New AAC ESPN Contract Value Poll

[Guapo]

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 +.

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

 

[whaler11]

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

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.

 

[JMick]

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.

Do you think half of them know how to get on the internet?

 

[Guapo]

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.

What’s your new prediction?

 

[uconnyankee]

If it’s less than Big East money (no way IMO) the drop football drum will beat very loudly.

Thinking same thing.
Very hopeful that, if nothing else the deal is such that any discussion to join BE is over.

 

[whaler11]

What’s your new prediction?

6/6.5 I guess

I do know everytime I start buying into boneyard optimism it gets immediately slapped down by reality

 

[8893]

What’s your new prediction?

 

[JMick]

I do know everytime I start buying into boneyard optimism it gets immediately slapped down by reality

If that isn't the most salient statement I've read today then I don't know what is.

 

[CL82]

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.

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.

 

[CL82]

If that isn't the most salient statement I've read today then I don't know what is.

Chuckle, not salient at all. Kind of poignant though.

 

[whaler11]

Chuckle, not salient at all. Kind of poignant though.

forgive him. he meant accurate.

 

[JMick]

Chuckle, not salient at all. Kind of poignant though.

I guess it's also poignant but for my own mental health I think it's important to remember that we get our hopes up all the time and then go crazy when things don't work out

 

[ConnHuskBask]

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.

Aresco is happy because he's been getting a cool million a year from the AAC for years now.

Or roughly half of what our entire athletic department takes home in TV money from ESPN.

 

[CL82]

Aresco is happy because he's been getting a cool million a year from the AAC for years now.

Or roughly half of what our entire athletic department takes home in TV money from ESPN.

When your commissioner is essentially getting the same payout as a member school (and he was for a while) you know something is very wrong.

 

[superjohn]

I guess it's also poignant but for my own mental health I think it's important to remember that we get our hopes up all the time and then go crazy when things don't work out

Exactly, always expect the worst and it always turns out even worse than expected.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

When your commissioner is essentially getting the same payout as a member school (and he was for a while) you know something is very wrong.

But just like Prez Herbst, Warde, AD Dave, and Diaco they all "got it" per the Boneyard based off quote or tweet they said one time.

 

[CL82]

Exactly, always expect the worst and it always turns out even worse than expected.

So true. No matter how you protect yourself somehow the eventual kick always gets through.

 

[intlzncster]

I guess it's also poignant but for my own mental health I think it's important to remember that we get our hopes up all the time and then go crazy when things don't work out

How that hasn't been beaten out of most over the past few years is beyond me. But we need the casual fan, so I'm not complaining.

 

[Slasher]

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 +.

People keep saying this, but think about this: what are you going to put on the regular ESPN channels if not the American? Remember, the AAC is already on those channels (with some sub-leased to CBSSN.) Also remember, there's going to be 10-15 ACC games a week now on the ACC Network, so those come completely off the ESPN family of networks. Are they going to go out and bid for a bigger share of the MWC (nope - wrong time zone - no viewership.) The MAC? A-10? None of those conferences are going to get contracts - and all the power conferences are locked up for a while. The best option to keep live content on ESPN family is to keep the AAC, even if it comes at a much higher price.

 

[Towney007]

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.

That's not entirely how it works. That's a portion of the audience, but it says nothing about not only the quality of the audience, but also the desire for advertisers to want to purchase that space and purchase it on which platform (ESPN, ESPN 2, +, etc).

It's worth what they're confident they can churn in advertising profit.

 

[Guapo]

That's not entirely how it works. That's a portion of the audience, but it says nothing about not only the quality of the audience, but also the desire for advertisers to want to purchase that space and purchase it on which platform (ESPN, ESPN 2, +, etc).

It's worth what they're confident they can churn in advertising profit.

For what it’s worth, college sports audiences tend to be viewed as “more desirable” because they tend to be college educated (duh) and thus have more spending power.

It’s why you’ll see a lot more advertisements for investment services and the like when watching a college FB or BB game as opposed to when watching NFL or NBA games.

 

[Palatine]

Sports are becoming more valuable every year because they are (mostly) watched live. Live means (mostly) no fast forward during the commercials. Sports are highly perishable and increases in sports gambling make them even more important in the moment. This gives sports a big advantage over episodial television and streaming.

ESPN is killing in the key demo (18-34) and it needs promotable live content to continue to do so. The trend is in the AAC's favor.

 

[Mano]

People keep saying this, but think about this: what are you going to put on the regular ESPN channels if not the American? Remember, the AAC is already on those channels (with some sub-leased to CBSSN.) Also remember, there's going to be 10-15 ACC games a week now on the ACC Network, so those come completely off the ESPN family of networks. Are they going to go out and bid for a bigger share of the MWC (nope - wrong time zone - no viewership.) The MAC? A-10? None of those conferences are going to get contracts - and all the power conferences are locked up for a while. The best option to keep live content on ESPN family is to keep the AAC, even if it comes at a much higher price.

This is the salient point I was coming here to make. Those motherfcukers need something to put on their channels. All the major conferences either want to or already have a network of their own, whether they are backed by ESPN or not. If they truly had any vision they'd know that destroying schools like us will just deplete even further from the inventory they can choose from.

Why can't we get a UConn loyal alum somewhere on the inside at ESPN??? It's just your job, think about your alma mater!! Screw all those Newhouse dipwads!

 

[zls44]

Why can't we get a UConn loyal alum somewhere on the inside at ESPN???

If only!

 

[Mano]

If only!

It is you, yes ZLS? I knew we had one, but couldn't remember who exactly.