RE: How can the ACC increase TV revenue
New poster, but I have been following this forum for a while, and this subject has interested me to a large extent.
Unfortunately, the ACC has very limited agency to increase revenue. Disney's appears to be motivated to create its own sports league beginning with football starting with an SEC core and only picking up seasoned brand names (OU, UTx, rumors of tOSU, UMich). I suspect that ESPN will be directed to provide only specifically stated contract minimum amounts no matter which schools could be added (even ND or mythical PSU). Unless the ACC can find another network buyer, we are not getting any more money. Disney has incentive to keep the contract small to force an implosion near end of GOR so they can pickup select pieces for cheaper without unnecessary baggage.
This leaves only getting more people to buy the ACC network. I do not know the status of Comcast in the dc-northeast, but all the ACC can do there is engage in letter writing campaigns in an area of the country with some of our less populated schools. This runs into the wall of alternative cable providers (Hulu, YouTube, etc). And everyone who wants the ACCN has probably already got it.
The next item is to generate more interest in the ACC to sell commercials, or entice another network buyer. We know ESPN will move big games in the major sports to it's main networks, so ACC schools need to figure out how to improve all schools to improve overall league play and generate more interest. This can be done by convincing all ACC to go all in on the 5 major sports; football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey. Golf and Olympic sports can still be carried as network filler. Revise event and and network scheduling such that there is always an active event on the channel. Prime events in major sports that will get the most interest at prime times, but other live events can be used as network filler instead of the same old Duke and Carolina basketball from the 90's replays and other theACC recap shows. Get the schools to spend money to showcase the sports. This will be a hard sell for certain schools which are tight fisted or are happy with the status quo and don't want any change.
The next part is improving league competitive play. This the hard part. The league has had poor timing in reduction of league quality at this sensitive time. Changes in the student athlete model need to be reconciled and league members will need a frank discussion about the future. Quite simply it boils down to you either pay the students the money to remain in big time college sports or you abandon the money to go Ivy league. The big pac ACC alliance suggests a potential desire toward the ivy league. It is most likely a conservative I don't like the future response, but with no real desire to change it, or argument against it.
Another option is to adapt the model to generate competition at ACC schools. This requires creativity and removing egos surrounding schools. Adopt a completely shared (NFL-like) model. Go ahead and form an athlete unions, professional ACC refs, shared student athlete matriculation model among the schools, and share resources through a draft. This might mean using the schools to simply recruit as many athletes into the league and increase overall recruiting cost efficiency, set up an academic setting that let's them do what they want, possibly getting a degree from any institution in the league. Within the league, and engage in a league draft. Transfers will simply re enter the draft or exit the league.
Are school and league administrators willing to set aside their own singular visions to create a greater whole? To be honest I expect the ACC to fall apart at end of GOR
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