AAC Media Rights Deal
- Thread starter goldenhurricane2
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$6.94 million. 12 years with a total payout of $1 billion. No grant of rights. About half the football broadcasts moving to streaming only.
So it depends on your life outlook.
Tigger would tell you we are getting lots more money and that’s exciting.
Pooh would wonder why we waited so long before asking for more.
Piglet would ask if all of this extra money is really just a payback without interest for all the money we already generated for ESPN.
Eeyore would say none of it matters. The deal pays us what we are worth today, gives the bigger schools flexibility and leaves the smaller schools in the risky situation of being dumped on (again) if there is conference movement.
Christopher Robin would observe that it is really just a sport and not worth the bother.
So it depends on your life outlook.
Tigger would tell you we are getting lots more money and that’s exciting.
Pooh would wonder why we waited so long before asking for more.
Piglet would ask if all of this extra money is really just a payback without interest for all the money we already generated for ESPN.
Eeyore would say none of it matters. The deal pays us what we are worth today, gives the bigger schools flexibility and leaves the smaller schools in the risky situation of being dumped on (again) if there is conference movement.
Christopher Robin would observe that it is really just a sport and not worth the bother.
Definitely some warts with the deal, but looking at the $400k cusa is getting per school... $7 million seems pretty good.
I’m not particularly a fan of the length of the deal nor the fact that some content will be moving to espn+... but it seems that streaming is the way of the future.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with a bigger conference when it comes time for them to renegotiate their tv deal - if they also get some content moved to espn+, maybe the perception won’t be as bad.
I’m not particularly a fan of the length of the deal nor the fact that some content will be moving to espn+... but it seems that streaming is the way of the future.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with a bigger conference when it comes time for them to renegotiate their tv deal - if they also get some content moved to espn+, maybe the perception won’t be as bad.
Way too long.
Money is our current value but will look awful come 2030.
Huffy pretty much nailed the outlooks going on. Also that this deal was made and largely influenced by a group of schools who do not plan on being in it till 2032.
Not sure where they think they are going so this is an instant gratification will regret later situation.
A bit like getting drunk and then taking the sure thing home at closing time. Everything is fine until you wake up in the morning, then the deal isn't quite as pretty as you thought it was. Have to wonder if the cutie who smiled at you, but you never hit on would have been a better option even if it was more risky.
The length which is six years past the cfp expiration is the worst of it. The ESPN+ for half of football and something like 3/4 of basketball is a close second though.
A deal retaining 3rd tier rights, for half the length would have been pretty fair value. Right now the deal is even, but over the long term ESPN will make a bank off the conference with no risk.
Oh yeah, if you didn't see, there reportedly is a clause that if certain schools leave or a certain number leave ESPN is off the hook, so it's not even long term stability, considering ESPN can encourage other conferences to pick off teams if they want.
Money is our current value but will look awful come 2030.
Huffy pretty much nailed the outlooks going on. Also that this deal was made and largely influenced by a group of schools who do not plan on being in it till 2032.
Not sure where they think they are going so this is an instant gratification will regret later situation.
A bit like getting drunk and then taking the sure thing home at closing time. Everything is fine until you wake up in the morning, then the deal isn't quite as pretty as you thought it was. Have to wonder if the cutie who smiled at you, but you never hit on would have been a better option even if it was more risky.
The length which is six years past the cfp expiration is the worst of it. The ESPN+ for half of football and something like 3/4 of basketball is a close second though.
A deal retaining 3rd tier rights, for half the length would have been pretty fair value. Right now the deal is even, but over the long term ESPN will make a bank off the conference with no risk.
Oh yeah, if you didn't see, there reportedly is a clause that if certain schools leave or a certain number leave ESPN is off the hook, so it's not even long term stability, considering ESPN can encourage other conferences to pick off teams if they want.
I don’t even view it as a lengthy deal until my FOIA request from UCF is answered so I can read the document. It looks like two deals to me. One now and one that may or may not continue the day after the Big 12 takes a look at what it’s going to do. For us, that isn’t too much of a problem. Houston and UCF are yo yo programs. They could be winless when the Big 12 is shopping for partners next, if ever. But
The extra million we didn’t expect certainly means it is more possible today than yesterday.
I hope we start doing something to earn it.
If it is two deal option that would greatly change my opinion on it.
My real issue is it locks up the conference at the current rate long after it's reasonable to expect significant changes, meaning the end of the current cfp.
Because its ESPN it could begin this year, details are shakey right now.
Technically the contract begins with the 2020-2021 school year.
Its 5$ for ESPN+. It will essentially be our old digital subscriptions. You will get all Olympic sports, a few of our football (2-4) and some basketball (probably 50% or so).
It’s $5 a month and gives you access to hundreds of games. For now. Netflix is bleeding money and amazon prime streaming is stale and cutting back on programming. By the time this contract matters it may end up being a la carte streaming like 1980s pay per view. Each $25 or whatever. You essentially buy a ticket to the game but stay home.
I don't anticipate ESPN+ will be $5 a month for much longer. ESPN is pushing content into that platform. I can't imagine a rate increase is not right around the corner. Thus far they have kept most if not all P5 football and basketball content on their traditional platforms. Wonder if they plan on switching those conferences as well? If not, I have concerns about visibility.
ESPN+ is a holding pen. ESPN itself will become a streaming service. Their current contracts prevent that. ESPN will put anything it thinks it might use after the switch from linear television there. Whatever it doesn't want it will leave there and sell it as a over channel you will have to pay for.
I doubt the price increases much, they won't be able to move some properties off the carriage agreements till 2025 or so. Should be stable till then. It is a solid deal if they have more than one thing you like to watch on it right now the tent poles will be UFC and the AAC. Has free replay. For Olympic sports I think it's great. How good or bad it is for football and basketball will depend on what gets normal exposure on linear (regular cable/over the air channels).
So looking back at our schedule for basketball, we had 6 non-conference games that would be considered “espn3” level. I’m assuming those would all be relegated to espn+. Then we had a couple of conference games on espn3 as well. So the same assumption applies there. On top of that, there are several more conference games that would likely end up on espn+ (do to an unfavorable matchup).
Non-conference games that would have likely been on espn+:
NSU (exhibition) - maybe
Alcorn St.
South Carolina St.
Cal Baptist
Yooler
UTA
New Orleans
Conference games that were on espn3 or would likely be on espn+:
@Houston (espn3)
USF
@SMU
@Tulane
@ECU (espn3)
Tulane
ECU
Of course some of those are up for debate, but it would likely look something like that. So, that equates to about 13 games or roughly 40% of our schedule. So throw in a couple more games on espn+ and you’ve got your 50%.
Same goes for football. Obviously any FCS game would be on espn+ (just like it was on espn3). Then there were a couple more games that would likely have been on espn+ (maybe more seeing that we sucked). Probably something along the lines of Tulane, UConn, Navy, or SMU. So that would likely hit our quota of football games needed on espn+.
I do think that the better we perform, the less likely we’ll be on espn+ in both football and basketball, but after looking at the percentages, it doesn’t seem like it would make THAT much of a difference in exposure in basketball, but would make a dent in exposure football.
It’ll be interesting to see how all this plays out.
Non-conference games that would have likely been on espn+:
NSU (exhibition) - maybe
Alcorn St.
South Carolina St.
Cal Baptist
Yooler
UTA
New Orleans
Conference games that were on espn3 or would likely be on espn+:
@Houston (espn3)
USF
@SMU
@Tulane
@ECU (espn3)
Tulane
ECU
Of course some of those are up for debate, but it would likely look something like that. So, that equates to about 13 games or roughly 40% of our schedule. So throw in a couple more games on espn+ and you’ve got your 50%.
Same goes for football. Obviously any FCS game would be on espn+ (just like it was on espn3). Then there were a couple more games that would likely have been on espn+ (maybe more seeing that we sucked). Probably something along the lines of Tulane, UConn, Navy, or SMU. So that would likely hit our quota of football games needed on espn+.
I do think that the better we perform, the less likely we’ll be on espn+ in both football and basketball, but after looking at the percentages, it doesn’t seem like it would make THAT much of a difference in exposure in basketball, but would make a dent in exposure football.
It’ll be interesting to see how all this plays out.
That $12 antenna I got at Best Buy is pretty good. It gets local Fox and something called Laff.
Check it out!!!1
Check it out!!!1
Yup that's probably pretty close according to reports.
Our content on ABC, ESPN/2 will remain there with maybe a couple more slots. All ESPNU and all ESPNnews (which they seem to be using as buffers to stay on cable systems and get good money from the carriage fee) games will move to plus, along with all espn3 content.
My guess is all three of those will be gone by 2025, with all their content pushed to plus.
$7 million a year for ESPN & potentially another $1 million a year for CBS channels.
Compare to $2 million a year current deal. Just over $1 million a year in our CUSA years. $400,00 a year for CUSA leftovers Rice, Marshall, UTEP & UAB. Under 2 million a year for Mountain West teams .
Our move to the American 5 years ago was fortuitous. We really did catch the last train out of town.
Compare to $2 million a year current deal. Just over $1 million a year in our CUSA years. $400,00 a year for CUSA leftovers Rice, Marshall, UTEP & UAB. Under 2 million a year for Mountain West teams .
Our move to the American 5 years ago was fortuitous. We really did catch the last train out of town.
Definitely puts things in perspective - even with some things that aren’t ideal with this deal, it’s a hell of a lot better than we’d be working with in C-USA.
I would expect all games to be on an ESPN platform in some way, shape, or form once the contract kicks in. The football and basketball games that will be relegated will be the non-con road games against non-name foes
This only applies to home games in the non conference and conference games. Non-conference road games fall under the opposition’s media deal.
I feel silly for asking this, because I think I know the answer. I just have not ever seen the answer in print to be certain. When we play televised road game, do we get a percentage negotiated by the other school for the tv rights, or do we not get anything for it?
ESPN+ broadcasts a ton of games of the smaller conferences now, especially in basketball
That was my assumption, just had never seen or heard about it one way or the other.
If the game was on ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNnews, or CBSsports it will now be on plus, according to those breaking the story.
More than half of our basketball and around 40% of football will go to plus.
The best football will go to ABC and the rest of the ESPN/2 content will remain there for basketball and football.
As yet no number for ABC games have come out. It is expected to be more than the current three we are guarenteed but it seems unlikely to be a weekly type thing either, since we would probably have heard that. So 4+ is the best way to view it.
Stead should have gotten more credit at the time for the relationships he built quietly to get us into a position with the NCAA and the AAC so we wouldn’t be left behind.
Official announcement from the conference is supposed to happen today at noon. It’ll be interesting to see how it matches up with what’s been reported.
It will. Unless the deal somehow changed since UCF complied with public records requests of the media.
I’m betting we have around a half dozen basketball games on cable when the new contract kicks in, the rest will be on +.
It doesn't sound like a ton is changing in terms of exposure. Not a ton being pushed to ESPN+ with regards to conference football and basketball games. ESPN gets rights to NAVY games including all games with Notre Dame and the only exception being games against Army and Air Force. There will be a ton more women's basketball coverage as all conference games will be on ESPN+ if they're not broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, the Ocho or ESPNU.
Jerry O made the point that ESPN+ is a win/win for the AAC since it also has rights to UFC ...at $4.99/mo it's a bargain if you're in Tulsa or another AAC city.
How does UFC get as much money as they do for their tv deal is what blows my mind....their ratings are garbage.
Looks like ESPN will air at least 25 men's basketball games on either ESPN or ESPN2. They will air 135 conference controlled games on ESPN+.
The agreement also allows ESPN to air all Navy-controlled football games against Notre Dame plus the network receives the first pick of the remaining games excluding Army and Air Force.
ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, as well as the conference championship game on either ABC or ESPN. The network aired 26 games in 2018 according to Aresco.
ESPN+ will also air approximately 30-35 games per year in addition to those games on the linear networks.
Additionally, the network will air at least 65 regular season men’s basketball games per season, with at least 25 across ESPN and ESPN2, including the conference championship on ESPN.
ESPN+ also will air about 135 conference-controlled men’s basketball games.
At least 13 women’s basketball games per season will air on the network, with a minimum of five featured on ESPN and ESPN2. The conference tournament semifinals will air on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU and the finals will be featured on ESPN or ESPN2.
The agreement also allows ESPN to air all Navy-controlled football games against Notre Dame plus the network receives the first pick of the remaining games excluding Army and Air Force.
ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, as well as the conference championship game on either ABC or ESPN. The network aired 26 games in 2018 according to Aresco.
ESPN+ will also air approximately 30-35 games per year in addition to those games on the linear networks.
Additionally, the network will air at least 65 regular season men’s basketball games per season, with at least 25 across ESPN and ESPN2, including the conference championship on ESPN.
ESPN+ also will air about 135 conference-controlled men’s basketball games.
At least 13 women’s basketball games per season will air on the network, with a minimum of five featured on ESPN and ESPN2. The conference tournament semifinals will air on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU and the finals will be featured on ESPN or ESPN2.
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