Until Comcast gets off its butt and inks ESPNU it doesn't do me a bit of good. It will be good for the WAC, but ESPN needs broader distribution for the U.
If I'm reading the article correctly, then Yoda was correct in his statement on the Scout board.
It looks like, if you have the digital package with Time-Warner, ESPNU comes with it as part of the "basic" package. No need to purchase higher tier sports packages to get ESPNU. This is BIG!
Another thing I liked in the article was, the ACC saying that they may not have a whole lot of content to provide to ESPNU, but they'll have "some". This means, that once the WAC signs a deal with ESPNU, we'll likely have more "face-time" in ACC country and the East Coast.
ESPNU is a mover and shaker, and we better have an agreement with them before football season, or the WAC and Karl deserve a swift kick.
Don't screw around too much longer people. Time is a tickin.
It's easy to get a deal. Just offer ESPN the rights to use all of our product for free.
The problem is, there's getting a deal and then there's getting a good deal. ESPN has been neotiating from a position of strength and the WAC has apparently grown tired of responding "Yes sir. Right away sir!". We turnded down their offer last year because it wasn't good enough. ESPN may or may not offer again in the next week or so (if they are trying to do something by the Presidents meetings) or later (if they are not). But if the offer (assuming that it comes at all) isn't good enough, then we would likely turn them down again.
And I say "Bravo!" to that. If we are going to extend our ESPN contract -- which we will if there is to be an agreement -- then we delay the day that we can pit ESPN and CSTV against each other. They are going to have to pay us for that. The closer that we get to the end of the current contract, the more it will cost them so hopefully, they recognize that and will be a little more generous this time around.
Yoda out...
Yoda - I agree.
But the WAC needs to be reasonable here.
ESPN is paying the WAC $1 mil a year to play up to 10 games on ESPN/ESPN2. This contract goes to the end of the 2009 season.
What's a good dollar figure for the WAC to play on ESPNU? I know it depends on what content...and the amount of content the WAC will provide. But the WAC needs to be "open" to ESPNU's overtures.
I'd push for a separate ESPNU contract that runs to the end of the '09 season, then consolidate the two contracts into the 2010 contract.
The WAC will be "way" better off by playing on ESPNU starting with the '07 season.
I would agree that the WAC needs to be reasonable but I would argue that insisting on a fair price for your product is the reasonable thing to do.
This isn't being driven by what we show on ESPNU. It is being driven by an increased rights fee and increased exposure (particularly for men's basketball on ESPN/ESPN2) on our side and by access to our product for ESPNU on their part.
The issues cannot be separated into separate contracts as you suggest because the negotiations, if they happen, will involve product on all the primary ESPN channels.
Yoda out...
If you do a deal with ESPN, you do it with all their networks in mind. The Big Ten and SEC do not have content on ESPNU (Big Ten does in basketball, but not footbal) and they stipulated to only ESPN/ESPN2 to protect their regional TV interests.
mattsarz Wrote:If you do a deal with ESPN, you do it with all their networks in mind.
Why? What is stopping a conference from stipulating in their contract with ESPN that they have other options if ESPN doesn't broadcast a game?
Hawaii is so excited about ESPNU, that the channel will be "live" come Friday instead of in August like initially planned.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/p...00377/1032
If the WAC doesn't have a deal with ESPNU by August, it will be a black-day for the conference.
ejmpalle Wrote:mattsarz Wrote:If you do a deal with ESPN, you do it with all their networks in mind.
Why? What is stopping a conference from stipulating in their contract with ESPN that they have other options if ESPN doesn't broadcast a game?
You don't stipulate in a contract with ESPN. ESPN stipulates in a contract with you. At least if you are a non-AQ conference.
ESPN would refuse to agree to the deal if you tried to do that. Never threaten in a contract negotiation unless you are truely able to walk away from the deal. They are. We aren't.
They allow only one national contract. We can do a regional deal -- If I recall, we can do a deal now regionally that makes us available in all the states in which we have a school, plus all the states immediately abutting the states in which we have a school, and in no other state.
Yoda out...