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Here’s the thoughts on the deal from Manuel and it’s impact on UConn’s relationship with SNY:
The deal kicks in for football in 2014 and in men’s and women’s basketball next year. The Huskies’ relationship with SNY will be affected on the football side the most with 90 percent of the games set to go on a national network through ESPN. Football had five of 12 games on SNY this season, the other seven were on ESPN platforms including ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. As far as men’s basketball and women’s basketball, 63 percent of the new conferences games will be on national outlets in men’s basketball. The rest will likely be offered up to regional partners of the schools, such as SNY.
The women’s deal is different as ESPN is going to air at least 60 games this year of women’s basketball. UConn has a deal with SNY that promises a set number of games, 17 at a minimum according to the contract. How that works itself out is uncertain. The Huskies signed a 4-year $4.55 4-year deal for those games with SNY last spring. The big difference between the men’s/football deal and the women’s games is ESPN produced all the men’s and football games, and used SNY as a carrier. The women’s slate of games are produced by SNY.
“We are still working through the details,” UConn Director of Athletics Warde Manuel said. “We love the exposure on ESPN. There is more exposure in this contract with the league. How it’s going to work with men’s and women’s basketball and the exposure is still a work in progress.
“The contract is so new. We need time to look at the details…The important thing from our perspective is our fans of men’s and women’s basketball will see us and have access to our games.”
The deal kicks in for football in 2014 and in men’s and women’s basketball next year. The Huskies’ relationship with SNY will be affected on the football side the most with 90 percent of the games set to go on a national network through ESPN. Football had five of 12 games on SNY this season, the other seven were on ESPN platforms including ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. As far as men’s basketball and women’s basketball, 63 percent of the new conferences games will be on national outlets in men’s basketball. The rest will likely be offered up to regional partners of the schools, such as SNY.
The women’s deal is different as ESPN is going to air at least 60 games this year of women’s basketball. UConn has a deal with SNY that promises a set number of games, 17 at a minimum according to the contract. How that works itself out is uncertain. The Huskies signed a 4-year $4.55 4-year deal for those games with SNY last spring. The big difference between the men’s/football deal and the women’s games is ESPN produced all the men’s and football games, and used SNY as a carrier. The women’s slate of games are produced by SNY.
“ESPN has always had first access to women’s basketball games,” Manuel said. “The games they have not shown and produced have gone to SNY. The difference now is (ESPN) has a desire to do more women’s games in the package. They may pick up more games and it still needs to be worked through. That’s good for us and good for women’s basketball and good for the league.”