What is the end game in a P2 world?

[billybud]

We may have an era where ESPN/Fox/NBC are actually working together behind the scenes to organize a college football platform that benefits them all financially....We saw how that began working when Oklahoma and Texas exited the Big 12's GOR and left Fox for ESPN.

Streaming services will look for big matchups to drive subs...and the Fox/ESPN joint streaming platform will have access to games. Future scheduled games like Alabama-Tennessee, Georgia-UCLA, Alabama-Wisconsin could be streamed as a sub builder. Like Peacock did with NFL playoff games last season.

NBC will have Notre Dame leading into Big Ten games.

Ultimately business decisions and the free market will drive any future realignment. Current lawsuits are just white noise, the media execs will ultimately decide, not conferences.

Money-money
Caviar, new car, five star, daydream
Think I'll buy a football team.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

We may have an era where ESPN/Fox/NBC are actually working together behind the scenes to organize a college football platform that benefits them all financially....We saw how that began working when Oklahoma and Texas exited the Big 12's GOR and left Fox for ESPN.

Streaming services will look for big matchups to drive subs...and the Fox/ESPN joint streaming platform will have access to games. Future scheduled games like Alabama-Tennessee, Georgia-UCLA, Alabama-Wisconsin could be streamed as a sub builder. Like Peacock did with NFL playoff games last season.

NBC will have Notre Dame leading into Big Ten games.

Ultimately business decisions and the free market will drive any future realignment. Current lawsuits are just white noise, the media execs will ultimately decide, not conferences.

Money-money
Caviar, new car, five star, daydream
Think I'll buy a football team.

You are describing games that are attractive in a bundled cable model when we are going to a streaming world.

People want to watch what they want to watch, not what ESPN tells them to watch.

 

[Chuck]

You are describing games that are attractive in a bundled cable model when we are going to a streaming world.

People want to watch what they want to watch, not what ESPN tells them to watch.

I don't think people are fully going understand that for a little while, but Gen Z (who isn't that young anymore) is transitioned.

Many of us Gen X'rs (me, I don't know your generation) and Millenials have cut the cord, but we haven't fully given up on the cable-like model. I still have YouTubeTV and I sometimes wonder why. I just use it for news channels and sports. That's it.

I realized that my kids have almost never used their YouTubeTV accounts. My daughter never has, and my son just uses it for sports. I was curious, so I asked some friends about their kids at college. All just stream stuff from their parents accounts, or they just don't care. Even for sports, they watch at a fraternity house, bar or maybe one guy has a streaming service.

It's coming, and it's coming fast. It would behoove UConn (and I guess the Big East) to start preparing for that inevitability.

 

[billybud]

You are describing games that are attractive in a bundled cable model when we are going to a streaming world.

People want to watch what they want to watch, not what ESPN tells them to watch.

And people will watch marquee match ups over Akron vs Middle Tennessee....how they access the games may change...

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I don't think people are fully going understand that for a little while, but Gen Z (who isn't that young anymore) is transitioned.

Many of us Gen X'rs (me, I don't know your generation) and Millenials have cut the cord, but we haven't fully given up on the cable-like model. I still have YouTubeTV and I sometimes wonder why. I just use it for news channels and sports. That's it.

I realized that my kids have almost never used their YouTubeTV accounts. My daughter never has, and my son just uses it for sports. I was curious, so I asked some friends about their kids at college. All just stream stuff from their parents accounts, or they just don't care. Even for sports, they watch at a fraternity house, bar or maybe one guy has a streaming service.

It's coming, and it's coming fast. It would behoove UConn (and I guess the Big East) to start preparing for that inevitability.

In the old cable model, ESPN and ESPN2 had premium positions on the cable dial, as did CBS, Fox, NBC and ABC. The secondary games were way down the list, and you had to make a conscious decision to look for them. Now, on YouTubeTV or Hulu Live, I have no idea what channel I am watching because it doesn't matter anymore, and all the games are equally accessible.

More importantly, more and more people only want to pay for the channels they want, and are going to gravitate to services that explicitly or effectively are unbundling ESPN. That is the kiss of death for the entire current college sports model.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

And people will watch marquee match ups over Akron vs Middle Tennessee....how they access the games may change...

You are arguing that linear will continue to win. This fight has already been settled in the rest of scripted entertainment. Niche has won, decisively.

My trump card in this debate is Bridgerton. This is one of the most popular shows on Netflix, and it would NEVER have made it on the air even 20 years ago, even if they cleaned up the nudity. It is simply too niche. But in a streaming world, niche wins. Most reality television supports this argument too.

But you are arguing that while niche programming has absolutely demolished mainstream television, somehow, in college sports, mainstream will win and we will all become Florida State fans. I am done arguing with you, boomer.

 

[billybud]

I am not at all talking about linear vs streaming....transmission methods will change...national interest won't.

Do you actually think that the 9 million watching FSU-LSU last year or the 8 million watching Alabama-Tennessee were all fans of those schools ?

North Dakota State v Villanova in the FCS Final Four playoff game (on at noon Saturday on ESPN) didn't draw the numbers that Mississippi State v Mississipi did in regular season.

Heck, I watched South Carolina v Iowa and I don't watch women's basketball...marquee match ups have national interest....minor matches have a parochial interest. Whether via internet or cable TV, the method of game access won't have a significant impact on who watches major brands.

 

[billybud]

Streaming will not be some magic elixir that will change national interest in brands...there is now, and always will be niche interests for games like Kansas-Cincinnati (374 k watched on ESPN2). or App State- Georgia Southern (53k on ESPN2).

There will be niche interest in the future....but your hypothesis that these niche interests will turn football watching on its head, I don't predict.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Streaming will not be some magic elixir that will change national interest in brands...there is now, and always will be niche interests for games like Kansas-Cincinnati (374 k watched on ESPN2). or App State- Georgia Southern (53k on ESPN2).

There will be niche interest in the future....but your hypothesis that these niche interests will turn football watching on its head, I don't predict.

It completely turned television on its head, and annihilated brands. 20 years ago, an NBC comedy, no matter how terrible, would get decent ratings for a season. That doesn’t happen anymore. On the other hand, Shogun, with no brand and mostly filmed in Japanese, is one of Hulu’s most successful miniseries ever. TV has gone niche.

Your argument, and it appears, the P2 strategy, is predicated on everyone becoming fans of a handful of schools. That will never happen.

 

[billybud]

No Muntz...it is predicated on facts...I think your thought is somewhat simplistic..JMHO.

Hulu and YouTube TV are now probably the most successful sports streaming services...and these streaming services produce no content... Sure, Hulu can buy product produced like someone else (like Shogun) but guess who is producing the product ? Streaming is just a method of transmitting a product, owned by somebody, to the TV audience. And Shogun maybe had national interest. I get streaming. I have purchased streaming subscriptions to Prime, Netflix, MHZ, Britbox, Acorn, Masterpiece Theatre. We watch a lot of British, Italian and French produced content.

Is YouTube TV good for college football? Absolutely. When it comes to the top places to stream NCAA football games, YouTube TV is one of the best. You can watch college games on the local channels offered by YouTube TV (i.e., ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.) and on traditional cable channels like ESPN, ESPN2, FOX Sports 1, and more.

Additionally, you can watch games from your favorite conference on the ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network, CBS Sports Network, and ESPNU. Plans start at $64.99/month + add-ons. For an additional $10.99/month, you can also get the FOX College Sports package.

HULU ?

Hulu + Live TV doesn’t offer as much as YouTube TV, but it still packs a punch. Hulu streams NCAA football through available local channels (i.e., ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.) and major cable networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, FOX Sports 1, and more.

Hulu + Live TV also includes the ACC Network, ACC Extra Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, and SEC Network. It’s important to note that Hulu doesn’t offer college football sports channels like Pac-12 Network, Longhorn Network, and ESPN3. Plans start at $69.99/month.

No...there will not be a lot of increased demand to see Temple or Akron, or Tulsa play football just because of the method that the games are transmitted, The national interest is not there...there will always be local interest but, hey, that is naturally limited. Do tons of folks from New Jersey, New York make Rutgers a must watch game ? Do folks in New Jersey watch Ohio State-Penn State, tune in to Notre Dame-USC ? Those are questions the answers to which will determine how this rolls out.

Anyway..it is all esoteric for me, because for my remaining lifetime, the national interests will change little...but over decades, they do change. Deion could end up being more than a temporary interest, lacrosse could overtake football, and Keith Richards may retire.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

No Muntz...it is predicated on facts...I think your thought is somewhat simplistic..JMHO.

Hulu and YouTube TV are now probably the most successful sports streaming services...and these streaming services produce no content... Sure, Hulu can buy product produced like someone else (like Shogun) but guess who is producing the product ? Streaming is just a method of transmitting a product, owned by somebody, to the TV audience. And Shogun maybe had national interest. I get streaming. I have purchased streaming subscriptions to Prime, Netflix, MHZ, Britbox, Acorn, Masterpiece Theatre. We watch a lot of British, Italian and French produced content.

Is YouTube TV good for college football? Absolutely. When it comes to the top places to stream NCAA football games, YouTube TV is one of the best. You can watch college games on the local channels offered by YouTube TV (i.e., ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.) and on traditional cable channels like ESPN, ESPN2, FOX Sports 1, and more.

Additionally, you can watch games from your favorite conference on the ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network, CBS Sports Network, and ESPNU. Plans start at $64.99/month + add-ons. For an additional $10.99/month, you can also get the FOX College Sports package.

HULU ?

Hulu + Live TV doesn’t offer as much as YouTube TV, but it still packs a punch. Hulu streams NCAA football through available local channels (i.e., ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.) and major cable networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, FOX Sports 1, and more.

Hulu + Live TV also includes the ACC Network, ACC Extra Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, and SEC Network. It’s important to note that Hulu doesn’t offer college football sports channels like Pac-12 Network, Longhorn Network, and ESPN3. Plans start at $69.99/month.

No...there will not be a lot of increased demand to see Temple or Akron, or Tulsa play football just because of the method that the games are transmitted, The national interest is not there...there will always be local interest but, hey, that is naturally limited. Do tons of folks from New Jersey, New York make Rutgers a must watch game ? Do folks in New Jersey watch Ohio State-Penn State, tune in to Notre Dame-USC ? Those are questions the answers to which will determine how this rolls out.

Anyway..it is all esoteric for me, because for my remaining lifetime, the national interests will change little...but over decades, they do change. Deion could end up being more than a temporary interest, lacrosse could overtake football, and Keith Richards may retire.

Continuing to use Akron as an example really undermines your credibility.

 

[billybud]

Continuing to use Akron as an example really undermines your credibility.

Gawd...sure it does Muntz...just enter any team from the MAC, Moutain West, Sun Belt if you don't like Akron...

I do believe that there is regionality to football viewing....the Midwest probably watches the B!G and the South the SEC...

But still....

The 50 most-watched games of the 2023 college football regular season​

Forty-six of the top 50 involved programs that will be in the SEC or Big Ten by next season, or Deion Sanders.

Appearances in the Top 50 most watched games..

Appearances by program

8: Alabama, Georgia
6: Colorado, Ohio State, Washington
5: Michigan
4: Florida State, Notre Dame, Tennessee
3: Florida, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, USC

 

[AllHusky]

Of all the things to wonder when you see an old guy walking around with a veteran cap "wonder why they need the attention" is pretty low on the wondering list. Next time wonder "hope he has had a good life".
Was in Loews a while ago and saw an old guy with his wife walking in plant section and he had an Army veteran hat on. I normally mind my own business but for some reason stepped up to him and mentioned I had been in Army. He didn't look that old (thought maybe Korean war/Vietnam) but he noted had been in 101st Airborne in World War II and was 94 years old, I had also been in 101st in Vietnam and we talked a little, shook hands and then went our own way. He seemed to stand a little taller when he walked away, I know I did as I left.

The Armed Forces are falling short in their recruiting goals(the Marines are doing the best though!) I would think the more publicity and awareness of what the benefits to individuals and our country are for serving, the better it would be for all. My son-in-law is a marine and involved in recruiting. I am proud of him and what he has done for his county. I wouldn't think twice about wearing a USMC t-shirt in support of him, and all who Serve or Served. Is that wrong?

 

[billybud]

The Armed Forces are falling short in their recruiting goals(the Marines are doing the best though!) I would think the more publicity and awareness of what the benefits to individuals and our country are for serving, the better it would be for all. My son-in-law is a marine and involved in recruiting. I am proud of him and what he has done for his county. I wouldn't think twice about wearing a USMC t-shirt in support of him, and all who Serve or Served. Is that wrong?

Not wrong...a personal connection...many fly a USMC flag for a relative serving.

A matter of personal choice...Me? I haven't worn USMC stuff...except for my Marine gold jump wings once to a reunion barbecue.

What is wrong is to be one of the myriad of folks who claim to be an ex Seal, etc. when they are not.

I don't wear school logo's or colors (but I did years ago)....I do wear my vintage T shirts from concerts/events.

OT...but I find middle age guys decked out in grease painted face and weird head gear to be a little creepy. Are my T shirts approaching that ? LOL

 

[AllHusky]

Not wrong...a personal connection...many fly a USMC flag for a relative serving.

A matter of personal choice...Me? I haven't worn USMC stuff...except for my Marine gold jump wings once to a reunion barbecue.

What is wrong is to be one of the myriad of folks who claim to be an ex Seal, etc. when they are not.

I don't wear school logo's or colors (but I did years ago)....I do wear my vintage T shirts from concerts/events.

Thanks for your past service and answer. I did not serve, turned down an ROTC scholarship at the tailend of the Vietnam war due to family pressure. However, I am really clear on the value of service to your country and benefits to the individual, therefore am a strong supporter and advocate of serving your country and for our Armed Forces(view my decision as a missed opportunity). It is a tough road and not for everybody, and it would benefit many of our young people, and certainly our country.

 

[Viet Vet]

I wear a Vietnam Veteran hat or vest often, and have no issue with not a non-veteran wearing a tee, etc in honor of a relative, etc. I draw the line at non-vets wearing ANY uniform article. Back in my UConn days (early 70s) I hated the anti-war protesters wearing field jackets with sergeant's stripes or officer's bars.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Gawd...sure it does Muntz...just enter any team from the MAC, Moutain West, Sun Belt if you don't like Akron...

I do believe that there is regionality to football viewing....the Midwest probably watches the B!G and the South the SEC...

But still....

The 50 most-watched games of the 2023 college football regular season​

Forty-six of the top 50 involved programs that will be in the SEC or Big Ten by next season, or Deion Sanders.

Appearances in the Top 50 most watched games..

Appearances by program

8: Alabama, Georgia
6: Colorado, Ohio State, Washington
5: Michigan
4: Florida State, Notre Dame, Tennessee
3: Florida, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, USC

If the networks heavily promote a game and put it on the best time slots and collude to prevent other top games on at the same time, sure, it will do ok. The days are over when any of that matters, because it is a fight for subscribers, not advertisers, and streamers will put any game on at any time if it will drive subs.

The level of football dominance over hoops also shrinks in a streaming world because all college football games are on one day for the most part. A streamer ends up competing with itself for viewers in this situation. Basketball can be spread out and played at any time. Furthermore, basketball has a lot more games every season for viewers to watch.

But sure, your has-been football program and never-was basketball program are going to dominate viewership. I bet there were dinosaurs looking up at the asteroid thinking, “I am sure we will be fine”.

 

[billybud]

Muntz..,when one gets personal and ugly, it is usually a sign of frustrations of losing a discussion. Bye now

 

[baggerbob]

In the old cable model, ESPN and ESPN2 had premium positions on the cable dial, as did CBS, Fox, NBC and ABC. The secondary games were way down the list, and you had to make a conscious decision to look for them. Now, on YouTubeTV or Hulu Live, I have no idea what channel I am watching because it doesn't matter anymore, and all the games are equally accessible.

More importantly, more and more people only want to pay for the channels they want, and are going to gravitate to services that explicitly or effectively are unbundling ESPN. That is the kiss of death for the entire current college sports model.

All this nonsense about only 30 or 40 teams won't happen, it would end up in the courts. The schools and states left out would keep them in the courts for years.

 

[billybud]

All this nonsense about only 30 or 40 teams won't happen, it would end up in the courts. The schools and states left out would keep them in the courts for years.

Like the FCS teams did when the NCAA split FBS -FCS ?

Sounds like they are really creating another division of FBS...Instead of two tiers..FBS..FCS...there would be three tiers..P2...FBS...FCS..

And it has, in reality, already happened.