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AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
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quo vadis Offline
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Post: #121
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 01:09 PM)YNot Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 12:22 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 12:15 PM)OKIcat Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 11:45 AM)usffan Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 11:30 AM)YNot Wrote:  What are the chances that ESPN encourages the AAC to add Boise and San Diego State again? ESPN would seem to have all the inventory it needs for the 10pm ET kickoff timeslot on ESPN and ESPN2 with the PAC 12, BYU, Boise and SDSU.

All indications are that the AAC will see an improvement to its current media deal. No such indications for the MWC.

Complicating that further will be the sweetheart deal Boise negotiated to stay in the MWC instead of joining the Big East. You have to wonder if the MWC will be willing to do that again when their deal expires in 2020.

USFFan

I would not rule out ESPN getting involved in re-shaping the AAC as a prelude to a better TV deal. The point about Boise is well taken; BYU has their own deal with ESPN. But in each case if the worldwide leader sees a way to increase revenue through such conference re-engineering it may find a way.

I wouldn't rule it out either, but I think it is very unlikely, because I doubt ESPN wants to do anything to increase the value of the AAC - they would prefer to pay the AAC as little as possible.

And I would bet the money the AAC would have to offer Boise would be a lot more than the MWC could, not just marginally more, because you are asking Boise to play teams from far away that their fan base has little interest in. Even Texas schools like Houston and SMU are far, far outside of Boise's fan base interest, to say nothing of Florida and east coast schools.

Remember, in 2012, it took not only about $10m a year, but also the prospect of being in a Power league, to lure Boise to the Big East. And this time, the Power league thing would be off the table.

ESPN would take the money that it would otherwise pay the MWC (currently $18M per year -do for a raise?) and pay that to the expanded AAC.

And, Boise has recently played: at UConn, at Louisiana, at Troy, at Virginia,
...and has future games scheduled at Houston, at Cincinnati, at ECU, at UTEP, at Marshall, at Georgia Southern, and at Rice.

Boise attendance has struggled with home schedules that include the best of the MWC. Boise home attendance would likely improve with AAC opponents....and the AAC contract could double what Boise gets from the MWC, even with the sweetheart deal.

Well since it's that cut and dried, I'll be on the lookout for the big announcement that Boise is leaving the MWC for the AAC. Should be any day now, right?

07-coffee3
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 03:38 PM by quo vadis.)
02-11-2019 03:36 PM
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adcorbett Offline
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Post: #122
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-08-2019 05:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  The AAC could sign a deal like the SEC has with CBS, whereby the network would get their choice of one AAC game each week. So the AAC wouldn't have to make up a schedule in advance that involves guessing about who is going to be good or not.

The problem with that is the value of the top game doesn't change, whether it is a stand alone package, or part of a comprehensive package. However the value of the secondary games, when not tied to the top game, ie very devalued by a split package.

(02-09-2019 01:09 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  [quote='33laszlo99' pid='15893533' dateline='1549683364']
[quote='Attackcoog' pid='15893453' dateline='1549680794']

Of course the problem with this view is it ignores past history. NBC bid on the AAC in 2013—losing out to ESPN when ESPN exercised its right to match clause. They had also tried for the Pac12 rights losing out when Fox-ESPN joined forces to outbid NBC. It also ignores that the AAC viewer numbers are significantly higher than the other G5 ratings.


It was not ESPN who exercised that option: it was the American. ESPN did use their contractional right to match the offer, but it was the Amercian who chose to use that right to rescind their signed contract with NBC and instead resign with ESPN. Big difference. It was the choice of the American to take that offer, not ESPN's choice. They were not restricted free agents.

(02-09-2019 11:11 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Here's another reason why NBC would be a good partner for T1 rights. NBC like the ND package because it gets them broad coverage accross the country. The AAC provides a similar broad blanket with a northeast presence, a Florida presence, a southern presence, a Texas presence, and a service academy with fans nationwide.

You may be stretching the "Northeast" presence, as the entire Northeast footprint is UConn (Temple is not really "northeast" and rather in the shawdows of other bigger names in Philly at the moment), and the others are still often second and third tier within their footprint right now.

(02-09-2019 12:09 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  The AAC was lowballed by NBC after the whole fiasco with the Big East turning down a decent contract from ESPN. And NBC knew they were lowballing the AAC because I'm sure Aresco went to the execs and asked them to do better than ESPN. It didn't work.

not really. At the time, NBC was one of only two other options on the table, the other of which was actually a more lucrative offer (per Aresco) with a partner not named. But they chose NBC due to timeslot guarantees. Although it always troubled me that they had to take less money to get more timeslots: usually it is the other way around. ESPn, fresh off jettisoning some excess SEC games as a result of expansion, and moving some PAC 12 an dBig 12 games to Fox, combined with "turning on" ESPN News, now had some extra time slots, and along with careful wording to allow CBS Sports Net to replace NBC Sports in the contract, now had the timeslots to match (ESPN originally offered much more than NBC, but were going to put the games we now see on CBS Sports and ESPN News on ESPN3 and syndication.

With SEC no longer in the syndication business and the ACC soon to leave it next year, the best way to get more money from ESPN is to allow them to take Tier 3 games and instead of placing on CBS Sports, allow them to be syndicated again, which will likely pay more money, AND result in more exposure within each teams' own market, as games will be on the primary local RSN - usually on basic cable - as opposed to ESPN News or CBS Sports, or NBC Sports.

S
02-11-2019 03:49 PM
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Attackcoog Offline
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Post: #123
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 03:49 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  
(02-08-2019 05:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  The AAC could sign a deal like the SEC has with CBS, whereby the network would get their choice of one AAC game each week. So the AAC wouldn't have to make up a schedule in advance that involves guessing about who is going to be good or not.

The problem with that is the value of the top game doesn't change, whether it is a stand alone package, or part of a comprehensive package. However the value of the secondary games, when not tied to the top game, ie very devalued by a split package.

(02-09-2019 01:09 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  [quote='33laszlo99' pid='15893533' dateline='1549683364']
[quote='Attackcoog' pid='15893453' dateline='1549680794']

Of course the problem with this view is it ignores past history. NBC bid on the AAC in 2013—losing out to ESPN when ESPN exercised its right to match clause. They had also tried for the Pac12 rights losing out when Fox-ESPN joined forces to outbid NBC. It also ignores that the AAC viewer numbers are significantly higher than the other G5 ratings.


It was not ESPN who exercised that option: it was the American. ESPN did use their contractional right to match the offer, but it was the Amercian who chose to use that right to rescind their signed contract with NBC and instead resign with ESPN. Big difference. It was the choice of the American to take that offer, not ESPN's choice. They were not restricted free agents.

(02-09-2019 11:11 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Here's another reason why NBC would be a good partner for T1 rights. NBC like the ND package because it gets them broad coverage accross the country. The AAC provides a similar broad blanket with a northeast presence, a Florida presence, a southern presence, a Texas presence, and a service academy with fans nationwide.

You may be stretching the "Northeast" presence, as the entire Northeast footprint is UConn (Temple is not really "northeast" and rather in the shawdows of other bigger names in Philly at the moment), and the others are still often second and third tier within their footprint right now.

(02-09-2019 12:09 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  The AAC was lowballed by NBC after the whole fiasco with the Big East turning down a decent contract from ESPN. And NBC knew they were lowballing the AAC because I'm sure Aresco went to the execs and asked them to do better than ESPN. It didn't work.

not really. At the time, NBC was one of only two other options on the table, the other of which was actually a more lucrative offer (per Aresco) with a partner not named. But they chose NBC due to timeslot guarantees. Although it always troubled me that they had to take less money to get more timeslots: usually it is the other way around. ESPn, fresh off jettisoning some excess SEC games as a result of expansion, and moving some PAC 12 an dBig 12 games to Fox, combined with "turning on" ESPN News, now had some extra time slots, and along with careful wording to allow CBS Sports Net to replace NBC Sports in the contract, now had the timeslots to match (ESPN originally offered much more than NBC, but were going to put the games we now see on CBS Sports and ESPN News on ESPN3 and syndication.

With SEC no longer in the syndication business and the ACC soon to leave it next year, the best way to get more money from ESPN is to allow them to take Tier 3 games and instead of placing on CBS Sports, allow them to be syndicated again, which will likely pay more money, AND result in more exposure within each teams' own market, as games will be on the primary local RSN - usually on basic cable - as opposed to ESPN News or CBS Sports, or NBC Sports.

S

True--but my point stands. My point is NBC wanted the AAC in 2013 and it wasnt NBC's preference to have the AAC take the ESPN offer.
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 04:01 PM by Attackcoog.)
02-11-2019 03:58 PM
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adcorbett Offline
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Post: #124
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 03:58 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Either way--my point is NBC wanted the AAC is 2013. It wasnt NBC's preference to have the AAC take the ESPN offer.

This is where having a good basketball league would really help. Not poo poo'ing, but it's not where it was. I know before the Big East/AAC broke up, Turner really wanted the old Big East to get get BE basketball to augment their NCAA coverage (and give them a reason to hire full time analysts, etc), and football would have just come along for the ride. From what I was told the idea was to use TBS and TNT for afternoon games like ESPN and ESPN2, with occasional prime time football games (it's possible CBS may have been ialso had a few football games, but not sure about that), Tru TV as like an ESPNU, and let the schools keep the rest of the content (tier 3), which probably would have been syndicated the way ESPN used to.

I only point that out because I don;t know if they still have that sort of appetite for it, because fi they did, this is where top notch basketball would have been handy. Who knows, they may come back after the current Big East their contract expires, since it has less games, and doesn't have the football problem, and still fits a need.
02-11-2019 04:06 PM
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Post: #125
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 04:06 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 03:58 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Either way--my point is NBC wanted the AAC is 2013. It wasnt NBC's preference to have the AAC take the ESPN offer.

This is where having a good basketball league would really help. Not poo poo'ing, but it's not where it was. I know before the Big East/AAC broke up, Turner really wanted the old Big East to get get BE basketball to augment their NCAA coverage (and give them a reason to hire full time analysts, etc), and football would have just come along for the ride. From what I was told the idea was to use TBS and TNT for afternoon games like ESPN and ESPN2, with occasional prime time football games (it's possible CBS may have been ialso had a few football games, but not sure about that), Tru TV as like an ESPNU, and let the schools keep the rest of the content (tier 3), which probably would have been syndicated the way ESPN used to.

I only point that out because I don;t know if they still have that sort of appetite for it, because fi they did, this is where top notch basketball would have been handy. Who knows, they may come back after the current Big East their contract expires, since it has less games, and doesn't have the football problem, and still fits a need.
There is still potential. I mean if UConn, Memphis, Wichita State and Temple play up to their potential along with Cincy and Houston... then the AAC is a good basketball conference... with some name brands...
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 04:43 PM by No Bull.)
02-11-2019 04:42 PM
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Attackcoog Offline
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Post: #126
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 04:06 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 03:58 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Either way--my point is NBC wanted the AAC is 2013. It wasnt NBC's preference to have the AAC take the ESPN offer.

This is where having a good basketball league would really help. Not poo poo'ing, but it's not where it was. I know before the Big East/AAC broke up, Turner really wanted the old Big East to get get BE basketball to augment their NCAA coverage (and give them a reason to hire full time analysts, etc), and football would have just come along for the ride. From what I was told the idea was to use TBS and TNT for afternoon games like ESPN and ESPN2, with occasional prime time football games (it's possible CBS may have been ialso had a few football games, but not sure about that), Tru TV as like an ESPNU, and let the schools keep the rest of the content (tier 3), which probably would have been syndicated the way ESPN used to.

I only point that out because I don;t know if they still have that sort of appetite for it, because fi they did, this is where top notch basketball would have been handy. Who knows, they may come back after the current Big East their contract expires, since it has less games, and doesn't have the football problem, and still fits a need.

In terms of basketball---the league that Aresco expected to enter negotiations with was going to be huge in terms of size. I think they were looking at about 18 teams during the summer of 2012. The C-7+ND+10 all sports schools. There was some very nice basketball content there. Of course, as actual negotiations finally got rolling--that expected league would completely fall apart. That said, pretty good chance that the AAC will be a very solid league over the next few years as Memphis, UConn, and Wichita rebound to form within a league with several very solid rising programs (Houston, SMU, UCF, Tulsa, and Temple). Thats not Big East level---but the incoming talent and coaching would tend to make it likely the AAC will probably be among the better basketball leagues over the next few years.
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 04:54 PM by Attackcoog.)
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Post: #127
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 04:42 PM)No Bull Wrote:  There is still potential. I mean if UConn, Memphis, Wichita State and Temple play up to their potential along with Cincy and Houston... then the AAC is a good basketball conference... with some name brands...

Yes, but "if" doesn't get you paid. Not while you are in the middle of negotiations. Especially for a network using you to anchor thei coverage. Like Fox did with the Big East (which later helped draw in the Big Ten).

That is what I was referring to.
02-11-2019 04:58 PM
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Post: #128
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 04:58 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 04:42 PM)No Bull Wrote:  There is still potential. I mean if UConn, Memphis, Wichita State and Temple play up to their potential along with Cincy and Houston... then the AAC is a good basketball conference... with some name brands...

Yes, but "if" doesn't get you paid. Not while you are in the middle of negotiations. Especially for a network using you to anchor thei coverage. Like Fox did with the Big East (which later helped draw in the Big Ten).

That is what I was referring to.
I agree. untapped potential...won't get the American paid...
02-11-2019 05:12 PM
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quo vadis Offline
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Post: #129
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 03:49 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  
(02-08-2019 05:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  The AAC could sign a deal like the SEC has with CBS, whereby the network would get their choice of one AAC game each week. So the AAC wouldn't have to make up a schedule in advance that involves guessing about who is going to be good or not.

The problem with that is the value of the top game doesn't change, whether it is a stand alone package, or part of a comprehensive package. However the value of the secondary games, when not tied to the top game, ie very devalued by a split package.

So why does the SEC have such a deal with CBS?

It was not ESPN who exercised that option: it was the American. ESPN did use their contractional right to match the offer, but it was the Amercian who chose to use that right to rescind their signed contract with NBC and instead resign with ESPN. Big difference. It was the choice of the American to take that offer, not ESPN's choice. They were not restricted free agents.

How could the AAC have the legal ability to disregard a signed contract with NBC? It would seem that it would have had to have been ESPN that had the right to match, with their match legally superseding the NBC agreement. The AAC wouldn't have a "right" to rescind a contract with NBC based on something a third party, ESPN did.
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 07:14 PM by quo vadis.)
02-11-2019 06:26 PM
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Post: #130
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 06:26 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 03:49 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  
(02-08-2019 05:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  The AAC could sign a deal like the SEC has with CBS, whereby the network would get their choice of one AAC game each week. So the AAC wouldn't have to make up a schedule in advance that involves guessing about who is going to be good or not.

The problem with that is the value of the top game doesn't change, whether it is a stand alone package, or part of a comprehensive package. However the value of the secondary games, when not tied to the top game, ie very devalued by a split package.

So why does the SEC have such a deal with CBS?

It was not ESPN who exercised that option: it was the American. ESPN did use their contractional right to match the offer, but it was the Amercian who chose to use that right to rescind their signed contract with NBC and instead resign with ESPN. Big difference. It was the choice of the American to take that offer, not ESPN's choice. They were not restricted free agents.

How could the AAC have the legal ability to disregard a signed contract with NBC? It would seem that it would have had to have been ESPN that had the right to match, with their match legally superseding the NBC agreement.

The NBC deal was basically an offer sheet. The expiring ESPN contract specifically stated that the Big East/AAC could not sign a new deal without first offering that same deal to ESPN at the specified price. It was exactly the same contractual language that apepars in an earlier CUSA contract. The parties all knew the hoops the Big East/AAC had to jump through--so the offer sheet was essentially a "contract" that was contingent on ESPN NOT exercising the right to match.

A decade or so ago, CUSA ended up awarding ESPN the rights to their CCG game in a settlement. The settlement was made to avoid losing a court case where CUSA was accused of disregarded that contractual clause when they signed with FOX years ago without giving ESPN a chance to sign the same deal (which was true). I think NBC was very comfortable that they would win the deal because the whole reason Aresco accepted the deal was the exposure. NBC thought there was no way ESPN would or could match that level of exposure.
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 06:53 PM by Attackcoog.)
02-11-2019 06:44 PM
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Post: #131
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
If Turner wants in on the college sports game it's going to be a tough sell to get one of the really big players on board. They would have to seriously outbid the more traditional players to land one.

But someone like the AAC would be a lot cheaper. TBS and TNT could have the Tier 1 and Tier 2 content while truTV picks up the Tier 3 stuff or they allow it to be syndicated on regional sports networks.

Turner would just have to gamble that there is enough appealing basketball inventory for the winter.
02-11-2019 06:47 PM
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Post: #132
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 06:44 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 06:26 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 03:49 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  
(02-08-2019 05:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  The AAC could sign a deal like the SEC has with CBS, whereby the network would get their choice of one AAC game each week. So the AAC wouldn't have to make up a schedule in advance that involves guessing about who is going to be good or not.

The problem with that is the value of the top game doesn't change, whether it is a stand alone package, or part of a comprehensive package. However the value of the secondary games, when not tied to the top game, ie very devalued by a split package.

So why does the SEC have such a deal with CBS?

It was not ESPN who exercised that option: it was the American. ESPN did use their contractional right to match the offer, but it was the Amercian who chose to use that right to rescind their signed contract with NBC and instead resign with ESPN. Big difference. It was the choice of the American to take that offer, not ESPN's choice. They were not restricted free agents.

How could the AAC have the legal ability to disregard a signed contract with NBC? It would seem that it would have had to have been ESPN that had the right to match, with their match legally superseding the NBC agreement.

The NBC deal was basically an offer sheet. The expiring ESPN contract specifically stated that the Big East/AAC could not sign a new deal without first offering that same deal to ESPN at the specified price. It was exactly the same contractual language that apepars in an earlier CUSA contract. The parties all knew the hoops the Big East/AAC had to jump through--so the offer sheet was essentially a "contract" that was contingenton ESPN NOT exercising the right to match.

That was my point to "Adcorbett": The 'right to match' was ESPN's, it wasn't the AAC's. As I read his post, Ad seemed to imply that the AAC chose to take ESPN's match, such that they could have disregarded it if they wanted to.

But my understanding was that the only power the AAC had once ESPN matched would be to review the ESPN 'match' and determine that ESPN had in fact matched the agreement with NBC. Of course had the AAC claimed that ESPN's 'match' was not a true match and decided to stick with the NBC offer, ESPN could have contested that.
02-11-2019 07:11 PM
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Attackcoog Offline
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Post: #133
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 07:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 06:44 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 06:26 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 03:49 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  
(02-08-2019 05:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  The AAC could sign a deal like the SEC has with CBS, whereby the network would get their choice of one AAC game each week. So the AAC wouldn't have to make up a schedule in advance that involves guessing about who is going to be good or not.

The problem with that is the value of the top game doesn't change, whether it is a stand alone package, or part of a comprehensive package. However the value of the secondary games, when not tied to the top game, ie very devalued by a split package.

So why does the SEC have such a deal with CBS?

It was not ESPN who exercised that option: it was the American. ESPN did use their contractional right to match the offer, but it was the Amercian who chose to use that right to rescind their signed contract with NBC and instead resign with ESPN. Big difference. It was the choice of the American to take that offer, not ESPN's choice. They were not restricted free agents.

How could the AAC have the legal ability to disregard a signed contract with NBC? It would seem that it would have had to have been ESPN that had the right to match, with their match legally superseding the NBC agreement.

The NBC deal was basically an offer sheet. The expiring ESPN contract specifically stated that the Big East/AAC could not sign a new deal without first offering that same deal to ESPN at the specified price. It was exactly the same contractual language that apepars in an earlier CUSA contract. The parties all knew the hoops the Big East/AAC had to jump through--so the offer sheet was essentially a "contract" that was contingenton ESPN NOT exercising the right to match.

That was my point to "Adcorbett": The 'right to match' was ESPN's, it wasn't the AAC's. As I read his post, Ad seemed to imply that the AAC chose to take ESPN's match, such that they could have disregarded it if they wanted to.

But my understanding was that the only power the AAC had once ESPN matched would be to review the ESPN 'match' and determine that ESPN had in fact matched the agreement with NBC. Of course had the AAC claimed that ESPN's 'match' was not a true match and decided to stick with the NBC offer, ESPN could have contested that.


Its more like the "opportunity" to match. The way I understand it, the AAC did not have to accept it. They were free to accept the NBC deal. All the clause required was to give ESPN one last shot at keeping the property. While it doesnt restrict a conferences ability to change networks---it kinda operates as a disincentive to any lesser network to even bother bidding since ESPN gets to see your bid and can match it if they want. Most properties will simply opt for the better platform at that point.
02-11-2019 07:21 PM
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Post: #134
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 07:21 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 07:11 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 06:44 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 06:26 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 03:49 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  The problem with that is the value of the top game doesn't change, whether it is a stand alone package, or part of a comprehensive package. However the value of the secondary games, when not tied to the top game, ie very devalued by a split package.

So why does the SEC have such a deal with CBS?

It was not ESPN who exercised that option: it was the American. ESPN did use their contractional right to match the offer, but it was the Amercian who chose to use that right to rescind their signed contract with NBC and instead resign with ESPN. Big difference. It was the choice of the American to take that offer, not ESPN's choice. They were not restricted free agents.

How could the AAC have the legal ability to disregard a signed contract with NBC? It would seem that it would have had to have been ESPN that had the right to match, with their match legally superseding the NBC agreement.

The NBC deal was basically an offer sheet. The expiring ESPN contract specifically stated that the Big East/AAC could not sign a new deal without first offering that same deal to ESPN at the specified price. It was exactly the same contractual language that apepars in an earlier CUSA contract. The parties all knew the hoops the Big East/AAC had to jump through--so the offer sheet was essentially a "contract" that was contingenton ESPN NOT exercising the right to match.

That was my point to "Adcorbett": The 'right to match' was ESPN's, it wasn't the AAC's. As I read his post, Ad seemed to imply that the AAC chose to take ESPN's match, such that they could have disregarded it if they wanted to.

But my understanding was that the only power the AAC had once ESPN matched would be to review the ESPN 'match' and determine that ESPN had in fact matched the agreement with NBC. Of course had the AAC claimed that ESPN's 'match' was not a true match and decided to stick with the NBC offer, ESPN could have contested that.


Its more like the "opportunity" to match. The way I understand it, the AAC did not have to accept it. They were free to accept the NBC deal. All the clause required was to give ESPN one last shot at keeping the property. While it doesnt restrict a conferences ability to change networks---it kinda operates as a disincentive to any lesser network to even bother bidding since ESPN gets to see your bid and can match it if they want. Most properties will simply opt for the better platform at that point.

That's a pretty weak clause if you are ESPN. I guess we would have to see the copy of that old contract to know for sure.

IMO, the CUSA case argues against that weak wording. E.g., as you noted, ESPN sued CUSA for not giving them the "right to match" a deal CUSA made with FOX, and CUSA had to give ESPN the CCG or something as a settlement of the suit.

But, it seems to me that if all the contract wording with CUSA required was that CUSA "run the contract by" ESPN to see if they would match it, with no obligation on the part of CUSA to take it, then CUSA could have just told the judge "we weren't going to take their match anyway, so no harm was done to ESPN by not abiding by that clause". And to me, a judge would likely agree that ESPN suffered basically no loss by not having that essentially empty "right".

In contrast, if the "right to match" was such that if ESPN matched, then CUSA (or the AAC) was compelled to accept the ESPN match and had no power to turn it down in favor of the deals with FOX (or NBC), then depriving ESPN of that chance would be a real loss to ESPN, something that would entail actual damages - which seemed to be the case with CUSA given the settlement that was reached.
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 08:52 PM by quo vadis.)
02-11-2019 07:30 PM
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GoldenWarrior11 Offline
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Post: #135
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
The BE/AAC split is always good for debate because there was so many conversations going on behind the scenes and so much information that was never revealed publicly. Always makes for great speculation. 07-coffee3
02-11-2019 07:52 PM
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quo vadis Offline
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RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 07:52 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  The BE/AAC split is always good for debate because there was so many conversations going on behind the scenes and so much information that was never revealed publicly. Always makes for great speculation. 07-coffee3

Yep, definitely grist for the mill, LOL.

I think one reason many of us are waiting with interest about how the new ESPN/AAC media negotiations play out is that some of these debates are a good 6 or 7 years old, and we might finally get some resolutions.
(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 08:49 PM by quo vadis.)
02-11-2019 08:48 PM
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Post: #137
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 06:26 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  How could the AAC have the legal ability to disregard a signed contract with NBC? It would seem that it would have had to have been ESPN that had the right to match, with their match legally superseding the NBC agreement. The AAC wouldn't have a "right" to rescind a contract with NBC based on something a third party, ESPN did.

The NBC contract was contingent on the AAC completing the ESPN contract. Including the very limited right of first refusal that doesn't seem to be a true RFR, based on everything we were told by professional knowers of things.

(02-11-2019 06:47 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Turner wants in on the college sports game it's going to be a tough sell to get one of the really big players on board. They would have to seriously outbid the more traditional players to land one.

But someone like the AAC would be a lot cheaper. TBS and TNT could have the Tier 1 and Tier 2 content while truTV picks up the Tier 3 stuff or they allow it to be syndicated on regional sports networks.

Turner would just have to gamble that there is enough appealing basketball inventory for the winter.

Nobody is going to build their college sports TV presence on the back of the AAC.

Turner bidding for the Big East TV rights made sense when it was the old 16 team Syracuse-UConn-Georgetown-Louisville-etc Big East, with enough quality basketball inventory to be a network TV college basketball package all by itself, on the same channels as the NBA and the NCAA tournament. Big East football would have been on TBS/TNT if that's what it took to get the basketball package.

(02-11-2019 07:30 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  That's a pretty weak clause if you are ESPN. I guess we would have to see the copy of that old contract to know for sure.

IMO, the CUSA case argues against that weak wording. E.g., as you noted, ESPN sued CUSA for not giving them the "right to match" a deal CUSA made with FOX, and CUSA had to give ESPN the CCG or something as a settlement of the suit.

The information we were given at the time was that the language in the Big East ESPN contracts was not the same as the language in the CUSA contract. CUSA was a true Right of First Refusal, Big East was a "right to make a last offer". Our best information was that Aresco and the school presidents pored over the ESPN offer for a day or two.
02-11-2019 10:16 PM
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Post: #138
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 06:47 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Turner wants in on the college sports game it's going to be a tough sell to get one of the really big players on board. They would have to seriously outbid the more traditional players to land one.

But someone like the AAC would be a lot cheaper. TBS and TNT could have the Tier 1 and Tier 2 content while truTV picks up the Tier 3 stuff or they allow it to be syndicated on regional sports networks.

Turner would just have to gamble that there is enough appealing basketball inventory for the winter.

Why do you think that the AAC would be cheaper than the NBE? I agree that the NBE has been one of the best conferences performance wise over the past 3 years and that the AAC has been down due to some bad coaching hires, but the AAC has out rated the NBE consistently every way possible since the split and the football has delivered the best ratings outside of the p5 by miles. I think it's totally reasonable to expect the AAC to become a much better money maker ratings wise over the next year or so once the 'brands' complete their rebuilds. I'm not trying to start a war with any NBE fans or quo. I'm just curious about the thinking behind fighting muskie reasoning that's all.
02-11-2019 11:19 PM
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Post: #139
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 11:19 PM)Tigersmoke4 Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 06:47 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Turner wants in on the college sports game it's going to be a tough sell to get one of the really big players on board. They would have to seriously outbid the more traditional players to land one.

But someone like the AAC would be a lot cheaper. TBS and TNT could have the Tier 1 and Tier 2 content while truTV picks up the Tier 3 stuff or they allow it to be syndicated on regional sports networks.

Turner would just have to gamble that there is enough appealing basketball inventory for the winter.

Why do you think that the AAC would be cheaper than the NBE? I agree that the NBE has been one of the best conferences performance wise over the past 3 years and that the AAC has been down due to some bad coaching hires, but the AAC has out rated the NBE consistently every way possible since the split and the football has delivered the best ratings outside of the p5 by miles. I think it's totally reasonable to expect the AAC to become a much better money maker ratings wise over the next year or so once the 'brands' complete their rebuilds. I'm not trying to start a war with any NBE fans or quo. I'm just curious about the thinking behind fighting muskie reasoning that's all.

You're making me a very rich man, T-Smoke. 04-cheers

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(This post was last modified: 02-11-2019 11:25 PM by GoldenWarrior11.)
02-11-2019 11:24 PM
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Post: #140
RE: AAC and ESPN Exclusive Negotiating Window?
(02-11-2019 11:19 PM)Tigersmoke4 Wrote:  
(02-11-2019 06:47 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  If Turner wants in on the college sports game it's going to be a tough sell to get one of the really big players on board. They would have to seriously outbid the more traditional players to land one.

But someone like the AAC would be a lot cheaper. TBS and TNT could have the Tier 1 and Tier 2 content while truTV picks up the Tier 3 stuff or they allow it to be syndicated on regional sports networks.

Turner would just have to gamble that there is enough appealing basketball inventory for the winter.

Why do you think that the AAC would be cheaper than the NBE? .... I'm just curious about the thinking behind fighting muskie reasoning that's all.

What did Muskie say about the Big East?
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