while watching the games on their phones. I don't have cable and basically can't watch any games short of finding pirated links on reddit if I feel so inclined. espn+ would actually be great for me since I'd actually get to watch more games again.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Dang. As an out-of-state fan, I really enjoy the fact that our games are reliably getting national coverage on FS1 (a channel I get!) or better.

Same. I’m an out-of-state streamer and when I log into Hulu, I love seeing the Husky logo pop right up on my home screen when there is an upcoming game. Hopefully they work something out.

 

[upstater]

What do you mean calling it a discovery type channel?

Great American Bake-off type shows, reality TV, etc. Spending at HBO is being curtailed over the next year. It will look more like Paramount or Peacock when all is said and done.

 

[Chief00]

i am just not a fan of espn these days. I loved working there, but I don’t find them committed to college hoops like Fox is journalistically.

They like duke, Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan state and Kansas; everything else doesn’t “rate.”

Fox has so much better content surrounding the games. If you follow a big east team, you don’t want an acc feature at the half.

ESPN is getting out of the journalism business.

So true.

 

[Jaydumo20]

@huskiesNhoos I'm with you. I'm assuming people think that the espn broadcasters are bad. That's what I gather. But I don't care who is calling the game. As long as I can watch it without illegally streaming it.



I live in Nashville and have youtube TV as well though, and it's been nice to have every game access through fox.

 

[shizzle787]

@huskiesNhoos I'm with you. I'm assuming people think that the espn broadcasters are bad. That's what I gather. But I don't care who is calling the game. As long as I can watch it without illegally streaming it.



I live in Nashville and have youtube TV as well though, and it's been nice to have every game access through fox.

As long as all of our games are on national linear TV, I’m good.

 

[dogpause]

Content is King because there are now so many networks. sports provides lots of content at a relatively affordable price while producing a sought after male audience. Advertisers also like sports because viewers don't channel surf as much during commercials. The Big East will have not trouble landing a lucrative contract. The only negative is the potential for a recession, which kills advertising sales.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Oh gotcha, and fox corp is the remainders of Fox after the Disney acquisition. I always wondered why ESPN and Fox would be bidding against themselves (that explains it, they weren’t lol)

Disney largely bought the 21st Century Fox movie studio and catalogue, the FX tv channel, National Geographic Channel, the Fox stake in Hulu (adding to the stake ABC already had). 21st Century Fox had the rights to X-Men, Fantastic 4, Deadpool and the original Star Wars. So naturally, Disney wanted those. They then bought out the NBC stake in Hulu.

 

[CL82]

curious, why is espn+ seen as so awful (other than the obvious espn sucks)? I feel like just about any family in the country with kids has the disney+ package with disney/hulu/espn+ so it'd make it pretty readily available to a lot of folks - sports junkies with kids who have to have Bluey on the big screen while watching the games on their phones. I don't have cable and basically can't watch any games short of finding pirated links on reddit if I feel so inclined. espn+ would actually be great for me since I'd actually get to watch more games again.

ESPN plus is largely school produced so there is a lot of variation of the quality of the broadcast. Some of it looks like local access coverage of a high school game. In addition to that you get dramatically less eyeballs on Internet access only. It’s a bad thing. It may just be a bad thing that will have to accept eventually, though.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

curious, why is espn+ seen as so awful (other than the obvious espn sucks)? I feel like just about any family in the country with kids has the disney+ package with disney/hulu/espn+ so it'd make it pretty readily available to a lot of folks - sports junkies with kids who have to have Bluey on the big screen while watching the games on their phones. I don't have cable and basically can't watch any games short of finding pirated links on reddit if I feel so inclined. espn+ would actually be great for me since I'd actually get to watch more games again.

Anything behind a paywall is going to be detrimental to UConn, or any sports property for that matter.

 

[dennismenace]

Under Storrs south twitter above:

Advice from
@MattBrownEP
: "Don't panic, but be prepared that your stuff may not be on FOX in 4-5 years"

4 or 5 years? That is so far into the future in this world that it almost isn't even worth speculating about. The entire landscape could change in any year with P5 and ?, future of the NCAA etc. If it's that far away it's nothing more than posturing for negotiations at this point.

 

[dennismenace]

ESPN plus is largely school produced so there is a lot of variation of the quality of the broadcast. Some of it looks like local access coverage of a high school game. In addition to that you get dramatically less eyeballs on Internet access only. It’s a bad thing. It may just be a bad thing that will have to accept eventually, though.

Hopefully where we are going will increase our brand and if this deal eventually sucks then it will be time to leave the Big East and find a greener pasture.

 

[Greedo]

curious, why is espn+ seen as so awful (other than the obvious espn sucks)? I feel like just about any family in the country with kids has the disney+ package with disney/hulu/espn+ so it'd make it pretty readily available to a lot of folks - sports junkies with kids who have to have Bluey on the big screen while watching the games on their phones. I don't have cable and basically can't watch any games short of finding pirated links on reddit if I feel so inclined. espn+ would actually be great for me since I'd actually get to watch more games again.

No one watches games on ESPN+ outside of fans of those teams. I have ESPN+ to watch Islanders games. I don't watch any other teams. If I'm looking for a random college basketball game I never think to look at ESPN+. I turn on YouTube TV and see what games are on. If we make a deal with ESPN, we are definitely going to ESPN+. The Big 12 has games there.

It would be the same issue (probably worse) with any other streaming service. No thanks to Apple, Amazon, or HBO. The Big East would be forgotten. Staying with Fox where all of our games are national broadcasts is the best route. I would rather less money from Fox to stay with our current situation.

 

[superjohn]

What makes you say that?

Because UConn basketball is too valuable a property that they won't bury their games on something nobody watches.

 

[CL82]

Because UConn basketball is too valuable a property that they won't bury their games on something nobody watches.

Agree, but the vast majority of Big East games would be on plus including the less desirable Connecticut games.

 

[Hurleyman216]

Might be a good time for UConn to start their own network (similar to what Texas did). We have the brand value and eyeballs. It’s one aggressive way to force The BIG to add UConn by showing our media value as a standalone entity. Sounds crazy but just might work

 

[Jbirdp5]

Great American Bake-off type shows, reality TV, etc. Spending at HBO is being curtailed over the next year. It will look more like Paramount or Peacock when all is said and done.

surprising to hear with all the big budget highly successful shows they produce and feature