TV comparison - AAC vs. Big East (2018-2019)

[ecasadoSBU]

Sounds like something you get in Omaha.

Everyone has at least one FSN network in their cable service. FSN for me usually means TV: MSG+, NESN, YES Network

 

[JB75]

Thurs/Sun Games
AAC: 45
BE: 17

Weekend Games
AAC: 57% on Saturday
BE: 66% on Saturday

Villanova--the marquee team of the league--played only two Sunday conference games in 2018, five Sunday games in 2019. Hopefully that shifts back to more Saturday games.

College hoops has always been a Mon/Tues/Wed/Sat sport, along with the occasional marquee Sunday game. Thurs/Sun are the leftovers slots for crappy conferences and teams. We are likely never playing another Thursday in-conference game and that is fantastic.

Thursday nights have long been NBA on TNT night--typically the best matchups of the week. Sunday is of course for football. We are finally getting back to the college hoops norm.

Worst was a couple years ago when we had a home game at XL I believe against like east Carolina during the same time the AFC and NFC championship games were on. Or at least the divisionals -forgot but still ridiculous to be on same time as Sunday playoff nfl games. So glad we re back to normal college hoops times - Does this mean big Monday comes back? Not on Fox. But those were great espn Monday nights

 

[Fishy]

Worst was a couple years ago when we had a home game at XL I believe against like east Carolina during the same time the AFC and NFC championship games were on. Or at least the divisionals -forgot but still ridiculous to be on same time as Sunday playoff nfl games. So glad we re back to normal college hoops times - Does this mean big Monday comes back? Not on Fox. But those were great espn Monday nights

Monday is likely not happening.

Unfortunately, Sunday games will still be a thing.

But....I think we have a fighting chance at some Saturday games during the conference season and the ridiculous Thursday/Sunday rotation we were locked to for much of the season will not be a thing. We'll see a mix of Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

[UConnJim]

FS1 has the same average viewership as ESPNU, about 110k per game for men’s basketball. ESPN has 10x and ESPN2 has 3x the average viewership of FS1. FS1 is not a step up in media exposure for UConn men’s basketball. And, forget seeing highlights of the BE on Sports Center as the BE is an afterthought on the prime media outlet of college basketball.

The problem UConn has had with ESPN slots over the past 3 years has been driven by poor performance. If UConn was a top 15 team, the exposure on ESPN would have been better with the AAC contract. Why is this so hard to understand?

The main problem with UConn athletics has been bad coaching hires in football and men’s basketball. If Temple (Temple!) can turn around a football program that spends less money than UConn and was kicked out of the BE for lack of competitiveness, why hasn’t UConn been competitive? Was Kevin Ollie’s issues due to being in the AAC?

 

[Tenspro2002]

Was Kevin Ollie’s issues due to being in the AAC?

No.

 

[jibsey]

If the games are always regional on CBS or Fox does it matter how good a team we become? I would hope that the better we are the more national game exposure the games get. That’s what propelled us back in the day on ESPN.

 

[WrenchFan69]

FS1 has the same average viewership as ESPNU, about 110k per game for men’s basketball. ESPN has 10x and ESPN2 has 3x the average viewership of FS1. FS1 is not a step up in media exposure for UConn men’s basketball. And, forget seeing highlights of the BE on Sports Center as the BE is an afterthought on the prime media outlet of college basketball.

The problem UConn has had with ESPN slots over the past 3 years has been driven by poor performance. If UConn was a top 15 team, the exposure on ESPN would have been better with the AAC contract. Why is this so hard to understand?

The main problem with UConn athletics has been bad coaching hires in football and men’s basketball. If Temple (Temple!) can turn around a football program that spends less money than UConn and was kicked out of the BE for lack of competitiveness, why hasn’t UConn been competitive? Was Kevin Ollie’s issues due to being in the AAC?

FS1 has probably 15x the viewers ESPN+ does, which is where our games were headed

 

[upstater]

FS1 has probably 15x the viewers ESPN+ does, which is where our games were headed

Not really. The non+ ESPNs were still going to show AAC games. All the AAC games were not going to +

 

[WrenchFan69]

Not really. The non+ ESPNs were still going to show AAC games. All the AAC games were not going to +

You see where we've been playing? CBSSN/ESPNews games are going straight to ESPN+. We had a ton of those

 

[whaler11]

Everyone has at least one FSN network in their cable service. FSN for me usually means TV: MSG+, NESN, YES Network

You mean RSN (regional sports net)

FSN is Fox Sports Net branded RSNs - which just got sold

 

[upstater]

You see where we've been playing? CBSSN/ESPNews games are going straight to ESPN+. We had a ton of those

Right. But why did that happen?

When we were good, we were showcased among the top 6 teams in the country.

Look, that AAC-ESPN deal was fantastic for UConn, better than any P5 deals in any P5 conference. And then UConn started losing a lot, and then UConn got buried.

We went from 16 national games, to 14, to 13, to 5, 4, 5.

 

[Guapo]

ESPN may indeed be able to reopen the AAC deal:

Idle notes: AAC-ESPN, Golf TV deals, 2026 Olympics

UConn leaving for the Big East could send ESPN and the AAC back to the negotiating table. Also: news on PGA and LPGA Tour media rights.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

 

[CL82]

FS1 has probably 15x the viewers ESPN+ does, which is where our games were headed

Again if you need to compare ESPN's worst option to the FS best option to make your point, you don't have one. Lower exposure is the price we pay to get more regional games and get our T3 rights back. It is was it is.

 

[Big East Fa]

Also, could be some open slots as 2019-2020 season on FS1, is UFC free.

 

[VAHuskyFan]

ESPN may indeed be able to reopen the AAC deal:

Idle notes: AAC-ESPN, Golf TV deals, 2026 Olympics

UConn leaving for the Big East could send ESPN and the AAC back to the negotiating table. Also: news on PGA and LPGA Tour media rights.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

If this happens, it will highlight exactly how much we were getting screwed specifically by the most recent AAC media deal.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Again if you need to compare ESPN's worst option to the FS best option to make your point, you don't have one. Lower exposure is the price we pay to get more regional games and get our T3 rights back. It is was it is.

We don't even know that if it would be the case though given that ESPN+ is a complete unknown. All we do know is that nobody is paying $5/month to watch Tulsa and Tulane.

I'm sure a ranked UConn team would end up on ESPN2/U a few times, but UConn men's/women's basketball are the only two national names in the league and it's not hard to envision ESPN leveraging some of our marquee matchups behind a paywall to get subscribers.

 

[Point6]

Hopefully, we are going to hear that Fox has also promised to add even more/better TV exposure to the (hopefully, adjusted and improved) 2020 deal.

 

[Big East Fa]

Hopefully, we are going to hear that Fox has also promised to add even more/better TV exposure to the (hopefully, adjusted and improved) 2020 deal.

How much more/better exposure can you get on Fox? 19 games was on there last year. Most of any conference in the NCAA to have that amount on OTA TV.

 

[whaler11]

We don't even know that if it would be the case though given that ESPN+ is a complete unknown. All we do know is that nobody is paying $5/month to watch Tulsa and Tulane.

I'm sure a ranked UConn team would end up on ESPN2/U a few times, but UConn men's/women's basketball are the only two national names in the league and it's not hard to envision ESPN leveraging some of our marquee matchups behind a paywall to get subscribers.

They were going to use it to help build +.

They would get more viewers for UFC on cable - but they bought for + because people will buy it and it has a very distinct fanbase - exactly like UConn women’s basketball in that it might be the only sport they follow.

 

[Point6]

How much more/better exposure can you get on Fox? 19 games was on there last year. Most of any conference in the NCAA to have that amount on OTA TV.

20

 

[The Viking]

If we are ever going to get more Sat. night home games at XL we have to fight the men's hockey team and the Wolfpack for the venue unfortunately.

Friday night for hockey and the Wolfpack can go F itself.

Or Sat early afternoon games for UConn Hockey and UConn hoops at night - or worst case - gasp - we play on campus.

Speaking of that maybe we should go with the 3,500 seats instead of 2,500 now?

 

[Dooooooomed]

Again if you need to compare ESPN's worst option to the FS best option to make your point, you don't have one. Lower exposure is the price we pay to get more regional games and get our T3 rights back. It is was it is.

FS's best option is FOX, not FS1.

FOX/CBS > ESPN/ESPN2 > FS/ESPNU/ESPNews/CBSSN > ESPN+

 

[McLovin]

FS1 has the same average viewership as ESPNU, about 110k per game for men’s basketball. ESPN has 10x and ESPN2 has 3x the average viewership of FS1. FS1 is not a step up in media exposure for UConn men’s basketball. And, forget seeing highlights of the BE on Sports Center as the BE is an afterthought on the prime media outlet of college basketball.

The problem UConn has had with ESPN slots over the past 3 years has been driven by poor performance. If UConn was a top 15 team, the exposure on ESPN would have been better with the AAC contract. Why is this so hard to understand?

The main problem with UConn athletics has been bad coaching hires in football and men’s basketball. If Temple (Temple!) can turn around a football program that spends less money than UConn and was kicked out of the BE for lack of competitiveness, why hasn’t UConn been competitive? Was Kevin Ollie’s issues due to being in the AAC?

I would be curious to know how many games Cincy, Memphis and Houston had on ESPN/2 last year. I recall a lot of times we'd be playing on a Thursday night on ESPN News/U or CBSsports when one of the former was on ESPN/2. I agree our loss of exposure on the flagship channels was definitely driven by UConn's performance the last 3 seasons than any other factor.

 

[Wordbomar]

So if I have:

Fox
FS1
FS2
CBS
CBSSN

Am I good for all games? I've never heard of FSN?