Contractually, is ESPN obligated?

Of note, I realize Ad revenue plays a big role as well during nationally /regionally televised Sporting events. And if no games are televised/streamed then there would be no Ad revenue. Perhaps there is a clause with a guaranteed amount in the event of unforeseen circumstances like CV19. So just asking if anyone knows for sure?

If few games are played i imagine some adjustments would be made. It would be in both sides best interest to keep things as a partnership deal, and not a win lose one.

ESPN is paying to televise games & those generally on a conference basis - hence the current effort to preserve the conference schedules among the conferences. So it seems logical if the games contracted aren't played, ESPN doesn't pay. And with the other live sports being down also, it could eventually affect ESPN's ability to make contracted payments even if the college FB conferences do play if this shut down continues.

If conferences got TV money regardless if they played or not, the P5 would have cancelled the season by now

Remember in earlier days of the pandemic, when Aresco mentioned giving up a little money (under the previous deal) because the conference MBB / WBB tournaments were cancelled?
You don't deliver the product, you don't get the money.

Thats why we should be pressing to get the ECU Marshall and Navy ND games in - if everything goes into the dumpster after a week or two, we will at least have delivered week zero and week one content on ESPN and ABC

(07-26-2020 06:09 AM)Blackbeard89 Wrote:  Contractually, is ESPN obligated?

If you contract with a painting company to come paint your house but they don't come paint your house - are you contractually obligated to pay them?

Most contracts have some sort of force majeure clause that covers this type of stuff

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(07-26-2020 06:09 AM)Blackbeard89 Wrote:  Contractually, is ESPN obligated?

It's a legal contract, no do overs. ESPiN will eat "CROW" if they can't influence decision makes, and that's just the way I like it.

They destroyed the BIG EAST and undervalued The AMERICAN from the get go... Again, do overs!

no football no money for us. conversely, no football ad money for them

(07-26-2020 08:56 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  Remember in earlier days of the pandemic, when Aresco mentioned giving up a little money (under the previous deal) because the conference MBB / WBB tournaments were cancelled?
You don't deliver the product, you don't get the money.

Thats why we should be pressing to get the ECU Marshall and Navy ND games in - if everything goes into the dumpster after a week or two, we will at least have delivered week zero and week one content on ESPN and ABC

^ THIS. I heard a SBC AD say they'd play w/o fans if they can to get tv money...that'd be what $250-300k or so with reduced schedules? Every penny counts.

(07-26-2020 03:13 PM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  

(07-26-2020 08:56 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  Remember in earlier days of the pandemic, when Aresco mentioned giving up a little money (under the previous deal) because the conference MBB / WBB tournaments were cancelled?
You don't deliver the product, you don't get the money.

Thats why we should be pressing to get the ECU Marshall and Navy ND games in - if everything goes into the dumpster after a week or two, we will at least have delivered week zero and week one content on ESPN and ABC

^ THIS. I heard a SBC AD say they'd play w/o fans if they can to get tv money...that'd be what $250-300k or so with reduced schedules? Every penny counts.

Watched any MLB games these last three days?
It isn't even like it's a choice between fans / ticket revenue but no TV, and TV revenue but no fans or gameday revenue. If we can't have full stadia, deliver the product for as long as you can.

The football part of the deal (75% or so of the average annual value) is 20 games on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, another 20 somewhere on linear (add ESPNU), and 20 more on ESPN+. SWAG that out, and delivering an ABC game and an ESPN game gets the AAC, Idunno, say $4M out of the $83M aav, so just shy of a half million dollars per school.

Ok. In line with my thoughts as well. A pandemic would hit with our new media deal kicking in. Damn you COVID 19!

may not be a factor at all - i don't know, since I don't think we've had a situation like this before - we've never seen the real possibility if a season going down the tubes, I don't think, since WWII.

Are any of these tv contracts insured? that is, if the "product" isn't there, because of certain reasons (act of god, plague, etc.), are any of the payments insured?

I doubt it, but, then again, if you told me a year ago what we'd be looking at now, with covid, I wouldn't have believed you. I could see where some insurance company, thinking that the risk was so small, would take the premium, because the risk being covered would "never happen".

just curious

(07-27-2020 09:55 AM)dave108 Wrote:  may not be a factor at all - i don't know, since I don't think we've had a situation like this before - we've never seen the real possibility if a season going down the tubes, I don't think, since WWII.

Are any of these tv contracts insured? that is, if the "product" isn't there, because of certain reasons (act of god, plague, etc.), are any of the payments insured?

I doubt it, but, then again, if you told me a year ago what we'd be looking at now, with covid, I wouldn't have believed you. I could see where some insurance company, thinking that the risk was so small, would take the premium, because the risk being covered would "never happen".

just curious

Insurance company would just void the claim due to an act of god.

The conferences probably don't get paid if the games aren't played. Probably why the conferences keep backing up the start and will try to play the games. If the schools play 9 or 10 games with 25% capacity of the stadiums they might be able to garner enough tv revenue to match a full conference media pay out for the year. After all you haven't heard of the $10 million dollar Saban's taking a pay cut yet and they have to be paid.

https://www.sportico.com/2020/leagues/co...09615/amp/

This should say something on the subject.

(07-27-2020 01:00 PM)WhalerFan Wrote:  https://www.sportico.com/2020/leagues/co...09615/amp/

This should say something on the subject.

Thanks....Quote: "Should college football’s doomsday scenario come true, ESPN will have to negotiate make-goods for ad buyers, and sort hundreds of millions in rights payments it owes to schools, conference and bowl properties. Unwinding that billion-dollar web of payments will be a Herculean task."