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Message: [QUOTE="pj, post: 1028020, member: 2524"] It's really a way to increase the number of cable channels. You can only charge so much for ESPN3, ESPN4, ESPN5 before cable systems refuse and the ESPN brand gets diluted; but if you call ESPN4 the SEC Network and ESPN5 the ACC Network, you can sell it at a premium regionally, since fans of the conference will say, I have to have that channel.... So by dividing its content into channels with regional appeal, ESPN can increase its revenue by (a) splitting its inventory into a larger number of channels and (b) drawing higher channel fees using regional marketing based on regional conference allegiances. The game stops when inventory becomes too thin to support all the channels. As long as ESPN and ESPN2 and ESPNU have enough content, ESPN gains by splitting off other content into new branded channels. [/QUOTE]