Plenty of questions, issues and options as Mountain West negotiates new TV deal

I agree about the length of the deal, but the article failed to mention the look in and the fact that none of the MW teams will pocket anywhere near the money the AAC teams will even at the end of twelve years should nothing change. The MW is unfortunately a 1 team league. Especially if 1 team gets paid more than everyone in the conference "in perpetuity"!

On another note, if this ESPN+ thing catches on and espn is able to get enough sampling of multiple sports programs on that service then it has potential to be a must have service for all sorts of sports fans. And if you are a casual sports fan then you have access to all of those programs that you didn't necessarily sign up for.... just like cable, but for far cheaper should the $4.99 stay at that price point long enough to make it a sports fan no-brainer service.


https://www.mcall.com/sdsu-aztecs-mounta...story.html

(04-24-2019 08:29 PM)Radicalman7 Wrote:  if this ESPN+ thing catches on and espn is able to get enough sampling of multiple sports programs on that service then it has potential to be a must have service for all sorts of sports fans. And if you are a casual sports fan then you have access to all of those programs that you didn't necessarily sign up for.... just like cable, but for far cheaper should the $4.99 stay at that price point long enough to make it a sports fan no-brainer service.

But if “this ESPN+ thing catches on” the price *Won’t* stay at $4.99

lol the MWC....

meanwhile their digital streaming is My Space...

(04-24-2019 09:29 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  lol the MWC....

meanwhile their digital streaming is My Space...

Tom still announcing?

Decent article overall, with good quotes from Thompson and others.
It states upfront what many have said here: "the Mountain West has done nothing to warrant an elevation beyond its current status that commands $1.1 million per school per year."

The comments on the AAC deal, well, yeah, many here have said that the length of the deal is our main objection. I'll go on record yet again that I'd have preferred to see a deal ending around '28, closer to the next big restructure.
Otherwise, any comment on the American's deal sound like preemptive sour grapes. Specific inaccuracies: "Most games will be on ESPN+" nope, most AAC football on ABC/ESPN linear. And even if you grant the writer's overly hogh estimates of + production costs, the net is still quadruple the current mwc deal (again, the writer's expectation of the mwc value).

If the mwc figures deals that net the same media rights $ to secure fan-friendly times, more power to them. It's the other side of the coin fron MAC trading Tuesday-Wednesday night exposure and branding for 15K or fewer in the stands.

But bottom line - mwc deal gonna be way smaller than AAC deal. Wheels keep on rolling towards P6.

2 million a year in production costs? Ah no.

Pretty sure no one in the conference will even have to spend 2 million to upgrade on campus production capabilities, did he get that from the C-USA board?

The deal is at least 4 years too long.

7 million will still be more that the 3 million they get in 2027 after they get 1.3m this new contract.

(04-24-2019 09:42 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  Decent article overall, with good quotes from Thompson and others.
It states upfront what many have said here: "the Mountain West has done nothing to warrant an elevation beyond its current status that commands $1.1 million per school per year."

The comments on the AAC deal, well, yeah, many here have said that the length of the deal is our main objection. I'll go on record yet again that I'd have preferred to see a deal ending around '28, closer to the next big restructure.
Otherwise, any comment on the American's deal sound like preemptive sour grapes. Specific inaccuracies: "Most games will be on ESPN+" nope, most AAC football on ABC/ESPN linear. And even if you grant the writer's overly hogh estimates of + production costs, the net is still quadruple the current mwc deal (again, the writer's expectation of the mwc value).

If the mwc figures deals that net the same media rights $ to secure fan-friendly times, more power to them. It's the other side of the coin fron MAC trading Tuesday-Wednesday night exposure and branding for 15K or fewer in the stands.

But bottom line - mwc deal gonna be way smaller than AAC deal. Wheels keep on rolling towards P6.

And dont forget, 3 MW games were on the MW digital Network---along with a huge number of olympic sports. For instance, just between now and the end of this weekend (April 28th) the MW Digital Network is presenting 29 live sports events ranging from from baseball to tennis. Guess who was on the hook for ALL those production costs.

"So when CBS Sports' exclusive negotiating window for the next contract opens April 30, and then ESPN's window after it, and then everyone else after that, they'll be buying media rights to the Mountain West minus arguably its most lucrative property."

So basically the Boise deal devalues the rest of the conference. In perpetuity.

So dumb.

NBC offer 50 million?
Offer Boise to ESPN
Hawaii to spectrum
AF. to CBSSN

(04-24-2019 11:39 PM)Fishpro10987 Wrote:  "So when CBS Sports' exclusive negotiating window for the next contract opens April 30, and then ESPN's window after it, and then everyone else after that, they'll be buying media rights to the Mountain West minus arguably its most lucrative property."

So basically the Boise deal devalues the rest of the conference. In perpetuity.

So dumb.

It's going to be a bloodbath depending on the deal. They need a real commissioner. CSU, Nevada, and SDSU should not be giving concessions to Boise St.

(04-25-2019 07:00 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  

(04-24-2019 11:39 PM)Fishpro10987 Wrote:  "So when CBS Sports' exclusive negotiating window for the next contract opens April 30, and then ESPN's window after it, and then everyone else after that, they'll be buying media rights to the Mountain West minus arguably its most lucrative property."

So basically the Boise deal devalues the rest of the conference. In perpetuity.

So dumb.

It's going to be a bloodbath depending on the deal. They need a real commissioner. CSU, Nevada, and SDSU should not be giving concessions to Boise St.

They probably won't this time around. Boise hasn't done near as much in the last five or six years vs where they were the last go around. If I was the other schools I would tell them no special deals...they aren't special enough anymore.

(04-25-2019 07:06 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  

(04-25-2019 07:00 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  

(04-24-2019 11:39 PM)Fishpro10987 Wrote:  "So when CBS Sports' exclusive negotiating window for the next contract opens April 30, and then ESPN's window after it, and then everyone else after that, they'll be buying media rights to the Mountain West minus arguably its most lucrative property."

So basically the Boise deal devalues the rest of the conference. In perpetuity.

So dumb.

It's going to be a bloodbath depending on the deal. They need a real commissioner. CSU, Nevada, and SDSU should not be giving concessions to Boise St.

They probably won't this time around. Boise hasn't done near as much in the last five or six years vs where they were the last go around. If I was the other schools I would tell them no special deals...they aren't special enough anymore.

This. Where is Boise gonna go? Indy? If so, enjoy 4 home games a year against Grand Canyon U and the like...

Huskyometer says each non-Boise MWC school will get $688K per year in the new contract. Boise will still get more - $1.18 Mil per year.

Nice chunk of change for everyone involved.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Nobody cares about the MWC. Except for Boise, I’ll give them that although what have they really done that’s so special since leaving the deadbeat WAC. Maybe 1 Fiesta Bowl and annual bowls? Not bad but they need to be going undefeated or 12-1 for people to care.

Kellen Moore was sick tho

(04-25-2019 07:32 AM)zoocrew Wrote:  Nobody cares about the MWC. Except for Boise, I’ll give them that although what have they really done that’s so special since leaving the deadbeat WAC.

When/if San Diego State completes the Mission Valley project, I’d be willing to take another look at them. And if we ever get Army to join as football-only, I’d consider Air Force as a football-only, to have all 3 of the military academies. I think that would have some real value and interest to fans and media.

But other than that, there just isn’t much there in the Mtn. that’s worth our time. Hard pass on Boise State.

(04-25-2019 07:41 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(04-25-2019 07:32 AM)zoocrew Wrote:  Nobody cares about the MWC. Except for Boise, I’ll give them that although what have they really done that’s so special since leaving the deadbeat WAC.

When/if San Diego State completes the Mission Valley project, I’d be willing to take another look at them. And if we ever get Army to join as football-only, I’d consider Air Force as a football-only, to have all 3 of the military academies. I think that would have some real value and interest to fans and media.

But other than that, there just isn’t much there in the Mtn. that’s worth our time. Hard pass on Boise State.

No to any MW schools joining the AAC... And the article is corrector about 12 years being too long... and oh BTW, that six years look in is worthless, that implies the AAC getting a pay cut if there is membership change or failure to meet expectations... NO RAISE!!!

SHOULD HAVE SIGNED GOR!!!

Interesting listening to John Skipper interview with Bill Simmons. He was speaking about the importance of gobbling up assets. Did not expect him to bring up the AAC, but talked about it as a strong asset for ESPN and one which would have been bid on had ESPN not gotten something done before it went to market. He currently runs DAZN and mentioned it as something they were looking into bidding on.

(04-25-2019 08:37 AM)GoOwls111 Wrote:  

(04-25-2019 07:41 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(04-25-2019 07:32 AM)zoocrew Wrote:  Nobody cares about the MWC. Except for Boise, I’ll give them that although what have they really done that’s so special since leaving the deadbeat WAC.

When/if San Diego State completes the Mission Valley project, I’d be willing to take another look at them. And if we ever get Army to join as football-only, I’d consider Air Force as a football-only, to have all 3 of the military academies. I think that would have some real value and interest to fans and media.

But other than that, there just isn’t much there in the Mtn. that’s worth our time. Hard pass on Boise State.

No to any MW schools joining the AAC... And the article is corrector about 12 years being too long... and oh BTW, that six years look in is worthless, that implies the AAC getting a pay cut if there is membership change or failure to meet expectations... NO RAISE!!!

SHOULD HAVE SIGNED GOR!!!

That lookin is reality for both parties. If the conference continues to outperform expectations and is not affected by realignment, then the conference needs to be compensated early considering the length of the contract. On the other hand if the league suffers from realignment there is no way that espn is going to want to not reduce payout to a conference that may lose some of its best universities.

Quote:Most people outside the Pacific and Mountain time zones, and even some in them, couldn't tell you everyone who's in it. The dollars reflect that.

Poor conference marketing/branding and low national interest. Makes me appreciate the American Conference so much more.

Quote:"It's not going to be perfect for all 12 (schools). It never can be."

Therein lies the problem — well, one of them at least — for the Mountain West, which has 12 members for football and 11 (minus Hawaii) in men's basketball. It is an amalgamation of public universities from different time zones and climates and market sizes, with different perspectives and priorities. Some want control of kick and tip times to maximize ticket sales, even if it means less TV money. Some want a national platform to enhance recruiting, even if it means weeknight football games and 9 p.m. basketball tips.

"There's no fit-all," Thompson says.

Again, glad we're in the American compared to the others outside the P5. While not a perfect marriage, our conference members are much better aligned and on the same page overall.

Quote:"That's what blew me away," SDSU's Wicker says, "that 13 years from now they're still going to be getting $7 million per school, knowing what things cost today and what they might cost in 13 years. I would be surprised if we got locked into something like that. I think that's too long."

Wicker and Thompson both forecast a contract half as long. Neither will talk dollars publicly, but you get the sense from others in the industry that it won't be appreciably more than they receive now, given Boise State's carve-out and the conference's dearth of major markets or national brands.

Just wait dude until you realize that the MW has just about zero, ZERO, negotiating power. If you want a shorter term contract then you're current $1.1 million/school won't look much different. It probably won't matter much anyway in terms of the length of the new contract for the Milwaukee's West...

(04-25-2019 08:37 AM)GoOwls111 Wrote:  

(04-25-2019 07:41 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(04-25-2019 07:32 AM)zoocrew Wrote:  Nobody cares about the MWC. Except for Boise, I’ll give them that although what have they really done that’s so special since leaving the deadbeat WAC.

When/if San Diego State completes the Mission Valley project, I’d be willing to take another look at them. And if we ever get Army to join as football-only, I’d consider Air Force as a football-only, to have all 3 of the military academies. I think that would have some real value and interest to fans and media.

But other than that, there just isn’t much there in the Mtn. that’s worth our time. Hard pass on Boise State.

No to any MW schools joining the AAC... And the article is corrector about 12 years being too long... and oh BTW, that six years look in is worthless, that implies the AAC getting a pay cut if there is membership change or failure to meet expectations... NO RAISE!!!

SHOULD HAVE SIGNED GOR!!!

IDK if a GOR would have garnered any significant revenue for the schools-- maybe another $1M/team per year. The fact of the matter is there is no real threat of anyone leaving the AAC at the present time because a) the P5 schools aren't going to do anything for at least another 4-5 years or more and b) nobody is leaving the AAC to join another G5 conference.