So...I'm a "fan" of Fox Ohio on Facebook and they're bragging about their televised high school football games. I ask "How can Fox Ohio justify broadcasting local high school football games, but not local Division IA College football games (ie. MAC)?"
The response:
"We produce the high school football games ourselves. MAC has agreements with multiple networks for their games. It's not a matter of what we can justify. It's a matter of rights to the MAC."
By "multiple networks", do they mean ESPN 360 and the crappy all MACcess PPV online streaming? Fox Ohio use to at least have a MAC game of the week on Saturdays. Are they saying that the MAC sold rights pretty much to ESPN, even though ESPN only will show a MAC game on one of their networks if it's midweek or via PPV? Why can't the MAC work out an agreement to have Fox Ohio get a Saturday game each week if ESPN just wants weeknight games and PPV rights?
(10-23-2009 02:51 PM)Bobcat110 Wrote: [ -> ]So...I'm a "fan" of Fox Ohio on Facebook and they're bragging about their televised high school football games. I ask "How can Fox Ohio justify broadcasting local high school football games, but not local Division IA College football games (ie. MAC)?"
The response:
"We produce the high school football games ourselves. MAC has agreements with multiple networks for their games. It's not a matter of what we can justify. It's a matter of rights to the MAC."
By "multiple networks", do they mean ESPN 360 and the crappy all MACcess PPV online streaming? Fox Ohio use to at least have a MAC game of the week on Saturdays. Are they saying that the MAC sold rights pretty much to ESPN, even though ESPN only will show a MAC game on one of their networks if it's midweek or via PPV? Why can't the MAC work out an agreement to have Fox Ohio get a Saturday game each week if ESPN just wants weeknight games and PPV rights?
I just watched the Ball State weekly football show on Fox down here in S Fl.They did a nice preview on BSU and EMU. Plenty of footage.They did flash the MAC schedule for the week.Ohio U and Akron is on now.This is excellent.
(10-23-2009 02:51 PM)Bobcat110 Wrote: [ -> ]So...I'm a "fan" of Fox Ohio on Facebook and they're bragging about their televised high school football games. I ask "How can Fox Ohio justify broadcasting local high school football games, but not local Division IA College football games (ie. MAC)?"
The response:
"We produce the high school football games ourselves. MAC has agreements with multiple networks for their games. It's not a matter of what we can justify. It's a matter of rights to the MAC."
That statement is correct.
TV rights belong to the ESPN group. They produce, distribute, etc. MAC home games in return for financial considerations.
The exception is the home team has rights to their games not picked up by ESPN group.
A Toledo station can negotiate with UT to show a UT home game not shown on any ESPN station.
Do remember however that the away team doesn't have TV rights.
If Toledo plays at Pittsburgh the rights belong to Pittsburgh.
I believe a Toledo station would have to negotiate with Pittsburgh.
However the Big East has TV rights packages which need to be honored.
I'm sure Matts can clarify more.
(10-23-2009 03:08 PM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ]TV rights belong to the ESPN group. They produce, distribute, etc. MAC home games in return for financial considerations.
The exception is the home team has rights to their games not picked up by ESPN group.
What qualifies as "picked up"? Since most games are on ESPN360, is that "picked up" and not eligible for local broadcast/cable? Seems pretty restrictive if ESPN prevents broadcasting on a local broadcast or cable channel if they aren't providing anything more than a limited online stream.
Who is providing financial considerations? Is the MAC paying ESPN to do this? Or does ESPN compensate the MAC? Do the financial considerations for a streaming event greatly outweigh the marketing appeal of having the MAC visible on a broadcast/cable channel?
If home team has rights, is this why Fox Ohio only carries Kent and Akron football games when they do show a MAC matchup? So, somehow Kent and Akron have managed to negotiate with Fox Ohio their rights and no other team has taken advantage of this for their home games? Just wondering if Fox Ohio has a crush on Akron and Kent, or Kent and Akron are just smarter at getting their games on Fox OHio?
It seemed like the MAC was becoming more visible on TV/Cable a few years ago, but have regressed to primarily online streaming/PPV. The MAC seemed to have some higher quality teams a few years ago too. I wonder if it was a result of more TV coverage that teams were able to recruit better, or if there was more tv coverage because the teams were better.
Kent and Akron are the ones on Fox because KSU provides the production from its communication school hence you see games not far away. Ball St. also does this and works with Fox to do the same.
(10-23-2009 06:33 PM)Bobcat110 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-23-2009 03:08 PM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ]TV rights belong to the ESPN group. They produce, distribute, etc. MAC home games in return for financial considerations.
The exception is the home team has rights to their games not picked up by ESPN group.
What qualifies as "picked up"? Since most games are on ESPN360, is that "picked up" and not eligible for local broadcast/cable? Seems pretty restrictive if ESPN prevents broadcasting on a local broadcast or cable channel if they aren't providing anything more than a limited online stream.
Who is providing financial considerations? Is the MAC paying ESPN to do this? Or does ESPN compensate the MAC? Do the financial considerations for a streaming event greatly outweigh the marketing appeal of having the MAC visible on a broadcast/cable channel?
If home team has rights, is this why Fox Ohio only carries Kent and Akron football games when they do show a MAC matchup? So, somehow Kent and Akron have managed to negotiate with Fox Ohio their rights and no other team has taken advantage of this for their home games? Just wondering if Fox Ohio has a crush on Akron and Kent, or Kent and Akron are just smarter at getting their games on Fox OHio?
It seemed like the MAC was becoming more visible on TV/Cable a few years ago, but have regressed to primarily online streaming/PPV. The MAC seemed to have some higher quality teams a few years ago too. I wonder if it was a result of more TV coverage that teams were able to recruit better, or if there was more tv coverage because the teams were better.
Comcast Sportsnet Chicago carries several NIU football games every year(started a few years back and we just extended our contract for 3 more years). It is a bit unclear but it liiks like the new Comcast contract may include a few b-ball games in the coming years.
So having the footprint in the 4th largest media market is helping us how again?
I scanned the replies. Couple comments:
1). Yes, the MAC picks up the production, distribution costs, etc. and pays the MAC say 1M per year (total, not per team). 15 years ago the MAC PAID the production costs to produce a few games a year. TV back then was an expense item, not an income item for the MAC.
2). NIU, Akron, KSU, BSU, etc. can produce their own home games if the games are not on ESPN/2/U/360, the Game of the Week, etc. package. As indicated, some schools have their own 'in house' television capabilities.
3). I'm not sure how MAC Access, Eagle Vision, etc. fit into the deal. I've watched some EMU FB games this year on Eagle Vision.
I assume close to 100% of MAC home games can be seen on some media be it ESPN family, local media, or Internet pay to view.
Hope I have my details approximately correct.
(10-24-2009 07:58 AM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ]I scanned the replies. Couple comments:
1). Yes, the MAC picks up the production, distribution costs, etc. and pays the MAC say 1M per year (total, not per team). 15 years ago the MAC PAID the production costs to produce a few games a year. TV back then was an expense item, not an income item for the MAC.
2). NIU, Akron, KSU, BSU, etc. can produce their own home games if the games are not on ESPN/2/U/360, the Game of the Week, etc. package. As indicated, some schools have their own 'in house' television capabilities.
3). I'm not sure how MAC Access, Eagle Vision, etc. fit into the deal. I've watched some EMU FB games this year on Eagle Vision.
I assume close to 100% of MAC home games can be seen on some media be it ESPN family, local media, or Internet pay to view.
Hope I have my details approximately correct.
Thanks for explaining. I'm not liking the MAC's approach. I think they need to balance income and exposure. I know three years ago, I saw Ohio play at least six games (pretty sure it was more) on TV because I burned them to DVD for a team member's parent. This year, the only time I've been able to see them on TV is when I paid $30 for the Tennessee PPV game. MAC-Access is just a headache to work and watch. Real exciting calling my OU buddies over for beers so we can gather around a 17" computer screen to watch a choppy/grainy internet feed after missing the 1st quarter because of issues trying to pay for, sign in and get the feed to work. Additionally, no average/casual fan is going to seek out those games.
Sounds like some of it is Ohio's fault then too? It sounds like they could produce their own games and put them on Fox Ohio like Kent/Akron or Columbus stations but choose not to? Of course, Ohio's ahletic department couldn't be any more screwed up. They probably couldn't afford to buy a videotape and rent a camera, much less pay for TV broadcasts. Are other MAC schools as financially effed up? Ohio's had to cut lots of scholarship sports. They couldn't pay Northwestern to visit Athens a couple of years back, so they switched the game to be played at Northwestern. I think they cancelled a visit from Virginia Tech all together three years or so ago. And now, they're charging $30 for MAC home games which is more than about 25 BCS teams charge for tickets (no youth discounts, senior discounts or general admission tickets, although you could buy a family of four season pass for $100
).
The MAC and Ohio are certainly making it a lot of effort to be a fan. I guess they figure it's better to have fewer fans who are dedicated enough to spend more money on PPV and higher priced tickets than to try and draw in new or casual fans. If 80% of your revenue is from 20% of your clients, then let's bleed those 20% some more and dump the other 80%.
Thanks again
Bobcat110:
Doesn Ohio U have a network they televise occassional games on?
Something like Ohio News Network????
(10-24-2009 11:38 AM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ]Bobcat110:
Doesn Ohio U have a network they televise occassional games on?
Something like Ohio News Network????
They used to do a few. I think it was called the Ohio Sports Network (OSN) that was picked up by the CW local affiliate in Columbus, but they must have dropped it due to financial issues. We're 8 games into the season and the only time they've been on TV is the $30 PPV from Tennessee.
I know every KSU game has been on either one of the ESPNs or on the $29 per year KSU (MACcess) video feed. One might have been on Fox, but I know all have been one somewhere.
Always irks me that Sports Time Ohio (STO) shows all these Ohio hicgh school and DIII games but nothing from the MAC schools, but I guess FOX has 1st dibs.
(10-24-2009 04:16 PM)axeme Wrote: [ -> ]I know every KSU game has been on either one of the ESPNs or on the $29 per year KSU (MACcess) video feed. One might have been on Fox, but I know all have been one somewhere.
maybe a good task for next year is to determine the total number of games (conf and OOC) with a MAC team which are available on TV or a pay per view Internet access. I'd guess the percentage is north of say 85 or 90% (just a guess).
Actually, most D-1A games are and suprisingly number of lower division (e.g. D-II) games are TV or pay per view Internet.
GLIAC (D-II) has an excellent arrangement with the B2 network for their FB and basketball games.
BG signed an agreement with B2 networks this year. They are still working out the kinks and schedules but I hope to see some BG basketball & hockey this season. I've tried to use it twice. Once for the Troy @ BG game and it was a failure but got my money back. Again for the Boise @ BG game and it worked ok. Similar quality to All MAC Access webstreaming. The one thing they do offer is that they will allow you to buy the game for replay. You can download the game and burn the DVD yourself I believe. I haven't tried that yet.
I will say, it takes some effort to know where and how to see MAC games. We are all over the place but I agree with EMUSteve, a high percentage are available in some form or fashion. The only two BG games I did not see were Marshall and Missouri. Missouri was on but as a PPV I chose not to pay. I refuse to give money to any BCS conference team as long as the current insane post season structure exists.
(10-25-2009 08:20 AM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ]maybe a good task for next year is to determine the total number of games (conf and OOC) with a MAC team which are available on TV or a pay per view Internet access. I'd guess the percentage is north of say 85 or 90% (just a guess).
Actually, most D-1A games are and suprisingly number of lower division (e.g. D-II) games are TV or pay per view Internet.
GLIAC (D-II) has an excellent arrangement with the B2 network for their FB and basketball games.
Actually, an OU fan has been tracking the MAC TV schedule week by week:
http://bobcatattack.com/messageboard/top...PID=188430
Scroll down to see weeks 1-7.
As mentioned, Ohio's only available TV game eight weeks into this season was a $30 PPV versus Tennessee. Other than that, they will play a Tuesday night game vs. Buffalo on ESPN2 in Week 11 and
maybe get on ESPNU PPV in week 13. Once an entire season on a regular cable/tv channel and once (maybe twice) on a ppv/premium is horrible.
Pay per view internet is how I see most MAC games plus ESPN 360. Honestly, as a BG fan I've been fortunate with TV/internet coverage for several years. Now with ESPNU & ESPN360 available with COMCAST, I never need Gameplan anymore. I think I will be able to see BG play 10 of 12 games this year while living in Atlanta. I could have paid to see them at Missouri but chose not to. Marshall was on a local channel I couldn't get.
Miami is producing a telecast of this weeks Toledo game to be shown on ONN. All of our home hockey games are on ONN, and there will be a few men's and women's basketball games. However, because of the FoxSportsOhio contract, the football and basketball games (hockey is seen statewide) can only be shown in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas, and the area of our opponent. So good news for UT fans, the game should be available on ONN in the the Toledo area.
(10-24-2009 11:38 AM)emu steve Wrote: [ -> ]Bobcat110:
Doesn Ohio U have a network they televise occassional games on?
Something like Ohio News Network????
Ohio about 2 years ago had a fantastic deal with the Gauardian Television Netowork (GTN) that produced 6 FB games and 8-9 basketball games for broadcast in Central Ohio.
That came to the end as GTN was sold by another entity.
Ohio at one time was involved with ONN but opted out in the season when they first added GTN, giving the ONN package to Miami. I think there is interest on the part of Ohio to sign a deal with another independent station in Columbus if available.
It does sound that sense the MAC is requesting all schools to not play non-league games withing the final 6 weeks of the season that we'll see an expansion of the mid week package into MAC mid week package into October, with some more early season ESPN games assuming CUSA hits the road in another year for CBS College Sports.