New AAC ESPN Contract Value Poll | Page 7 | The Boneyard

New AAC ESPN Contract Value Poll

What will be the per school annual value of the purported new AAC deal with ESPN

  • Slightly less than we are getting now. ($1M - $2M)

  • About what we are getting now ($2M)

  • Well it's a good deal so ... uh twice what we are getting now. ($3M-$4M)

  • >$4M but < $10M

  • $10M

  • >$10M but < $15M

  • SEC money

Results are only viewable after voting.
How the country views the American, UConn and most other programs is entirely determined by ESPN. If they want people to respect the American, they can just tell them they should.
 
Last edited:
If it’s less than Big East money (no way IMO) the drop football drum will beat very loudly.
 
HawkHusky said:
2018 AAC football conference controlled games got 26.96% of the viewers of Big 12 conference controlled games. Each Big 12 school (minus Texas) makes $34.8 million in TV $.

2018 AAC football conference controlled games got 39.4% of the viewers of PAC conference controlled games. Each PAC school makes $30.9 million in TV $.

Big 12: 26.96% of $34.8 million is $9.3 million. PAC: 39.4% of $30.9 million is $12.1 million.

TV rating comps say we are worth $9 to $12 million.
Expand ...

You’d have to think that Aresco probably opens negotiation by asking for full retail based on the above info, so 12 mil. ESPN ain’t paying retail, so they counter with, say, 4-5 mil. I can see them settling at somewhere between 6-8 mil/team.
 
Guapo said:
You’d have to think that Aresco probably opens negotiation by asking for full retail based on the above info, so 12 mil. ESPN ain’t paying retail, so they counter with, say, 4-5 mil. I can see them settling at somewhere between 6-8 mil/team.
Expand ...

Aresco would ask for more than $12 if he's a skilled negotiator. He's knows the true value and growth potential and knows ESPN is going to try to keep the number as low as possible. Aresco also knows ESPN needs content so losing the AAC could cause them to scramble to get the content needed to fill all their slots.

I voted for the $4-10 range but based on the comments/ lack of I think they might have hit ther $10 mark or done better
 
.-.
methodology said:
Aresco would ask for more than $12 if he's a skilled negotiator. He's knows the true value and growth potential and knows ESPN is going to try to keep the number as low as possible. Aresco also knows ESPN needs content so losing the AAC could cause them to scramble to get the content needed to fill all their slots.

I voted for the $4-10 range but based on the comments/ lack of I think they might have hit ther $10 mark or done better
Expand ...

Hey man, I hope you’re right but there’s really no reason for ESPN to overpay unless they truly believe that the AAC is the foundation that they’re going to build ESPN+ upon.
 
BFieldHusky said:
I could be totally wrong, but the fact that they agreed to a deal in the exclusive period makes me think they did well here. Otherwise, why not at least go out and look if there are other offers out there?
Expand ...
Agreed. Of course it is possible that saw what happened when the Big East did just that and ESPN ordered a hit on them....
 
While the league was dealt a poor hand, Aresco/AAC's major failure to date was expanding to 12 teams in order to have a conference title game in football when a) the title game $ wasn't going to cover the extra mouths to feed b) the Big12 since made the 12 team requirement void.

I think ESPN has a number for the AAC and that whether we negotiated as a 9 team league or a 12 team league including Tulane, Tulsa and ECU the total amount is probably close to the same. So while Aresco has a chance to make good on his time as commissioner garnering a nice tv deal, those early mistakes are always going to come back to bite us when the per team payouts are lower than what we'd hope.
 
.-.
ConnHuskBask said:
While the league was dealt a poor hand, Aresco/AAC's major failure to date was expanding to 12 teams in order to have a conference title game in football when a) the title game $ wasn't going to cover the extra mouths to feed b) the Big12 since made the 12 team requirement void.

I think ESPN has a number for the AAC and that whether we negotiated as a 9 team league or a 12 team league including Tulane, Tulsa and ECU the total amount is probably close to the same. So while Aresco has a chance to make good on his time as commissioner garnering a nice tv deal, those early mistakes are always going to come back to bite us when the per team payouts are lower than what we'd hope.
Expand ...

I honestly have no issue with Tulane being in the conference. Tulsa and ECU...yikes.
 
Guapo said:
Well the glass half empty people would say that there were no other legitimate options out there and ESPN and the conference knew that.
Expand ...
Again the actual value will be an indicator of whether ESPN values our league as a content generator. Maybe a little bit about whether they care if UConn games end up on Fox.
 
Guapo said:
I honestly have no issue with Tulane being in the conference. Tulsa and ECU...yikes.
Expand ...

I have the exact opposite take.

Tulsa hoops has a little redeeming value making the NCAAT from time to time. ECU Football usually has some redeeming value with good fan support and they get games with Va Tech, UNC, etc. occasionally.

Tulane athletics has literally no redeeming value in success, facilities, or fanbase.
 
CL82 said:
Again the actual value will be an indicator of whether ESPN values our league as a content generator. Maybe a little bit about whether they care if UConn games end up on Fox.
Expand ...

Do we have any indication that Fox or NBC or whomever had any interest?

In my view, this was a two way negotiation. The AAC said to ESPN “you need content; we have content, our content is worth ~14 million~” ESPN said “You need a platform, we have the world’s biggest, most recognizable platform. We recognize the value of your content and you’re welcome to house that content on Stadium or someplace obscure. Or, you can partner with us and grow your brand but, there’s obviously a cost for that.”
 
Guapo said:
Do we have any indication that Fox or NBC or whomever had any interest?

In my view, this was a two way negotiation. The AAC said to ESPN “you need content; we have content, our content is worth ~14 million~” ESPN said “You need a platform, we have the world’s biggest, most recognizable platform. We recognize the value of your content and you’re welcome to house that content on Stadium or someplace obscure. Or, you can partner with us and grow your brand but, there’s obviously a cost for that.”
Expand ...
My reference to Fox, was obliquely touching on the fact that a bad media deal for the American would be another factor favoring a UConn move to the New Big East.
 
ConnHuskBask said:
I have the exact opposite take.

Tulsa hoops has a little redeeming value making the NCAAT from time to time. ECU Football usually has some redeeming value with good fan support and they get games with Va Tech, UNC, etc. occasionally.

Tulane athletics has literally no redeeming value in success, facilities, or fanbase.
Expand ...

I see where you are coming from with ECU; I still don’t think they’re worth it, but I see your argument. Tulsa to me is just totally worthless. They can win basketball games but still won’t draw flies.

Tulane, on the hand, is one of the only “real schools” in this conference, along with UConn and SMU, where student actually compete to get in and live on campus. Furthermore, it has a rich and proud alumni base and actual sports history (it was a member of the SEC, which is crazy to think about). I believe that as soon as either their basketball or football teams has a whiff of success, that alumni base will rally around them as they do the baseball team.
 
.-.
Guapo said:
Do we have any indication that Fox or NBC or whomever had any interest?

In my view, this was a two way negotiation. The AAC said to ESPN “you need content; we have content, our content is worth ~14 million~” ESPN said “You need a platform, we have the world’s biggest, most recognizable platform. We recognize the value of your content and you’re welcome to house that content on Stadium or someplace obscure. Or, you can partner with us and grow your brand but, there’s obviously a cost for that.”
Expand ...

NBC doesn’t have any capacity. They going to put it on NBC Sports Gold? They have no way to monetize it.

Fox has a similar issue - they have 1&2 but little in the way of available capacity and their streaming is just their networks - there isn’t an OTT digitial aspect.

I’d be shocked if there isn’t a huge ESPN+ aspect to the deal. And if you enjoy the mid major bb tournaments, the vast majority of it is going to be on +.
 
CL82 said:
My reference to Fox, was obliquely touching on the fact that a bad media deal for the American would be another factor favoring a UConn move to the New Big East.
Expand ...

I kinda figured that’s what you meant, but I thought it illustrated a point that I wanted to make, which is that the fact that they agreed to terms in this window, to me, is indicative of a deal that makes both sides happy.

I just don’t think ESPN would be happy with a deal that pays the AAC more than 10 million per team. I think some in this thread may be setting themselves up for disappointment when the actual deal is announced.
 
whaler11 said:
NBC doesn’t have any capacity. They going to put it on NBC Sports Gold? They have no way to monetize it.

Fox has a similar issue - they have 1&2 but little in the way of available capacity and their streaming is just their networks - there isn’t an OTT digitial aspect.

I’d be shocked if there isn’t a huge ESPN+ aspect to the deal. And if you enjoy the mid major bb tournaments, the vast majority of it is going to be on +.
Expand ...

Right, I agree. I think this deal will end up being for more than the 4.25/team you predict but I think the 10 million or more some are thinking is a bit pie-in-the-skyish
 
Guapo said:
Right, I agree. I think this deal will end up being for more than the 4.25/team you predict but I think the 10 million or more some are thinking is a bit pie-in-the-skyish
Expand ...

based on the what weve seen the past few days i now think it will be higher than 4.25. but i also think it will have more espn+. like get ready for the lamentations of the wbb fans.
 
whaler11 said:
based on the what weve seen the past few days i now think it will be higher than 4.25. but i also think it will have more espn+. like get ready for the lamentations of the wbb fans.
Expand ...

What’s your new prediction?
 
.-.
Guapo said:
What’s your new prediction?
Expand ...

giphy.gif
 
Guapo said:
I kinda figured that’s what you meant, but I thought it illustrated a point that I wanted to make, which is that the fact that they agreed to terms in this window, to me, is indicative of a deal that makes both sides happy.

I just don’t think ESPN would be happy with a deal that pays the AAC more than 10 million per team. I think some in this thread may be setting themselves up for disappointment when the actual deal is announced.
Expand ...
No doubt. The Memphis pres is happy, but he's happy not getting Conf USA money. Aresco says he's happy, but really what do you expect him to say.

I'm cautiously optimistic that we distinguish ourselves from the rest of the G5.
 
Last edited:
JMick said:
If that isn't the most salient statement I've read today then I don't know what is.
Expand ...
Chuckle, not salient at all. Kind of poignant though.
 
.-.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,258
Messages
4,560,194
Members
10,448
Latest member
MillerLitEd


Top Bottom