New AAC TV deal provides more money to ECU, but also challenges

[ScottVib]

I suspect they’ll find someway to keep the dollars overall similar (on a per team basis) but play some games with the length or content guarantees (more E+ content, less guaranteed linear access) to keep the network happy while allowing the league to save face.

 

[uchusky32]

UConn’s name recognition supported the American through its early years. How much it still does we are about to find out.

This to well be a moving target. Based on now downward. But if basketball becomes prominent again there will be an opportunity cost long term first the AAC. The question will be would it have happen if we stayed in the AAC.

 

[ZooCougar]

Only 300k to produce for +? That seems really low.

 

[UConnRock]

Revival of the UConn men’s program under Hurley was certainly part of the full negotiations, as was a bunch of women’s games. Yes, football dominates, but ESPN still needs programming in the winter and UConn was projected to provide a decent chunk of that AAC programming. I agree that the full payout to the remaining AAC schools will not drop dramatically as the pie is being sliced into fewer pieces, but the desire for ESPN to air AAC basketball on ESPN or ESPN2 will take a hit. I don’t see ESPN putting all its eggs in the Memphis hoops basket.

 

[UCFBfan]

I didn't realize how much the schools would need to provide in terms of setup for all of the ESPN+ content. The studio, the commentators who are neutral, etc? This wouldn't be as easy as bringing in the SNY crew, they'd need to be neutral. Plus it's need to look professional. No way it costs 300k a year. That part alone is a wasted cost. Now imagine needing a separate crew for men's and women's bball.

I agree with others that the numbers might go down a little. However, it won't be much or enough to really make any impact. The AAC is cheap ESPN+ content. Why lower the price too much and risk pushing them away?

However, we made the right move for multiple reasons. If SNY steps up and takes on our football games, we're in great shape

 

[Bongo Fury]

The AAC is a great conference but nobody cares

 

[Husky25]

I didn't realize how much the schools would need to provide in terms of setup for all of the ESPN+ content. The studio, the commentators who are neutral, etc? This wouldn't be as easy as bringing in the SNY crew, they'd need to be neutral. Plus it's need to look professional. No way it costs 300k a year. That part alone is a wasted cost. Now imagine needing a separate crew for men's and women's bball.

I agree with others that the numbers might go down a little. However, it won't be much or enough to really make any impact. The AAC is cheap ESPN+ content. Why lower the price too much and risk pushing them away?

However, we made the right move for multiple reasons. If SNY steps up and takes on our football games, we're in great shape

The contract should be reduced by at least $83,333,333.33 over the life of the deal, contingent upon adding another member.

(Not mad) Aresco will argue that UConn brought little in terms of football. He wouldn't be wrong if only ESPN only valued football. ESPN values content. Also, it must be noted that the AAC loses their CCG after 2021 and ESPN will argue that, similar to the P5, no other reasonable replacement brings as much value on the whole as UConn.

 

[businesslawyer]

Wouldn't it be normal somewhere in the negotiation for AAC officials to have gotten a team by team, program by program breakdown of what ESPN was paying the AAC?

This is way outside my specialty but having had to bid a few proposals and viewed some contracts with multiple it would seem odd for the AAC office to just get a check from ESPN without knowing how the individuals teams added up to the final total.

ESPN may have determined what they would pay based on value of different schools and/or programs, but this was not a "pick and choose" where they said what they would pay for each school and the AAC could take or leave each one. They provided the AAC with a number.

I think there seems to be blame to the AAC that isn't warranted here. Without question UConn's programs were probably worth more to ESPN than, say, Tulsa's. But the schools were always splitting the conference TV monies equally, like most other conferences. So yes, UConn may have been paid less than the fair market value of its games, but so is Ohio State and Michigan and Florida and UCLA. Guess what. When we move to the Big EAst, our women's basketball program is going to be worth more to ESPN than everyone else's in our conference combined, and we're still only going to get our pro rata share of the value of it.

 

[businesslawyer]

Only 300k to produce for +? That seems really low.

Doesn't sound low to me. You can easily hire young announcers to call events for just a few hundred per game (probably less). Folks in production get union hourly wages, but they start at $15 an hour or so. If $300k divided by 45 events is roughly $6700 per event, that doesn't strike me as impossible.

 

[Husky25]

ESPN may have determined what they would pay based on value of different schools and/or programs, but this was not a "pick and choose" where they said what they would pay for each school and the AAC could take or leave each one. They provided the AAC with a number.

I think there seems to be blame to the AAC that isn't warranted here. Without question UConn's programs were probably worth more to ESPN than, say, Tulsa's. But the schools were always splitting the conference TV monies equally, like most other conferences. So yes, UConn may have been paid less than the fair market value of its games, but so is Ohio State and Michigan and Florida and UCLA. Guess what. When we move to the Big EAst, our women's basketball program is going to be worth more to ESPN than everyone else's in our conference combined, and we're still only going to get our pro rata share of the value of it.

FOX, but everything else is reasonable.

 

[businesslawyer]

Fox.

Fair enough.

 

[Waquoit]

UConn’s name recognition supported the American through its early years.

The fact that the rest of the AAC never never admitted makes it easy to root against them all. Except Cincy.

 

[HoopsHype34]

The AAC is a great conference but nobody cares

Commisioner Aresco is that you?

It's a Frankenstein Conference that nobody likes even the schools in it.

 

[billybud]

Hard to figure ESPN...when the Big 12 lost Nebraska, TAMU, Colorado, and Missouri....the mothership didn't lower the contract amount.

The individual payout to Big 12 schools went up by going to 10 teams from 12.

Always wondered why they did not activate the standard language in all of their contracts that allows for renegotiating if a conference loses a member/s.

 

[HoopsHype34]

Hard to figure ESPN...when the Big 12 lost Nebraska, TAMU, Colorado, and Missouri....the mothership didn't lower the contract amount.

The individual payout to Big 12 schools went up by going to 10 teams from 12.

Always wondered why they did not activate the standard language in all of their contracts that allows for renegotiating if a conference loses a member/s.

If those teams they feel don't bring value no need. Since we bring value hello renegotiation!!!

 

[billybud]

If those teams they feel don't bring value no need. Since we bring value hello renegotiation!!!

The Big Ten and SEC thought some of those teams brought value...enough so that the B1G and SEC negotiated the largest media contracts after aquisition.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Hard to figure ESPN...when the Big 12 lost Nebraska, TAMU, Colorado, and Missouri....the mothership didn't lower the contract amount.

The individual payout to Big 12 schools went up by going to 10 teams from 12.

Always wondered why they did not activate the standard language in all of their contracts that allows for renegotiating if a conference loses a member/s.

Texas and Oklahoma are the draw and why they didn’t care about the others leaving. ESPN has a channel devoted to Texas.

 

[Waquoit]

The AAC is a great conference but nobody cares

I agree except for that first part.