https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/a...-deal-espn

A person with knowledge of the deal says the Sun Belt Conference has signed a new eight-year contract with ESPN that gives the network exclusive rights to all of the league's sports.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the conference had not yet announced the deal. The person would not disclose financial details, but says the deal will increase annual payouts to Sun Belt members. The current ESPN contract pays schools about $100,000 per year.

The person says Sun Belt sports will become a key part of ESPN Plus, the network's new streaming service set to debut in late March or April. The Sun Belt has 10 members that play major college football and two more that compete in other sports.

(03-01-2018 12:57 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  The person says Sun Belt sports will become a key part of ESPN Plus, the network's new streaming service set to debut in late March or April. The Sun Belt has 10 members that play major college football and two more that compete in other sports.

Does this mean no more ESPN3 games?

(03-01-2018 01:56 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(03-01-2018 12:57 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  The person says Sun Belt sports will become a key part of ESPN Plus, the network's new streaming service set to debut in late March or April. The Sun Belt has 10 members that play major college football and two more that compete in other sports.

Does this mean no more ESPN3 games?

There will be some stuff, just not as much

Silly question here.

Would this new ESPN+ only be visible through the internet?

ESPN+ will be a streaming service like Netflix, Hulu, WWE Network, etc.

You will pay a flat fee and have on-demand access to games and such. (Kind of like ESPN3, but behind a paywall now.)

(03-01-2018 02:15 PM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  Silly question here.

Would this new ESPN+ only be visible through the internet?

Yes it's a streaming service. Although, most tv nowadays connect to the internet and let you stream right on the screen.

If this new deal would mean that we had zero games through non-internet channels, I would not be in favor of it.

(03-01-2018 02:22 PM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  If this new deal would mean that we had zero games through non-internet channels, I would not be in favor of it.

There is no way ESPN is going to pay us what we're getting now for no weekday games. That would be a bad deal for them.

(03-01-2018 02:22 PM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  If this new deal would mean that we had zero games through non-internet channels, I would not be in favor of it.

I would imagine ESPN is still going to have "non-internet" games on ESPN/ESPN2. They need them for their inventory.

(03-01-2018 02:31 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  

(03-01-2018 02:22 PM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  If this new deal would mean that we had zero games through non-internet channels, I would not be in favor of it.

I would imagine ESPN is still going to have "non-internet" games on ESPN/ESPN2. They need them for their inventory.

Nah they'll fill ESPN with political pieces.

I was mistaken that this service would remove the necessity for a cable subscription. This is being referred to as an "Over The Top" or OTT option for viewing additional content.

Quote:Unfortunately, ESPN Plus will not contain access to SportsCenter or to live ESPN channels, as Iger says Disney will not make ESPN Plus available unless you’re a “traditional or non-traditional” subscriber of standard ESPN.

My concern would be if our streaming options are now no longer "free" to view via ESPN3.

Come on 4pm. Looking forward to details...

http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2018/3/1/g...-espn.aspx

Not much in details of $$ but this the MAC deal in total by signing over everything to ESPN. ESPN gets another sucker...first the MAC and now the SunBelt. CUSA will make the same deal I'm sure.

I actually thought Stadium would be involved with the SunBelt....guess Benson just wanted ESPN in total instead.

(03-01-2018 02:53 PM)eaglewraith Wrote:  I was mistaken that this service would remove the necessity for a cable subscription. This is being referred to as an "Over The Top" or OTT option for viewing additional content.

Quote:Unfortunately, ESPN Plus will not contain access to SportsCenter or to live ESPN channels, as Iger says Disney will not make ESPN Plus available unless you’re a “traditional or non-traditional” subscriber of standard ESPN.

My concern would be if our streaming options are now no longer "free" to view via ESPN3.

Says it's $4.99, I'm guessing that's per month. Don't like having to pay for what has been free, but $4.99 isn't terrible, and we've only had entire seasons on ESPN3 for a few years. It's better than the prior model where you couldn't watch most SBC games anywhere but in person.

Beginning in the 2020-21 Academic year every Sun Belt Home Football, Men's & Women's basketball game will be on an EP platform. Minimum of 500 events year.

My GF has Direct t.v. Now which is 100% streaming. The world is moving in that direction and maybe it can do for us what Tuesday MACtion did for the MAC

At least 10 football games a year will be on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, or ESPNU.

(03-01-2018 03:51 PM)ValleyBoy Wrote:  Beginning in the 2020-21 Academic year every Sun Belt Home Football, Men's & Women's basketball game will be on an EP platform. Minimum of 500 events year.

This is what I like. There are some basketball and baseball games I currently have to listen to the radio for. Now we'll be able to watch them, and not on some crap online production like Sidearm Sports or whatever some of our schools use.

(03-01-2018 03:56 PM)stAte_3 Wrote:  At least 10 football games a year will be on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, or ESPNU.

Wasn't the previous 7 in total? With it being bumped up to 10, this is good stuff.

(03-01-2018 03:33 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  Not much in details of $$ but this the MAC deal in total by signing over everything to ESPN. ESPN gets another sucker...first the MAC and now the SunBelt. CUSA will make the same deal I'm sure.

I actually thought Stadium would be involved with the SunBelt....guess Benson just wanted ESPN in total instead.

It's not quite MACtion. This seems to be a lot different in many aspects. We're also not signing over almost all home games to be played on weekdays, which the MAC does.

(03-01-2018 03:46 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(03-01-2018 02:53 PM)eaglewraith Wrote:  I was mistaken that this service would remove the necessity for a cable subscription. This is being referred to as an "Over The Top" or OTT option for viewing additional content.

Quote:Unfortunately, ESPN Plus will not contain access to SportsCenter or to live ESPN channels, as Iger says Disney will not make ESPN Plus available unless you’re a “traditional or non-traditional” subscriber of standard ESPN.

My concern would be if our streaming options are now no longer "free" to view via ESPN3.

Says it's $4.99, I'm guessing that's per month. Don't like having to pay for what has been free, but $4.99 isn't terrible, and we've only had entire seasons on ESPN3 for a few years. It's better than the prior model where you couldn't watch most SBC games anywhere but in person.

I mean I'll pay for it, no doubt.

The reason I call it an issue is the casual fan access. You've put a potential barrier in place for them to have entry to your product.

The question becomes, is the old ESPN3 what becomes the new ESPN Plus? If that's the case, then all that content will now be available through the same gateway and you're not excluding anyone.

I've done the math.

Pretty sure ESPN+ is also going to include out-of-market MLB and NHL subject to local blackout (ie. in Arkansas no Royals, Cardinals, Rangers, Astros or Dallas Stars).

ESPN owns the company that owns the NHL and MLB streaming rights. If they can get ESPN+ into as many homes as Hulu they will make $1 billion a year instead of the maybe as much as $600 million they are making now on those services.