https://bigskyconf.com/news/2021/6/9/gen...-espn.aspx
https://gogriz.com/news/2021/6/9/footbal...-espn.aspx
Big Sky moving their content from Pluto to ESPN+
ESPNU will televise two football games each year, in addition to one regular-season men's basketball game. The championship games for the Big Sky men's and women's basketball tournaments will also be shown on ESPN networks, marking the first time the Big Sky women's basketball championship game will be broadcast on ESPN linear TV.
Big Sky media rights partner ROOT Sports will also continue to broadcast conference football games, putting the league's contests inside millions of homes nationwide.
ESPN will be pushing Big Sky as a better conference than MWC soon.
ESPN will bury the big sky just like it does all other fcs conferences.
(06-09-2021 09:09 PM)cleburneslim Wrote: [ -> ]ESPN will bury the big sky just like it does all other fcs conferences.
I bet the Big Sky will have more exposure via ESPN+ than it has ever had in its history.
The only people watching will be big sky fans who sought it out. ESPN+ offers no opportunity for growth of a fan base. There will be no casual viewers. If I'm at home and come across a big sky game, which I have, and may and have at times watched. But I won't go to ESPN+ and look up any big sky to watch.
There is no growth such as what comes from televised games. Buried, Relegated to obscurity.
(06-09-2021 09:26 PM)cleburneslim Wrote: [ -> ]The only people watching will be big sky fans who sought it out. ESPN+ offers no opportunity for growth of a fan base. There will be no casual viewers. If I'm at home and come across a big sky game, which I have, and may and have at times watched. But I won't go to ESPN+ and look up any big sky to watch.
There is no growth such as what comes from televised games. Buried, Relegated to obscurity.
Well, as the OP said the agreement does call for two football games a year to be broadcast on ESPNU.
But I think we'd all agree that if every Big Sky game was simulcast on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX, that this would help the Big Sky attract "casual viewers" and grow their fan base. But why on earth would any of those networks do that, given what else they could be airing?
Ditto for ESPN and its channels.
Bottom line for me is that the choice for the Big Sky isn't between ESPN and ESPN+. It's between ESPN+ and PLUTO. And ESPN+ is better than PLUTO. It's better than anything else the Big Sky has ever had.
(06-09-2021 09:36 PM)quo vadis Wrote: [ -> ] (06-09-2021 09:26 PM)cleburneslim Wrote: [ -> ]The only people watching will be big sky fans who sought it out. ESPN+ offers no opportunity for growth of a fan base. There will be no casual viewers. If I'm at home and come across a big sky game, which I have, and may and have at times watched. But I won't go to ESPN+ and look up any big sky to watch.
There is no growth such as what comes from televised games. Buried, Relegated to obscurity.
Well, as the OP said the agreement does call for two football games a year to be broadcast on ESPNU.
But I think we'd all agree that if every Big Sky game was simulcast on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX, that this would help the Big Sky attract "casual viewers" and grow their fan base. But why on earth would any of those networks do that, given what else they could be airing?
Ditto for ESPN and its channels.
Bottom line for me is that the choice for the Big Sky isn't between ESPN and ESPN+. It's between ESPN+ and PLUTO. And ESPN+ is better than PLUTO. It's better than anything else the Big Sky has ever had.
Yep. Pluto served us well and for a free platform I think it was solid. They ran multiple channels for each BSC hosted contest (FB when not on another carrier, VB, WSoc, M&W hoops, and SB) and re-aired events when live games weren't on air. That said no doubt the BSC is improving its bottom line with this move.
Best tweet about this, from Chad Sherwood (@csherwood_1973):
"I swear I will not make a comment about how Goofy it is for them to move from Pluto to Mickey Mouse..... Oh wait...."
(06-09-2021 09:12 PM)quo vadis Wrote: [ -> ] (06-09-2021 09:09 PM)cleburneslim Wrote: [ -> ]ESPN will bury the big sky just like it does all other fcs conferences.
I bet the Big Sky will have more exposure via ESPN+ than it has ever had in its history.
ESPN lost the MWC contract, which means they have a void for Saturday night west coast games on ESPNU. So, instead of UNLV at Wyoming or Nevada at Utah State, they get Montana at Idaho or UC Davis at Northern Arizona. The two games are a minimum, so they could grow it into more games if it works for ESPN and the Big Sky. Looks like a good deal for both sides.
I just assumed that ESPN(U) would draw from CUSA-West for those late night west coast games, but ESPN seems to like owning things outright rather than pay for CBSSN's extras
I'm going to Big Sky HQ in about ten days, I'll see if I can learn a little more about the financial terms.
(06-10-2021 06:18 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote: [ -> ]I just assumed that ESPN(U) would draw from CUSA-West for those late night west coast games, but ESPN seems to like owning things outright rather than pay for CBSSN's extras
I'd be willing to bet that these will be Thursday or Friday games.
ESPN+ honestly has been a boon for the FCS. When App was in the SoCon the entire conference had one weekly game on the state of NC and SC's PBS networks. Now the SoCon will have over 800 games a year play on ESPN+
(06-10-2021 09:46 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote: [ -> ]ESPN+ honestly has been a boon for the FCS. When App was in the SoCon the entire conference had one weekly game on the state of NC and SC's PBS networks. Now the SoCon will have over 800 games a year play on ESPN+
Losing Comcast Sports Southeast killed the smaller conferences. Yes, a large amount of their programming was reruns of SEC games but they also provided a venue for live SoCon, Big South, and Sun Belt games.
(06-09-2021 09:09 PM)cleburneslim Wrote: [ -> ]ESPN will bury the big sky just like it does all other fcs conferences.
Yep.
What’s my interest level in The MAC? 0. But on a Tuesday or Wednesday night as I’m scrolling through the tv channels and I come across a MACTION FB game between Directional U vs City U on ESPNU or CBSSN.... I watch it. I’ll never go searching through espn plus for random games like those. Only games I seek out.
(06-10-2021 01:32 PM)billybobby777 Wrote: [ -> ] (06-09-2021 09:09 PM)cleburneslim Wrote: [ -> ]ESPN will bury the big sky just like it does all other fcs conferences.
Yep.
What’s my interest level in The MAC? 0. But on a Tuesday or Wednesday night as I’m scrolling through the tv channels and I come across a MACTION FB game between Directional U vs City U on ESPNU or CBSSN.... I watch it. I’ll never go searching through espn plus for random games like those. Only games I seek out.
They days of Channel clicking are coming to an end.
You need to be on a platform or app people visit
There are many days at work I will turn on whatever minor sport ESPN+ happens to have live so I will have something in the background.
People don't visit Pluto for sports l but they do ESPN
Plus when you do business with ESPN there is a lot more flexibility for national exposure if a team gets hot
(06-10-2021 01:58 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote: [ -> ]Pluto is a legit $1 billion dollar business venture. https://www.fiercevideo.com/video/pluto-...-emarketer
A great tool for cordcutter and PTV would be better than Facebook, IMO. Still the ESPN deal is much better
Big fan of Pluto but if you're looking for exposure unless they are paying $$ gotta go with ESPN
CAA looked at working with them before they took money from Flo
I'm happy that the Big Sky will be on the same platform as other FCS schools
It's an excellent deal for the Big Sky. ESPN+ move is to get to a $9.99/mo membership and a $99/yr membership. And I bet they can sustain the numbers. If they get the Premier League that'll be huge. But I have a feeling NBC is ready to pay out the nose to keep that TV product.