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MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
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Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Offline
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MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
http://deadspin.com/mac-commissioner-squ...1656711202

-Nobody from the MAC knows what the terms are.

-MAC Football had 10 less games on real TV this year

-MAC no longer has a regional TV deal

-ESPN seems to own everything now

-Commissioner gave away everything including existing 3rd tier revenue streams

-Present value of money over 13 years (inflation), minus 3rd tier rights revenue (ie Miami All-Access, large start-up equipment costs, on-going production cost equals this $10 million being a financial mirage and not much better than the existing $1.4 million per year.

Maybe if the terms weren't secret it would look better, but right now this new TV deal looks horrible and he locked all the schools in and gave away the farm to ESPN for 13 years. 13!
11-10-2014 08:36 PM
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MUHERD76 Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
(11-10-2014 08:36 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  http://deadspin.com/mac-commissioner-squ...1656711202

-Nobody from the MAC knows what the terms are.

-MAC Football had 10 less games on real TV this year

-MAC no longer has a regional TV deal

-ESPN seems to own everything now

-Commissioner gave away everything including existing 3rd tier revenue streams

-Present value of money over 13 years (inflation), minus 3rd tier rights revenue (ie Miami All-Access, large start-up equipment costs, on-going production cost equals this $10 million being a financial mirage and not much better than the existing $1.4 million per year.

Maybe if the terms weren't secret it would look better, but right now this new TV deal looks horrible and he locked all the schools in and gave away the farm to ESPN for 13 years. 13!

My gosh. 13 years is crazy. Hopefully the amount of TV revenue you got far outweighs the length of it. Did not know you guys lost your regional deal.
11-10-2014 08:56 PM
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HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Offline
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Post: #3
RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
Talk about an independence sMACked down!
11-10-2014 09:50 PM
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stever20 Online
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
guess maybe UMass wasn't stupid after all :)
11-10-2014 10:53 PM
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SuperFlyBCat Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
(11-10-2014 08:36 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  http://deadspin.com/mac-commissioner-squ...1656711202

-Nobody from the MAC knows what the terms are.

-MAC Football had 10 less games on real TV this year

-MAC no longer has a regional TV deal

-ESPN seems to own everything now

-Commissioner gave away everything including existing 3rd tier revenue streams

-Present value of money over 13 years (inflation), minus 3rd tier rights revenue (ie Miami All-Access, large start-up equipment costs, on-going production cost equals this $10 million being a financial mirage and not much better than the existing $1.4 million per year.

Maybe if the terms weren't secret it would look better, but right now this new TV deal looks horrible and he locked all the schools in and gave away the farm to ESPN for 13 years. 13!

As I have posted before you don't want your games on Tuesday/Wed Night. Fans just can't make it to the stadium, tailgate, and do that that stuff. A game or so on Thursday or Friday is OK for a fan base. Some MAC fans disagree with me, OK.
11-10-2014 10:59 PM
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Attackcoog Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
This reminds me a lot of the media contract the Mountain West signed that created 'The Mountain" and pretty much cost the conference BYU's membership. For BYU, the biggest point of contention was the ability to rebroadcast BYU games after they had originally aired elsewhere. Thompsons office reviewed the contract and sent out a summary, but never released the full contract to the schools prior to getting them all to sign on. The schools relied upon the summary produced by the league office to make their decision. The summary indicated that the rebroadcast rights were included for BYU. As it turned out, they were not. BYU was assured that it was just an oversight and that their media partners would see to it that it was taken care of---but they were never able to get anything in writing and verbal agreements fell apart with changes in management and turnover in executive personnel. Eventually, BYU grew frustrated and simply left the conference in order to regain their full broadcast rights. They did, and still do, feel that the MW offices misrepresented the contract.

This situations has some eerie similarities. By the way, who is doing this interview? It sounds more like a deposition than an interview. I'm surprised that the interview goes on as long as it does, but its clear the schools had no way of knowing exactly what they were signing and relied entirely on the league office interpretation of the document---just like BYU and the MW schools did. The MW spent many years trying to get out from under that contract and was only able to renegotiate the terms of the deal in 2012 when the Mountain was closed down (mainly because the Mountain was contractually required---thus, shutting down the Mountain was in effect a breach of that contract).
(This post was last modified: 11-11-2014 01:45 AM by Attackcoog.)
11-11-2014 01:32 AM
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Kittonhead Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
(11-10-2014 08:36 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  -Present value of money over 13 years (inflation), minus 3rd tier rights revenue (ie Miami All-Access, large start-up equipment costs, on-going production cost equals this $10 million being a financial mirage and not much better than the existing $1.4 million per year.

One factor forgotten......the MAC resigned with ESPN half way through its existing contract. What is to say the MAC won't upgrade the financial terms in another 5 more years upward once the AAC goes for its next contract?

The 2010-2020 decade is going to go down as a big decade of change like was the case of the 70's when the NCAA split into 3 divisions. Once the full cost of attendance filters through the system you won't have very much top flight competition from non-FBS conferences. Big East will keep in the game and probably the WCC with the deep pockets those schools have. Big West, WAC, Big Sky are in trouble.

What this means is the investment the MAC is making in production equipment now will bear its fruits in a couple of years with increased competitiveness.
11-11-2014 01:32 AM
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uakronkid Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
When the amount of the deal came out, I argued that the payout was about half what it should be. This only confirms my suspicions.
11-11-2014 10:59 AM
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CommuterBob Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
That's just...sad.
11-11-2014 11:08 AM
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oliveandblue Offline
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Post: #10
RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
Not be a conspiracy theorist, but it's almost as if ESPN is trying to pick winners and losers with all of the new legislation and P5 "allowances" appearing on the horizon.

They know that with every penny they squeeze, it will make things just a little bit harder to finance down the road. This just may be how they eliminate most, if not all, of the G5.
(This post was last modified: 11-11-2014 11:13 AM by oliveandblue.)
11-11-2014 11:11 AM
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Kittonhead Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
(11-11-2014 10:59 AM)uakronkid Wrote:  When the amount of the deal came out, I argued that the payout was about half what it should be. This only confirms my suspicions.

The MAC did not sign a GOR for this deal as was speculated in the year leading up to the negotiations.

The investment level by ESPN is $124 million for the MAC. That is what they are spending on the AAC albeit in shorter length of contract term.

The AAC's TV deal with ESPN may be voided if they lose 2 schools. That isn't the case for the MAC. The Eastern Michigan's and Bowling Green's are well protected.
11-11-2014 11:27 AM
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EmeryZach Offline
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Post: #12
RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
ESPN's founder Bill Rasmussen's first network was a sports network dedicated to UMass athletics. We have a lot of friends still at ESPN. Payback? 05-stirthepot
[Image: Johnny_Orr.png]

JK. This deal stinks for you guys.
11-11-2014 11:36 AM
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Kittonhead Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
(11-11-2014 11:08 AM)CommuterBob Wrote:  That's just...sad.

The MAC has a set of investment criteria that it wants all schools to follow so part of pursing the production equipment is forcing the EMU's and BGSU's to pony up if they want to stay in the game.

The MAC commish wants the conference to contend nationally. In a few sports in already does like Soccer and Wrestling. Some sports like Baseball are going to be really tough to contend with. Basketball is a target sport for improvement.
11-11-2014 11:40 AM
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
This isn't the first time a conference has announced or leaked that it is receiving X dollars in TV money when the figure was inflated because production costs would be subtracted from the amount actually paid. What is actually interesting is how various leagues have dealt with it on the books. Some have had the conference pay the production and distribute whatever is left over to schools while others send the money to the schools and let the schools carry the production costs on their books (a very popular solution because it inflates the conference distribution and allows the school to tout a larger athletic budget).
11-11-2014 12:41 PM
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Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
http://www.theguardianonline.com/sports/...r-tv-deal/

Horizon League has a better TV deal than the MAC. More games on real ESPN, more games on real TV including American Sports Network and various other local TV.

AND all basketball games on ESPN3.

OVC will too.

MAC settled for and locked into a 13-year deal with little or no "net" income for a deal that will be offered to EVERY non-football, FCS, and D2 conference.

I'd like to see Miami leave the MAC, its that pathetic. Miami could join the Horizon League and park football in UAB's spot in CUSA and be much better off.

Miami's 2-year old hockey conference has a better TV deal.
11-11-2014 12:46 PM
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Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
Its gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack when trying to find a MAC game on ESPN3 among the sea of Horizon League, OVC, Mercer, Liberty and D2/D3 games on ESPN3.

All these leagues could have just kept them all on their conference websites with their own Digital Networks and been better off with more potential viewers (billions vs 90 million), more control for real TV, more growth opps. There is no exclusiveness in ESPN3 when everybody and anybody can be on and you have to spend money to produce it yourself and then hand it over to ESPN to whatever they please.

AAC / MWC made the right calls keeping their own digital rights and CUSA going the OTA route with ASN. Sun Belt and MAC are fools.

Every half-ass conference listed under the Roku WatchESPN conference channel section will get this same deal the MAC took.

Atlantic Sun, MAAC, AEC, OVC, Horizon, Southland, D2, Mercer, Big South, SoCon, Liberty..... Its a who's who of mediocrity.
.
(This post was last modified: 11-11-2014 12:54 PM by Miami (Oh) Yeah !.)
11-11-2014 12:51 PM
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
(11-11-2014 11:27 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  
(11-11-2014 10:59 AM)uakronkid Wrote:  When the amount of the deal came out, I argued that the payout was about half what it should be. This only confirms my suspicions.

The MAC did not sign a GOR for this deal as was speculated in the year leading up to the negotiations.

The investment level by ESPN is $124 million for the MAC. That is what they are spending on the AAC albeit in shorter length of contract term.

The AAC's TV deal with ESPN may be voided if they lose 2 schools. That isn't the case for the MAC. The Eastern Michigan's and Bowling Green's are well protected.

Do you know this for a fact? It was definitely being discussed. I seriously hope not.

And right on, my only hope is that these media funds are not distributed equally across league membership. Eastern Michigan hurts the leagues image more than it helps in multiple sports and has no business collecting an equal share. I doubt any of this additional money is from ESPN saying they want to lock up the exclusive rights to EMU sports long term.
(This post was last modified: 11-11-2014 01:12 PM by HuskieTap22.)
11-11-2014 01:09 PM
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
The MAC presidents sound like a bunch of idiots. Why would you sign a contract without the details?
11-11-2014 01:19 PM
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Attackcoog Offline
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RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
(11-11-2014 01:19 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  The MAC presidents sound like a bunch of idiots. Why would you sign a contract without the details?

The MW did the exact same thing when they signed the previous Comcast-CBS-Sport media deal (then they spent years trying to get out of it).

Frankly, I think CUSA has this one right. Sign short duration 6 year deals. The networks do not offer G5 schools enough money to sign anything longer.
(This post was last modified: 11-11-2014 01:31 PM by Attackcoog.)
11-11-2014 01:30 PM
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lance99 Offline
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Re: RE: MAC Commissioner Squirms with questions regarding MAC/ESPN TV deal.
(11-11-2014 01:09 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  
(11-11-2014 11:27 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  
(11-11-2014 10:59 AM)uakronkid Wrote:  When the amount of the deal came out, I argued that the payout was about half what it should be. This only confirms my suspicions.

The MAC did not sign a GOR for this deal as was speculated in the year leading up to the negotiations.

The investment level by ESPN is $124 million for the MAC. That is what they are spending on the AAC albeit in shorter length of contract term.

The AAC's TV deal with ESPN may be voided if they lose 2 schools. That isn't the case for the MAC. The Eastern Michigan's and Bowling Green's are well protected.

Do you know this for a fact? It was definitely being discussed. I seriously hope not.

And right on, my only hope is that these media funds are not distributed equally across league membership. Eastern Michigan hurts the leagues image more than it helps in multiple sports and has no business collecting an equal share. I doubt any of this additional money is from ESPN saying they want to lock up the exclusive rights to EMU sports long term.

That was I thinking. Will the $$$ be given on a sliding scale?

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11-11-2014 01:50 PM
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