(08-19-2014 01:38 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:32 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:18 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  Every game on could mean ESPN3. In that case you can get it over the internet, but not necessarily over the air.

IMO that's a way-overblown issue. How hard is it to hook a tablet up to a HDTV via an HDMI cable?

I watch plenty of ESPN3 stuff and all of it on a 42" HDTV.

I don't know about that statement. I think their is still a difference between broadcast TV (don't need anything special to view it) and ESPN3. I watch a lot of ESPN3 thru my Chromecast but that doesn't mean the average Wal-Mart fan even knows this content exists.

That's the main difference. Your average sports fan flips through ESPN and ESPN2 instinctively and may end up just watching whatever is on those channels. Watching a game on ESPN3 takes a conscious effort, which is a huge difference. I agree with quo that it's not hard at all to stream ESPN3 from a technical standpoint, but it's "hard" for the average person that is just flipping channels (as they'll never look to see what's on ESPN3 in the first place). The dollars aren't made from the relatively small handful of people that specifically want to watch Buffalo vs. Bowling Green and will end up finding the game on ESPN3. The real dollars are from the much larger audience that won't ever end up scrolling through the ESPN3 options.

Today that is clearly true. I'm not sure it stays that way. I think many of the younger viewers will just hit the ESPN app and see what's on.

(08-19-2014 05:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Today that is clearly true. I'm not sure it stays that way. I think many of the younger viewers will just hit the ESPN app and see what's on.

How many people have Netflix? 50 million? And ESPN3 is "free" if your ISP pays the carriage fee (which means its not free after all, hence the irony quotes) ... digital streaming on ESPN3 isn't "national TV" like ESPN/ESPN2 ... but its increasingly getting up there with ESPNU, which is where some of the additional MAC BBall games headed to cable seem likely to end up.

Shame that its not on the PS4, but its on Android, including Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire TV, the $35 Chromecast; Apple, including AppleTV; XBox; Roku (for people with newer gear then I have); and of course PC laptops & etc. And for a growing number of people, ESPN3 is the only ESPN they are subscribed to.

(08-19-2014 06:08 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 05:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Today that is clearly true. I'm not sure it stays that way. I think many of the younger viewers will just hit the ESPN app and see what's on.

How many people have Netflix? 50 million? And ESPN3 is "free" if your ISP pays the carriage fee (which means its not free after all, hence the irony quotes) ... digital streaming on ESPN3 isn't "national TV" like ESPN/ESPN2 ... but its increasingly getting up there with ESPNU, which is where some of the additional MAC BBall games headed to cable seem likely to end up.

Shame that its not on the PS4, but its on Android, including Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire TV, the $35 Chromecast; Apple, including AppleTV; XBox; Roku (for people with newer gear then I have); and of course PC laptops & etc. And for a growing number of people, ESPN3 is the only ESPN they are subscribed to.

The WatchESPN Android app is pretty good -- though it requires a cable/satellite TV subscription for access. You can watch each ESPN-branded channel on it and all of the ESPN3 programming. The picture quality is pretty good on my phone, too. I think they are farther along than anyone else with the "TV Everywhere" idea for live sports.

(08-19-2014 06:24 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 06:08 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 05:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Today that is clearly true. I'm not sure it stays that way. I think many of the younger viewers will just hit the ESPN app and see what's on.

How many people have Netflix? 50 million? And ESPN3 is "free" if your ISP pays the carriage fee (which means its not free after all, hence the irony quotes) ... digital streaming on ESPN3 isn't "national TV" like ESPN/ESPN2 ... but its increasingly getting up there with ESPNU, which is where some of the additional MAC BBall games headed to cable seem likely to end up.

Shame that its not on the PS4, but its on Android, including Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire TV, the $35 Chromecast; Apple, including AppleTV; XBox; Roku (for people with newer gear then I have); and of course PC laptops & etc. And for a growing number of people, ESPN3 is the only ESPN they are subscribed to.

The WatchESPN Android app is pretty good -- though it requires a cable/satellite TV subscription for access. You can watch each ESPN-branded channel on it and all of the ESPN3 programming. The picture quality is pretty good on my phone, too. I think they are farther along than anyone else with the "TV Everywhere" idea for live sports.

When i am not near a TV i watch WatchESPN, including ESPN3, on my Galaxy S4 and the picture quality is excellent.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

(08-19-2014 05:32 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:02 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 12:59 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  http://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/8/19/60445...ive-thread

IF the reports of a 100 million dollar deal are true its a rather disappointing effort from the MAC.

* No financial terms were revealed. While Dr. Jon Steinbrecher would go so far as to say it puts us with the other GO5 conferences he stated all parties involved were contractually obligated to keep the compensation package a private matter. I've seen articles which says the deal is "more than 100 million", that would put the floor at about 700K per year per school. Hopefully it's closer to 120 million which would bring the MAC in line with CUSA and the Sun Belt.

* All This ends the current Time Warrner Deal: The new contract hands over the entire MAC inventory of Football and Basketball along with some womens hoops and unnamed olympic sports over to ESPN.

* This Deal puts every MAC home football game on ESPN (Sort of): ESPN has committed to broadcasting every MAC home football game but they *MAY* sell that game to another broadcaster like Sports Time Ohio or Time Warrner or what have you.

* The Deal will eventually put every MAC home Basketball game on ESPN (Sort of): ESPN has committed that within 3 years they will broadcast every MC home hoops game but they *MAY* sell that game to another broadcaster like Sports Time Ohio or Time Warrner or what have you. Specifically Wednesday and Saturday games will be looked at as stock to be sold to other venues.

* Schools have to ramp up their quality of coverage: There was an emphasis that each school should own a bigger stake in their own production value. We all know some MAC schools have terrible broadcasts, this aims to fix that.

Good luck to the SBC in their next negotiation but they are currently no where near what the MAC just received and what C-USA currently gets.

Sun Belt (if Benson is smart) won't reopen until 2018. ESPN has too much leverage to make it worthwhile before then.

The new SBC could use a few years to prove itself on the field and snag an access bowl before hitting the negotiating table.

I don't know either if sticking with ESPN is the answer for the SBC. The MAC is doing it because they have the Midweek TV package niche.

The commish of the MAC is using the demand for that midweek package to drive production for basketball games. Having every home basketball game televised will be a boon for recruiting. That is what the MAC's strategy is....maximize ESPN for recruiting to improve league performance in FB/BB which in turn will increase CFP and NCAA tourney dollars.

Also, I wouldn't compare the MAC deal with ESPN to the AAC and MWC on a per school basis as much as the total value ($100 mil+). The contract the AAC signed with ESPN I believe had a total value in the 120-140 million range over the length of its life. This is what the MAC is talking about by comparing favorably with other G5 conferences, a 9 figure contract with ESPN. The previous ESPN contract for the MAC only paid out 11.2 million over the life of the contract so from a total value perspective its a 9-10 fold increase. That is not bad for a sole source look-in.

This is a win for the MAC. TV deal is good for the league.

(08-20-2014 05:56 AM)GTFletch Wrote:  This is a win for the MAC. TV deal is good for the league.

It is a huge win for the MAC. This tv contract, along with the new MAC football bowl contracts, has given the MAC an excellent platform of public awareness. In terms of tv exposure for football and the football bowls, MAC has significantly closed the gap with MWC, CUSA, and AAC.

Even for BCS broadcasts, if one is an ardent football fan, that person is going to subscribe to a sports package. And if one subscribes to a sports package, then one will have easy access to MAC broadcasts.

(08-20-2014 06:27 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(08-20-2014 05:56 AM)GTFletch Wrote:  This is a win for the MAC. TV deal is good for the league.

It is a huge win for the MAC. This tv contract, along with the new MAC football bowl contracts, has given the MAC an excellent platform of public awareness. In terms of tv exposure for football and the football bowls, MAC has significantly closed the gap with MWC, CUSA, and AAC.

Even for BCS broadcasts, if one is an ardent football fan, that person is going to subscribe to a sports package. And if one subscribes to a sports package, then one will have easy access to MAC broadcasts.

I can't help but see it as a "win" either. Regardless of the final dollar value, and even accepting the notion that the contract is still for peanuts, the increase in money is still real, and the exposure is better and as ESPN3 ease-of-use increases in coming years (and it surely will) the obligation to air all MAC football games on at least that platform will prove quite valuable to the league.

(08-20-2014 05:11 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 05:32 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:02 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 12:59 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  http://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/8/19/60445...ive-thread

IF the reports of a 100 million dollar deal are true its a rather disappointing effort from the MAC.

* No financial terms were revealed. While Dr. Jon Steinbrecher would go so far as to say it puts us with the other GO5 conferences he stated all parties involved were contractually obligated to keep the compensation package a private matter. I've seen articles which says the deal is "more than 100 million", that would put the floor at about 700K per year per school. Hopefully it's closer to 120 million which would bring the MAC in line with CUSA and the Sun Belt.

* All This ends the current Time Warrner Deal: The new contract hands over the entire MAC inventory of Football and Basketball along with some womens hoops and unnamed olympic sports over to ESPN.

* This Deal puts every MAC home football game on ESPN (Sort of): ESPN has committed to broadcasting every MAC home football game but they *MAY* sell that game to another broadcaster like Sports Time Ohio or Time Warrner or what have you.

* The Deal will eventually put every MAC home Basketball game on ESPN (Sort of): ESPN has committed that within 3 years they will broadcast every MC home hoops game but they *MAY* sell that game to another broadcaster like Sports Time Ohio or Time Warrner or what have you. Specifically Wednesday and Saturday games will be looked at as stock to be sold to other venues.

* Schools have to ramp up their quality of coverage: There was an emphasis that each school should own a bigger stake in their own production value. We all know some MAC schools have terrible broadcasts, this aims to fix that.

Good luck to the SBC in their next negotiation but they are currently no where near what the MAC just received and what C-USA currently gets.

Sun Belt (if Benson is smart) won't reopen until 2018. ESPN has too much leverage to make it worthwhile before then.

The new SBC could use a few years to prove itself on the field and snag an access bowl before hitting the negotiating table.

I don't know either if sticking with ESPN is the answer for the SBC. The MAC is doing it because they have the Midweek TV package niche.

The commish of the MAC is using the demand for that midweek package to drive production for basketball games. Having every home basketball game televised will be a boon for recruiting. That is what the MAC's strategy is....maximize ESPN for recruiting to improve league performance in FB/BB which in turn will increase CFP and NCAA tourney dollars.

Also, I wouldn't compare the MAC deal with ESPN to the AAC and MWC on a per school basis as much as the total value ($100 mil+). The contract the AAC signed with ESPN I believe had a total value in the 120-140 million range over the length of its life. This is what the MAC is talking about by comparing favorably with other G5 conferences, a 9 figure contract with ESPN. The previous ESPN contract for the MAC only paid out 11.2 million over the life of the contract so from a total value perspective its a 9-10 fold increase. That is not bad for a sole source look-in.

The MAC has lagged in basketball. Every now and then it looks like they are a threat to overtake the MVC, but then they slide back. So in the Midwest they are behind the B1G, Big East, MVC and to some extent the A10 with St. Louis, Butler and Dayton.

The MVC has lost Creighton and should be significantly weaker moving forward.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

(08-19-2014 05:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:38 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:32 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:18 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  Every game on could mean ESPN3. In that case you can get it over the internet, but not necessarily over the air.

IMO that's a way-overblown issue. How hard is it to hook a tablet up to a HDTV via an HDMI cable?

I watch plenty of ESPN3 stuff and all of it on a 42" HDTV.

I don't know about that statement. I think their is still a difference between broadcast TV (don't need anything special to view it) and ESPN3. I watch a lot of ESPN3 thru my Chromecast but that doesn't mean the average Wal-Mart fan even knows this content exists.

That's the main difference. Your average sports fan flips through ESPN and ESPN2 instinctively and may end up just watching whatever is on those channels. Watching a game on ESPN3 takes a conscious effort, which is a huge difference. I agree with quo that it's not hard at all to stream ESPN3 from a technical standpoint, but it's "hard" for the average person that is just flipping channels (as they'll never look to see what's on ESPN3 in the first place). The dollars aren't made from the relatively small handful of people that specifically want to watch Buffalo vs. Bowling Green and will end up finding the game on ESPN3. The real dollars are from the much larger audience that won't ever end up scrolling through the ESPN3 options.

Today that is clearly true. I'm not sure it stays that way. I think many of the younger viewers will just hit the ESPN app and see what's on.

Possibly. I actually think the WatchESPN app is excellent (I've got it on my Apple TV, iPhone and iPad), but I mostly use it when I can't watch the games on my home TV (i.e. traveling away from home, etc.). It's also set up a bit differently than Netflix in the sense that you still need a cable package with traditional ESPN in order to fully access WatchESPN, so it's more of an appendage to the existing model as opposed to a legitimately alternative model. Plus, I probably watch a lot more sports than the average person, so I'm particularly aware of which games are playing on which channels at a certain time. Most people that aren't attached to a specific team and just want to watch "the top games of the week" nationally still generally flip through a small handful of channels.

(08-20-2014 08:56 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  The MVC has lost Creighton and should be significantly weaker moving forward.

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The Missouri Valley didn't depend on Creighton. They were simply the strongest most recently and most consistent. 8 different teams have won their tourney since 1996 when Tulsa left. Wichita St. didn't seem to be too hurt by Creighton leaving this past year.

(08-20-2014 10:51 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Possibly. I actually think the WatchESPN app is excellent (I've got it on my Apple TV, iPhone and iPad), but I mostly use it when I can't watch the games on my home TV (i.e. traveling away from home, etc.). It's also set up a bit differently than Netflix in the sense that you still need a cable package with traditional ESPN in order to fully access WatchESPN, so it's more of an appendage to the existing model as opposed to a legitimately alternative model.

Yes, but a larger number of people that can access the ESPN3 lives games on WatchESPN than can access the ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU cable content ... so for some people, the lack of ESPN cable content on the WatchESPN app could channel them to the ESPN3 content. And that is likely to be a growing share of the demo over the decade ahead.

Indeed, further information from an "Industry Source" (which could, after all, be Brett asking "Joe" when they meet at the coffee machine what details he's allowed to leak) are that the contract is $10m/year over the new 10 years ... which is also the time when the MAC is supposed to be able to stream all of its BBall games on ESPN3 that are not picked up for ESPN cable or sublicensed for broadcast elsewhere. Which further strengthens the inference that its the ESPN3 content that is a main driver of the new contract.

(08-20-2014 12:20 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(08-20-2014 08:56 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  The MVC has lost Creighton and should be significantly weaker moving forward.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

The Missouri Valley didn't depend on Creighton. They were simply the strongest most recently and most consistent. 8 different teams have won their tourney since 1996 when Tulsa left. Wichita St. didn't seem to be too hurt by Creighton leaving this past year.

The arguement MAC vs. MVC has always hinged on how little the MAC made in football vs. all the NCAA tourney money made by the MVC.

Until recently the MAC was making around 2 million in BCS money, 1 million in NCAA money and 1 million on the TV deal for a total of 4 million a year. The MVC didn't have FBS football but has been making 6-7 million in basketball which along trumped the MAC.

Moving forward the MAC is looking at 20 million in CFP money, 2 million in NCAA money and 10 million on the TV deal for 32 million a year while the MVC with some weaker post seasons has dropped down to 4-5 million. Each MAC school then is pulling in 2.5 million more in revenue in those areas than what the MVC is.

The MAC over the last couple of years has pushed to escalate basketball salaries with some in the 500-600k range. The days of losing MAC HC's to MVC schools looks to be over soon if its not already. More pay is eventually going to reflect on the basketball court in the form of more NCAA win and at-large bids. The bottom for MAC basketball was maybe 5 years ago. Ohio's run the last 5 year's and ramp up of coaching salaries have everyone in the MAC scrambling to keep up. Talk of improving basketball facilities is at the forefront now more so than football facilities.

Mid Major competitors in the Midwest have taken some hits. Butler left the Horizon, Creighton the MVC. North Dakota State wins a game in the NCAAs and loses its coach to Ohio. Missouri St is rumored to the SBC. Illinois St is positioning itself as a backup for the MAC to NIU should they leave for the AAC.

It's unlikely the MAC would bump the MVC out of 2 bid NCAA territory but could squash the Horizon and Summit to the point where they deserve 2nd bid on their own merits. The new MAC TV deal calls for every MAC TV game to be produced with sub licenced games in local markets every Wednesday and Sunday. You have got to believe it is eventually going to improve recruiting.

(08-19-2014 02:16 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 02:01 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 01:02 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 12:59 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  * No financial terms were revealed. While Dr. Jon Steinbrecher would go so far as to say it puts us with the other GO5 conferences he stated all parties involved were contractually obligated to keep the compensation package a private matter. I've seen articles which says the deal is "more than 100 million", that would put the floor at about 700K per year per school. Hopefully it's closer to 120 million which would bring the MAC in line with CUSA and the Sun Belt.

Good luck to the SBC in their next negotiation but they are currently no where near what the MAC just received and what C-USA currently gets.

What exactly would be the big driver behind the Sun Belt getting C-USA or MAC like money? I am not sure I see it.

I'm not sure the Sun Belt can command MAC like money but we have added good football-centric schools, we are often beating our G5 brothers in head to head competition and we do have several top 100 TV markets in our conference so I think we can at least get a raise.

My prediction at this point is a 100 million dollar deal for the CUSA and about 60 million invested in the SBC when they have their look-in.

What's hurting the SBC is they are square at the bottom of the FBS food chain so if any movement happens at the P5 or AAC level they end up feeling it by losing some quality schools. This will make any network worried about investing too long term into the SBC. Still, as a G5 conference you should be looking at a 50-60 million commitment over the length of a TV contract from a network.

Maybe the SBC should try for 18 schools and 3 divisions for a coast 2 coast model.....that idea has shown promise before but conferences have backed off once they discovered they didn't have to do it to survive. Time for the SBC to get creative.

More likely to be a 9 school conference if a couple of teams leave.

(08-21-2014 01:53 AM)GoApps70 Wrote:  More likely to be a 9 school conference if a couple of teams leave.

That is not how you are going to get yourself closer to a 9 figure TV deal.

Go for a coast 2 coast model and pick up schools like NDSU which like App State and Georgia Southern play some really good football. That is path I see for the SBC if they want to stake a claim as the best G5 conference.

Retreat back into a smaller footprint and forget about it.

With this TV deal the MAC has more protection against a conference raid. Its obvious at this point since CUSA money is about a push plus an additional 1.2 million for most MAC members (600k for NIU/Buffalo) in travel costs that it has no shot at raiding the MAC.

What about the AAC? The new MAC deal does afford the MAC some protection from an AAC raid due to the 9 figure size and length of term.

Scenario 1:The AAC loses UC and UConn to the B12. The AAC needs to backfill but now their TV contract is void. No MAC school is going to want to move to the AAC with the hope they can pull it together when they have a 9 figure deal where they are at.

Scenario 2: The AAC exercises a look-in provision and increases its contract value to 200 million. Does this threaten the MAC? It really doesn't because they can point to their next look-in period 2 or 3 years down the road and aim for 200 million. ESPN has been willing to lay out 124 million for the MAC so 200 million in 5 years time is not an inconceivable increase if that is where the market is for the AAC/MWC.

Scenario 3: The AAC expands and adds Army. This is the only situation that threatens the MAC because the AAC TV deal would still be valid and boosting value with Army added. The only school that I can see the AAC interested from the MAC in this scenario would be Northern Illinois because they are already getting a presence in upstate NY with Army and would have UC in Ohio. NIU has a unique Chicagoland presence that isn't replicated anywhere else in the G5 plus they have CFP bowl tradition with an Orange Bowl in 2013.

The MAC would survive just fine without NIU as they could add Illinois State as a replacement and upgrade basketball in the process while the MVC/Horizon take membership hits.

If BYU were to join the AAC which I highly doubt because they make 7-8 mil a year from ESPN and have the fan following to secure bowl deals, even in that scenario I think NIU is still the best add because of that Chicagoland market. Biggest G5 market and best quality G5 FB program among the MAC/CUSA/SBC targets the AAC could look at.

Buffalo to move on needs a decade of solid FB/BB success. Ohio has super low travel costs in the MAC and likes the in-state schools for basketball. Toledo has the lowest travel of all MAC schools within 4-5 hours from everybody. The other schools are struggling too much with performance and fans to be considered for another conference.