(08-06-2020 10:47 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote: (08-06-2020 10:24 AM)orangefan Wrote: (08-06-2020 10:12 AM)schmolik Wrote: (08-06-2020 09:10 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote: (08-06-2020 08:56 AM)schmolik Wrote: Only watchable non ACC opponent is UCF. Should have just canceled these games.
It's just a TV money grab.
If no one's watching the games, how much money are they making?
The rights fees for all games, other than those on ACCN, should not be affected by low ratings. Rights fees are set in advance based on the network's guess of the value to pay the fees, and are at their risk so long as the conference satisfies its obligations under the contract. The ACC has reduced its total game inventory available to ESPN by around 11 games, but this reduction is essentially all FCS games, several of which would have been placed on ACCNX. I'm guessing that ESPN will not be demanding a reduction in rights fees based on this change.
If viewership is down on ACCN, however, this would result in a reduction in rights fees. In particular, ESPN would be required to offer "make goods" to advertisers, which would reduce the profitability of ACCN and therefore the distribution to ACC members.
^^^ THIS ^^^
Also, it's important to ESPN and the ACCN to have live sports in order to keep cable and OTT providers from dropping the channels and/or demanding to pay lower fees, I would think. I read somewhere that most contracts allow for cancellations as long as the programming is made up within one year - but if the season is cancelled and not made up, that would trigger all sorts of clauses...
For the 2019 season, ACC controlled games were televised as follows:
ABC 11 games (including ACC CCG)
ABC/ESPN2 split national 1 game
ESPN 12 games
ESPN2 5
ESPNU 2
ESPNews 1 (FSU game moved from ESPN due to hurricane)
ACCN 41
RSNs 17
ACCNX 3
Total: 93 games
This year, the ACC has 85 games to offer. There is undoubtedly a required minimum number of games. 84 reflects 6 home games for each school (except ND) plus the CCG, which seems like a potential minimum. There is an overall reduction in inventory of 8 games, but 3 games were shown on ACCNX, so the reduction in the number available for networks is only 5 games.
Critically, 15 of the 2019 games were against FCS opponents. So far, only 2 FCS games have been scheduled, which could be increased to no more than 4 depending on who UNC and Clemson ultimately schedule as their OOC opponents.
Of the 2019 ACC controlled games, only 62 were P5 vs P5 matchups, 56 conference games, 5 OOC games, and the CCG. This year, there will be 71 P5 vs. P5 matchups, 70 conference games (excluding ND home games) and the CCG.
Beyond the total number of games, the ACC has made a large number of games available during the early part of the season, when both the SEC and P12 will not have any games. By offering 9 games each of these weekends, the ACC is helping ESPN fill a huge programming hole.
In general, while the number of games provided to ESPN has been reduced slightly, the conference shouldn't have problem meeting its minimum obligations (or if it misses slightly it should be immaterial). Further, the quality of the games has been increased substantially, and the timing of the games will provide excellent value to ESPN. The ACC should see no reduction in payout from ESPN for football.
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