Hello all,

I am interested in learning more about the Sun Belt's current television contracts, how long they are set to last, and how much they are worth per member. Additionally, I am wondering whether the Sun Belt has done anything is being done to get the league on TV more. I don't mean just an ESPN outlet. I mean anything: SportsSouth, Fox RSN, American Sports Network... anything. I can't figure out how C-USA, and especially the SoCon, the CAA, and others can get on that American Sports Network syndication while we can't. I know the Sun Belt has a ways to go getting its name out there and winning more non-conference games, but for goodness' sake, we are an FBS conference. There has to be more demand for our games than just ESPN3, right?

By the way, I'm new to the board, so let me introduce myself. I'm an '04 graduate of App State who went to his first game in three years this past Saturday. It was rainy as could be, but it was a blast.

IIRC, our current contract runs out in 2135, and it's ironclad with no chance of us being on anything other then an ESPN outlet, ever.

Can't get on other major networks like fox or cbs as long as they have a contract with ESPN. All games are at least on ESPN 3. No G5 conference outside maybe the AAC will get even a decent deal.

The SBC needs to get out of this mess they've got us all in. Unfreakingbelievable.

ESPN3 is pretty much available everywhere.

ASN isn't available for the majority of the country.

I'd rather be on ESPN3.

(10-06-2015 08:27 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Hello all,

I am interested in learning more about the Sun Belt's current television contracts, how long they are set to last, and how much they are worth per member. Additionally, I am wondering whether the Sun Belt has done anything is being done to get the league on TV more. I don't mean just an ESPN outlet. I mean anything: SportsSouth, Fox RSN, American Sports Network... anything. I can't figure out how C-USA, and especially the SoCon, the CAA, and others can get on that American Sports Network syndication while we can't. I know the Sun Belt has a ways to go getting its name out there and winning more non-conference games, but for goodness' sake, we are an FBS conference. There has to be more demand for our games than just ESPN3, right?

By the way, I'm new to the board, so let me introduce myself. I'm an '04 graduate of App State who went to his first game in three years this past Saturday. It was rainy as could be, but it was a blast.

ESPN does not allow us to sublet 2nd tier rights to another network. Schools may broadcast games on their own at the 3rd tier level. As for ASN, they are not paying for any of their rights. The big thing is that most sun belt cities do not have an ASN affiliate locally, so most fans are not able to watch those games. Espn3 is nationwide and is far more widely distributed. It works out okay, though we would like more main channel distribution

(10-06-2015 09:33 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  ESPN3 is pretty much available everywhere.

ASN isn't available for the majority of the country.

I'd rather be on ESPN3.

Agreed. I can watch all SBC games right now. With ASN I would get zero. The extra money, if any, would be under a million per school. If that amount is going to make a difference, then you have a bigger budgeting problem.

Im thinking a MAC style deal might be possible. ESPN has sold the over-the-air rights to ASN for some MAC games, but retained the digital rights to those same games. The result is these games appear on ASN affiliates and on ESPN-3. Its extra exposure. That's probably the best case scenario for the Sunbelt until the current agreement expires or is renegotiated.

(10-06-2015 08:43 AM)Usajags Wrote:  IIRC, our current contract runs out in 2135, and it's ironclad with no chance of us being on anything other then an ESPN outlet, ever.

You need to translate that to a star date

163209.952

(10-06-2015 11:09 AM)panama Wrote:  

(10-06-2015 08:43 AM)Usajags Wrote:  IIRC, our current contract runs out in 2135, and it's ironclad with no chance of us being on anything other then an ESPN outlet, ever.

You need to translate that to a star date

163209.952

there will be a man on Mars before the SBC gets a new TV deal. Well at least on his way, it does take 9 months to get there.

(10-06-2015 09:58 AM)slycat Wrote:  

(10-06-2015 09:33 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  ESPN3 is pretty much available everywhere.

ASN isn't available for the majority of the country.

I'd rather be on ESPN3.

Agreed. I can watch all SBC games right now. With ASN I would get zero. The extra money, if any, would be under a million per school. If that amount is going to make a difference, then you have a bigger budgeting problem.

You would be surprised the places ASN reaches. I don't think anyone is saying dump ESPN3 for ASN. However, have one ASN broadcast OTA every week. For example, Liberty vs Gardner-Webb will be on CH 28 in Raleigh at 7pm. I much rather watch FBS TXST vs ULL. Next contract, Give ESPN first right to TV Broadcast with ASN getting to choose whoever doesn't get picked with ESPN3 broadcasting the rest of your games.

About American Sports Network
ASN is a division of Sinclair Networks Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., the largest and one of the most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country with 164 television stations it owns, operates and/or provides services to in 79 markets, broadcasting 384 channels. Sinclair's portfolio reaches approximately 43 million television households and is affiliated with all the major networks. In addition, ASN's content is syndicated to other broadcasters and regional sports networks. ASN, which launched in August 2014, produced 250 college events in nine sports in its first year and plans to air more than 375 events in the 2015/2016 academic year.

Thanks for the info everyone.

AttackCoog, I think that MAC style idea would be ideal, too. I'd like some games on regular TV because I'm cheap and don't want to pay $100+ a month for TWC internet plus cable to get ESPN3. $55 a month for internet alone is enough.

Saturday before last ASN had several CUSA games. In Little Rock with an antenna you could have watched ASN, but they didn't carry any of the CUSA games including one that the website said would be on. We got a Division II game featuring two local teams and we got a Southland game.

I don't really like the ASN deal at all which is one of the reasons why I would hate to see any of our Sun Belt teams move to CUSA. If you are lucky enough to have one of the ASN affiliates in the areas where you live you might get to see your team on it but if not you are SOL because they don't steam all of their ASN games. What I would like to see in the next TV deal is a commitment to air at least one Sun Belt game on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN News each week during the regular season and continue to steam the rest. Oh and at least $1 mil per team per year as well!

(10-06-2015 01:02 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  I don't really like the ASN deal at all which is one of the reasons why I would hate to see any of our Sun Belt teams move to CUSA. If you are lucky enough to have one of the ASN affiliates in the areas where you live you might get to see your team on it but if not you are SOL because they don't steam all of their ASN games. What I would like to see in the next TV deal is a commitment to air at least one Sun Belt game on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN News each week during the regular season and continue to steam the rest. Oh and at least $1 mil per team per year as well!

ASN is only two years old, they are still start-up phase so I'm not ready to write it off but it's one thing to show two Arkansas Division II schools in Arkansas and another thing to show a Division III game out of Iowa in Arkansas, which they have done.

It starts becoming a company you keep issue.

(10-06-2015 01:08 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(10-06-2015 01:02 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  I don't really like the ASN deal at all which is one of the reasons why I would hate to see any of our Sun Belt teams move to CUSA. If you are lucky enough to have one of the ASN affiliates in the areas where you live you might get to see your team on it but if not you are SOL because they don't steam all of their ASN games. What I would like to see in the next TV deal is a commitment to air at least one Sun Belt game on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN News each week during the regular season and continue to steam the rest. Oh and at least $1 mil per team per year as well!

ASN is only two years old, they are still start-up phase so I'm not ready to write it off but it's one thing to show two Arkansas Division II schools in Arkansas and another thing to show a Division III game out of Iowa in Arkansas, which they have done.

It starts becoming a company you keep issue.

Is it safe to presume those DII/DIII schools (or maybe conferences) are paying some of the production costs to get those games on ASN ?

I know that many SoCon members would pay to gain airtime on CSS when it was still around. In the late 1990's the SoCon had a relatively nice deal with SportSouth that ultimately was scuttled when the SoCon leadership pushed to get more basketball coverage.

(10-06-2015 12:15 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Thanks for the info everyone.

AttackCoog, I think that MAC style idea would be ideal, too. I'd like some games on regular TV because I'm cheap and don't want to pay $100+ a month for TWC internet plus cable to get ESPN3. $55 a month for internet alone is enough.

Your in raleigh, I'm currently in garner, you can get a good speed for 40 from twc and get rid of cable if you have any family with cable you can use their online account info to use watch espn and with watch espn you can watch all espn broadcasts, can do the same with cbs sports fox sports and msnbcsports, great way to save money. If you like normal tv a Netflix sub is like 7 bucks and if you want up yo date tv a Hulu sub is like 7 as well that would be about 54 dollars a month for those who don't want to do math.

I'm happy that the majority of our games are on ESPN3. The stream quality is great, I can watch anywhere, and it's free with my internet subscription.

All TV content is moving to that platform in the future, so we're in a good place.

Streaming is the future in my opinion. I cut the cord and have access to Watchespn which streams just as smoothly through an laptop, xbox, or ipad as it does on satellite. In fact most Saturdays I will have all three devices on games. Are there some in the older demographic that can't figure out how to use services like Espn3? Yea but I think that number is shrinking more and more each day and it pales in comparison to the people who have access to ASN. I mean what is that? When WKU played La Tech it was on FS1 which I streamed through Fs go. It was a perfect stream. But when App played ODU on some regional channel that has weird infomercials and random lower level football games it's of no use to me. I'm not buying a freaking antenna in 2015.

I used to pay like 25 bucks/month for WatchESPN when I was outside the country and it included everything. I think we will see that service offered here eventually as it would make things cheaper for the average customer by directing more of the costs to the fans. The fans will have less channels they don't need since a lot of times these things are bundled.

This is one of the few things I agree with Benson on. ESPN3 exposure is valuable.

Cant regional affiliates buy broadcast rights if it is an ESPN3 game?