Maybe we'll get a bump in tix sales for Temple

[Doggie Style]

Looks like ESPN finds our product less than appealing....... This could help our attendance at home against Temple, but if they DO drop the USF / Louisville games and they're not picked up by SNY, I'll b PI$$ED!!!!!!

http://www.theuconnblog.com/2012/10/1/3438888/uconn-temple-tv-football-espn-sny

 

[ZooCougar]

Just wait till that vaunted Memphis/Temple matchup next season. That game may have to be played in secret. $13 million per school my ass......

 

[Husky25]

"Plus, the unfortunate souls who live under the thumb of the tyrant James Dolan will be blocked out entirely."

This is not entirely true. I understand that Mr. Porter probably cannot publish it due to liabiliy and whatnot, but there are ways to see the game if you do not get ESPN3. "Internet" and "Exclusive" is almost a contradiction. If the game is going to broadcast on Internet only, (An)other website(s) may be broadcasting the game as well, the names of which have been published as recently as two weeks ago on the Boneyard. Better yet, make the trip up to East Hartford. I ain't like the game is being played in Kallamazoo.

 

[phillionaire]

yeah and maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt

 

[businesslawyer]

Looks like ESPN finds our product less than appealing[/url]

See -- that's looking to be pessimistic beyond any cause. ESPN could have not taken the game at all, in which case we would be playing at 3:30 on SNY. ESPN has passed on other UConn conference games, and we've been on SNY. The fact that they're taking it as an exclusive on ESPN3 is actually a statement that the game has value to ESPN that is causing it not to sell the rights to SNY.

So I get that you'd rather have it on the air -- so would I -- but you're reading ESPN's call the exact opposite way.

 

[IMind]

I certainly hope the Big East doesn't sign a deal with NBC Sports... The NBC Sports channel is so much worse than this wonderful coverage ESPN is giving us.

 

[ZooCougar]

See -- that's looking to be pessimistic beyond any cause. ESPN could have not taken the game at all, in which case we would be playing at 3:30 on SNY. ESPN has passed on other UConn conference games, and we've been on SNY. The fact that they're taking it as an exclusive on ESPN3 is actually a statement that the game has value to ESPN that is causing it not to sell the rights to SNY.

So I get that you'd rather have it on the air -- so would I -- but you're reading ESPN's call the exact opposite way.

It's that or for the conspiracy theorists among us, they are burying us on their obscure and arcane internet channel to to deprive us of exposure.

 

[IMind]

FWIW... the only reason I have ESPN3 from my cable company is that they made the Temple/Penn State game a few years ago an ESPN3 exclusive. (I live in eastern PA) I'm pretty sure if they just had CFL games and SWAC games on there it wouldn't exactly drive demand.

 

[Doggie Style]

See -- that's looking to be pessimistic beyond any cause. ESPN could have not taken the game at all, in which case we would be playing at 3:30 on SNY. ESPN has passed on other UConn conference games, and we've been on SNY. The fact that they're taking it as an exclusive on ESPN3 is actually a statement that the game has value to ESPN that is causing it not to sell the rights to SNY.

So I get that you'd rather have it on the air -- so would I -- but you're reading ESPN's call the exact opposite way.

So I understand your point, it just seems that being diminished to an Internet broadcast is like saying: "yeah, I think you're good looking but I will only go to the prom with you if these 5 other chix turn me down! I'm sure the game will be picked up and we will b able to watch it, but it would be nice to get some definitive broadcasts in advance. Winning on Sat will change all of that however. I don't think I'm being pessimistic, hell, based on whats on this board I'm one of the biggest optimists on the planet.

 

[ZooCougar]

So I understand your point, it just seems that being diminished to an Internet broadcast is like saying: "yeah, I think you're good looking but I will only go to the prom with you if these 5 other chix turn me down! I'm sure the game will be picked up and we will b able to watch it, but it would be nice to get some definitive broadcasts in advance. Winning on Sat will change all of that however. I don't think I'm being pessimistic, hell, based on whats on this board I'm one of the biggest optimists on the planet.

To me it means that they can't make enough money selling ads, or get enough exposure for the agencies that bought ad time for that block to justify broadcasting it. I'm wondering how much money SNY has to spend in order to buy it from ESPN, or if that is even how it works.

 

[businesslawyer]

To me it means that they can't make enough money selling ads, or get enough exposure for the agencies that bought ad time for that block to justify broadcasting it. I'm wondering how much money SNY has to spend in order to buy it from ESPN, or if that is even how it works.

ESPN keeps a certain number of games from a number of conferences to drive demand for ESPN3. I wish the game was on the air, but you can not devalue our product by virtue of ESPN wanting to show the game on the 3 instead of passing on it.

 

[mattp]

I think ESPN is battling Cablevision more than the BE with these. I think they're being selective in which games they put on ESPN3 in that they're targeting areas whose cable companies don't carry ESPN3. I don't work in TV and have no idea who carries them and who doesn't, but that's how I would do it. If they don't carry ESPN3 in Iowa, the easiest way to get it there is to put the Iowa/ISU game on there. They want to get it on Connecticut area cable companies they have to put UConn games there. It might be an interesting case study to see which teams are getting pushed into ESPN3 exclusive versus who their dominant cable company is and if they don't carry ESPN3. I bet there would be a lot of overlap

 

[Doggie Style]

To me it means that they can't make enough money selling ads, or get enough exposure for the agencies that bought ad time for that block to justify broadcasting it. I'm wondering how much money SNY has to spend in order to buy it from ESPN, or if that is even how it works.

This is how I'm looking at it as well. Not so much for Temple because I'm at all the home game, but down the line for Louisville and USF where we have had some epic games with them over the years. It would seem that there would be a draw for these games in terms of ratings, but if they don't broadcast them I guess there isn't.... Who knows?

 

[Doggie Style]

ESPN keeps a certain number of games from a number of conferences to drive demand for ESPN3. I wish the game was on the air, but you can not devalue our product by virtue of ESPN wanting to show the game on the 3 instead of passing on it.

I would like to see what the provisions are in the SNY contract that covers this specific issue.

 

[Doggie Style]

I would like to see what the provisions are in the SNY contract that covers this specific issue.

You would think that there are provisions in the Big East / ESPN contract that would allow the league to protect its teams from being pushed down to ESPN3, rather than being allowed to be picked up by regional carriers.

 

[businesslawyer]

You would think that there are provisions in the Big East / ESPN contract that would allow the league to protect its teams from being pushed down to ESPN3, rather than being allowed to be picked up by regional carriers.

We could have accepted less money from ESPN and bargained for that. I think the goal with the last contract was to maximize revenue. Exposure, while you may now want to second guess it, was also up under this contract compared to the last one.

 

[IMind]

You would think that there are provisions in the Big East / ESPN contract that would allow the league to protect its teams from being pushed down to ESPN3, rather than being allowed to be picked up by regional carriers.

I think it works the other way around. ESPN has provisions so they can keep it exclusively on ESPN3 vs. it being picked up by a regional carrier.

 

[Waquoit]

We could have accepted less money from ESPN and bargained for that. I think the goal with the last contract was to maximize revenue. Exposure, while you may now want to second guess it, was also up under this contract compared to the last one.

True. Having games on ESPN3 was touted as a big deal when the contract was signed. Now that it turns out to have some exclusivity, it's not as attractive. Of course, I have no sympathy for anyone living within 50 miles of 06118.

 

[Carl Spackler]

ESPN successfully used UConn athletics in the past to drive ESPNU to a lower cost broadcasting tier on most systems - big battle with Comcast. ESPNU, when it was started - was essentially in the same boat, that NBCsports channel is in right now. (actually nbcsports channel is in a much better position right now, than espnu was - not so many years ago.) ESPN internally, was having serious discussions about whether or not they were going to shut ESPNU down or not. They committed to making it grow - and wouldn'tcha know it - just like 1979, when the whole thing started - what market, and product did they go after to start it rolling? UCONN.

Anybody think that NBC sports isn't aware of that? That interest in UCONN is going to drive people to re-evaluate their cable systems in this region.

And on another note, I don't think there's another area of the entire country, where the battling among different broadcasting companies is as deep as it is around here. You've got AT&T, Comcast, Optimum, Direct TV, Dish, and on down the line, and they've all successfully keptverizon FIOS out of most of the densely populated regions, and verizon wants in.

 

[Carl Spackler]

As for the bump in ticket sales? I expect a bump, but that's because and Addazio coached team from philly - Temple, is coming to play UConn, and it's homecoming day. Not because the game is on ESPN3. I think our sales would have been a hell of a lot better if it was WVU coming into town as it should have been, but that just emphasizes the importance of future out of conference scheduling. I have no idea if WVU would be interested in continuing a series - but hot damn, Warde better be on it.

 

[huskypantz]

There's nothing exclusive about ESPN3. There are websites that will broadcast these games. The broadcast quality of the WestMich game was better through another site than through espn3.

 

[whaler11]

This stuff isn't new. If you remember when ESPN2 launched they put Carolina and Duke on to a major outcry - what 17-18 years ago?

Pretty much if you want ESPN3 you can get it. I'm not sure what the big problem is - it's much more annoying when it's a road game.

 

[mattp]

Like mentioned above a few years ago we were all ticked when they put us on ESPNU. Now that's moved up the food chain and we're complaining about being on ESPN3, but one thing we can't take for granted is that I've been able to watch every UConn football game in recent memory. Some people like to hate on ESPN (I'm certainly not crazy about them), but I can't really complain about their airing of our games. Most people that want to watch the game can do so with relatively little inconvenience. I'd love to be on ESPN, but I'm also a realist and know more often than not (if ever) we're not the most desirable game.

 

[businesslawyer]

There's nothing exclusive about ESPN3. There are websites that will broadcast these games. The broadcast quality of the WestMich game was better through another site than through espn3.

Well, it is the exclusive legal internet broadcast. The other sites that you can watch on are illegally pirating the feed.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Well, it is the exclusive legal internet broadcast. The other sites that you can watch on are illegally pirating the feed.

I would have expected a lawyer to have stated something along the lines of :

"Well, it is the exclusive legal internet broadcast. If there are other sites that you can watch on they are likely illegally porating the feed."