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.
