(02-03-2011 02:29 PM)dgrace4cards Wrote:  Hummmm, is there a Big East Conference opportunity here, tied in with Notre Dame and a BEN?

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20...lphia.html

First sentence in article blew me away:

Comcast Corp.'s 24-hour sports network....

Say what?

24 hour sports network?

Who had any idea that they had 24 hours of sports programming a MONTH...let alone a WEEK?

Isn't this the 3rd name for this so-called sports channel in just a few years?

Maybe comcast will get the hint that its not the name...but the PROGRAMMING that sucks!

(02-04-2011 09:43 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(02-03-2011 02:29 PM)dgrace4cards Wrote:  Hummmm, is there a Big East Conference opportunity here, tied in with Notre Dame and a BEN?

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20...lphia.html

First sentence in article blew me away:

Comcast Corp.'s 24-hour sports network....

Say what?

24 hour sports network?

Who had any idea that they had 24 hours of sports programming a MONTH...let alone a WEEK?

Isn't this the 3rd name for this so-called sports channel in just a few years?

Maybe comcast will get the hint that its not the name...but the PROGRAMMING that sucks!

ESPN channels are "24 hour" but they include reruns of shows, games, documentaries, etc. I would think that is what they mean by that. No infomercials, no non sports movies, no politics, etc.

Hmm, I said several years ago that "Versus" was a bad name that would hinder growth, because it sounds like some fly-by-night sports network showing local wrestling and that branding it as NBC Sports would be a lot better for increasing viewership.

(02-04-2011 02:19 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  Hmm, I said several years ago that "Versus" was a bad name that would hinder growth, because it sounds like some fly-by-night sports network showing local wrestling and that branding it as NBC Sports would be a lot better for increasing viewership.

Anyone remember the name of the channel before it was Versus?

(02-04-2011 05:35 PM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(02-04-2011 02:19 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  Hmm, I said several years ago that "Versus" was a bad name that would hinder growth, because it sounds like some fly-by-night sports network showing local wrestling and that branding it as NBC Sports would be a lot better for increasing viewership.

Anyone remember the name of the channel before it was Versus?

Outdoor Life Network - which was better, in my opinion, than this current **** they show on versus.

Yeah, in fact Outdoor Life used to show hunting shows. I remember a few years ago when Cincinnati traveled to San Diego State that a hunting show was on right before the game.

Stupid me, I thought it was a literary network up until a few months ago.

(02-04-2011 09:36 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(02-04-2011 03:47 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  You do realize that the ACC just signed a 14 year deal with ESPN and every conference game is guaranteed to be broadcast on one of their platforms.

You do realize that ESPN3 is one of their platforms, don't you?

If the ACC doesn't get its football act in order, all their games could be relegated there, except for a precious few. Basketball could be heading for ESPN3 in the near future too, if the current trends continue. ACC basketball keeps getting weaker while BEast hoops keep getting stronger - even in "down" years...

I don't expect the ACC to be down in football and basketball for all 14 years of the contract but even if we were, I'd still get to see all the games and the dollars wouldn't change. We'd just have marginalized exposure. As long as we get good enough towards the end of the contract to sign another big contract in 14 years, and VT stays strong, I'm ok with it.

On a related note though, how much is ESPN willing to pay to keep a property out of the hands of a Fox sports, CBS sports or NBC sports. I'd hate to think that the ACC got so much money just to keep our games out of someone elses hands and subsuquentially be relegated to ESPN3. (Eventhough I love ESPN 3) The VT vs BC game tomorrow is not on TV at all !!! I won't have to worry about that starting next year.

We may get more money and more time slots, but we'd lose it all and more in image.

ESPN has a history of only promoting the things that they cover. I think they had more hype for the little caesars bowl than the cotton bowl this past year.

They already are calling for our bcs bid to be taken away there, if we leave their network they'd only increase that.

Another interesting article on the subject.....sounds like the next big property up for negotiations will be The Big East. Can't say I would be disappointed to be on a competing network against ESPN. Would be interesting to be the main billing over being 5th or 6th in line.

http://collegesportsinfo.com/2011/02/03/...rts-brand/

Even better, if you can get 1-2 more conferences on top of the MWC, even just the Big East, then you have a choice for having a featured game each week on NBC Sports (currently called Versus). Some weeks it might be Pitt vs WVU, or Syracuse vs Pittsburgh, while other weeks it might be more like Boise St. vs SDSU.

And if this works out, there is always the opportunity for the NBC Sports re-named network (currently Versus) to have a featured game each Saturday on NBC. There is something to be said about each week having Notre Dame on NBC either followed by or preceding a featured MWC or Big East game of a high magnitude.

(02-04-2011 10:42 PM)BullsBEAST Wrote:  They already are calling for our bcs bid to be taken away there, if we leave their network they'd only increase that.

I agree ESPN has clout but they have no serious impact on the Big East AQ status. It is a myth right now that it is even possible that the Big East will lose it.

The BCS has enough trouble with politicians.....you think they are going to yank the plug on the BE? I don't care how much ESPN complains about it.....I don't think the BE ever has anything to worry about when it comes to the AQ.

(02-04-2011 03:47 AM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(02-03-2011 05:34 PM)mlb Wrote:  I think that ESPN will have a major hole in their basketball rights if they lose the Big East.

You do realize that the ACC just signed a 14 year deal with ESPN and every conference game is guaranteed to be broadcast on one of their platforms. SEC basketball has similiar guarantees. Not only can ESPN do without the Big East and not have major holes to fill, they probably don't have enough time slots to support another large conference deal. The Big East's future is probably with Fox Sports as they were the other bidder that drove up the ACC's ESPN contract.

LOL, Outside of Duke/UNC, acc bb isnt even in the same hemisphere as BE basketball. ESPN will always have room for BE basketball. Its the most exciting brand of basketball on tv with ranked teams playing almost every night on tv. Nobody is interested in VT/Clemson or BC/Virginia etc...If Duke and UNC arent involved, I doubt very many people are watching. Dont even get me started on the one trick pony SEC basketball.

(02-04-2011 10:43 PM)The Brown Bull Wrote:  Another interesting article on the subject.....sounds like the next big property up for negotiations will be The Big East. Can't say I would be disappointed to be on a competing network against ESPN. Would be interesting to be the main billing over being 5th or 6th in line.

http://collegesportsinfo.com/2011/02/03/...rts-brand/

Even better, if you can get 1-2 more conferences on top of the MWC, even just the Big East, then you have a choice for having a featured game each week on NBC Sports (currently called Versus). Some weeks it might be Pitt vs WVU, or Syracuse vs Pittsburgh, while other weeks it might be more like Boise St. vs SDSU.

And if this works out, there is always the opportunity for the NBC Sports re-named network (currently Versus) to have a featured game each Saturday on NBC. There is something to be said about each week having Notre Dame on NBC either followed by or preceding a featured MWC or Big East game of a high magnitude.

WOW, Nice find Brown Bull. We are not the only ones thats been thinking about this network and the BE getting together.

It would be interesting to see how ESPN would spin that if they had to go head to head every night.....say against a newly named Versus channel....in college basketball.

Would Dick Vitale be barred from speaking about BE teams when talking about college basketball? That would be funny.

(02-04-2011 11:21 PM)cuseroc Wrote:  

(02-04-2011 10:43 PM)The Brown Bull Wrote:  Another interesting article on the subject.....sounds like the next big property up for negotiations will be The Big East. Can't say I would be disappointed to be on a competing network against ESPN. Would be interesting to be the main billing over being 5th or 6th in line.

http://collegesportsinfo.com/2011/02/03/...rts-brand/

Even better, if you can get 1-2 more conferences on top of the MWC, even just the Big East, then you have a choice for having a featured game each week on NBC Sports (currently called Versus). Some weeks it might be Pitt vs WVU, or Syracuse vs Pittsburgh, while other weeks it might be more like Boise St. vs SDSU.

And if this works out, there is always the opportunity for the NBC Sports re-named network (currently Versus) to have a featured game each Saturday on NBC. There is something to be said about each week having Notre Dame on NBC either followed by or preceding a featured MWC or Big East game of a high magnitude.

WOW, Nice find Brown Bull. We are not the only ones thats been thinking about this network and the BE getting together.

I continue to think that myself....we've been discussing this idea or various versions for a couple of years now.....

....which one of you have corner offices in NBC, Comcast, Big East? LOL! Cause mine is still down near the mail room.

If Big East/Big 12/MWC all went NBC with Notre Dame, it would be a very formidable plan. It insulates all three conferences from the blanket that ESPN would try to throw over if they didn't sign us or another up...similar to already MWC, cotton bowl, etc.

I wonder if Universal Sports could become "NBC Sports 2".

(02-04-2011 10:49 PM)The Brown Bull Wrote:  The BCS has enough trouble with politicians.....you think they are going to yank the plug on the BE? I don't care how much ESPN complains about it.....I don't think the BE ever has anything to worry about when it comes to the AQ.

Exactly I don't think they'll want the combined New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Connecticut congressional delegations coming after them. We may have lost some of our Congressmen in the coming reapportionment but its still a lot of people in Congress to upset.

I seriously doubt that ESPN would totally ignore The BEast if we went to another network either. If they did that, ESPN would be ignoring the northeast, where the majority of the nation's TV sets happen to be. THAT is something that CAN'T be ignored...

(02-04-2011 10:49 PM)The Brown Bull Wrote:  

(02-04-2011 10:42 PM)BullsBEAST Wrote:  They already are calling for our bcs bid to be taken away there, if we leave their network they'd only increase that.

I agree ESPN has clout but they have no serious impact on the Big East AQ status. It is a myth right now that it is even possible that the Big East will lose it.

The BCS has enough trouble with politicians.....you think they are going to yank the plug on the BE? I don't care how much ESPN complains about it.....I don't think the BE ever has anything to worry about when it comes to the AQ.

I don't think ESPN has any real impact on AQ status at all. The BE's AQ status is completely safe.

Now, where ESPN's power comes is in general promotion and popularity. While it would behoove the BE to examine all of its options, you also have to be careful of any scenario where you leave the network completely.

Consider that the 2 conferences that make the most money *outside* of ESPN (the SEC with CBS and the Big Ten with the Big Ten Network) actually still make even more money *from* ESPN. The Big Ten could make even more from the BTN if they moved more games from ESPN, but they know that they can't risk killing the long-term golden goose for short-term gain. ESPN exposure is still the best that you can get on TV.

The optimal scenario for any league (college or pro) is to have at least some presence on ESPN because, whether it's a good thing or not, they drive the national sports discussion. Be honest with yourselves: how often do you flip by ESPN and ESPN2 compared to Versus when you're channel surfing? Remember that the casual sports fan is the one that matters for TV sports rights and popularity (not the committed fan that will search out his team no matter what channel).

(02-07-2011 09:38 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  The optimal scenario for any league (college or pro) is to have at least some presence on ESPN because, whether it's a good thing or not, they drive the national sports discussion. Be honest with yourselves: how often do you flip by ESPN and ESPN2 compared to Versus when you're channel surfing? Remember that the casual sports fan is the one that matters for TV sports rights and popularity (not the committed fan that will search out his team no matter what channel).

I don't disagree with your point but I will say....the problem with Versus or anyone else for that matter is the quality of the programming. Sure I always check with ESPN because they always show sports.....whereas with Versus....it could be fishing or hunting or something that has nothing to do with anything. So often times I don't waste my time checking it.

But if a channel were to come along and offer comparable coverage....the average fan would learn to include that channel in the grouping to channel surf.

The only example I can come up with is MLB Network. Prior to last season, I only checked ESPN for MLB. Now, MLB Network has come along and I actually prefer their coverage of MLB over ESPN and I never miss surfing by it during MLB season. So although ESPN does dictate most sports....if someone were to seriously try and match them.....I think the average fan would gravitate to what interests them....regardless if it is ESPN or not.