AAC - ESPN Media Deal - officially Garbage (er, um DOESN'T Matter ! )
- Thread starter the Blades
- Start date
Also here's more on the future of TV contracts and conference alignment, if true good luck to the bottom feeders of the so-called P-5's, like BC, Rutgers, Wake Forest, Northwestern etc, who've never won a thing or done a thing for their conferences and have been only playing for a pay check ever since the last couple of CR shake ups.
Conference re-alignment will come - shaped by tech, not TV
“Conference realignment will come,” he said (high ranking executive at Amazon) , “but probably not in the way you’re thinking.”
He explained that Amazon, Netflix and perhaps even Apple, Google and Facebook, (aka ‘FAANG’), will be more instrumental than current TV networks in reshaping what we know now as conference affiliations. Naturally, I doubted this statement, until he explained why.
“We already have more cash than ABC/ESPN, NBC or CBS” he said. “And, In another five or six years, it won’t even be close. And too, ”the tech companies are far more advanced than the networks when it comes to knowing how to use the future broadcast technologies, (streaming) and that gap is growing to"........
Again, back to my friend at Amazon. “We’re still seven or eight years away,” he said, “but if we had to restructure the landscape today, we would not start by negotiating with a conference. We don’t care about the SEC, Big 12 of Big 10 as a whole. In our opinion, those entities are not our focus. “Instead, we would want to identify 30 or 40 teams that command the biggest audience. That may be by reputation or location, but generally we all know that there are members in every one of these conferences that frankly don’t move the needle.
Conference re-alignment will come - shaped by tech, not TV
“Conference realignment will come,” he said (high ranking executive at Amazon) , “but probably not in the way you’re thinking.”
He explained that Amazon, Netflix and perhaps even Apple, Google and Facebook, (aka ‘FAANG’), will be more instrumental than current TV networks in reshaping what we know now as conference affiliations. Naturally, I doubted this statement, until he explained why.
“We already have more cash than ABC/ESPN, NBC or CBS” he said. “And, In another five or six years, it won’t even be close. And too, ”the tech companies are far more advanced than the networks when it comes to knowing how to use the future broadcast technologies, (streaming) and that gap is growing to"........
Again, back to my friend at Amazon. “We’re still seven or eight years away,” he said, “but if we had to restructure the landscape today, we would not start by negotiating with a conference. We don’t care about the SEC, Big 12 of Big 10 as a whole. In our opinion, those entities are not our focus. “Instead, we would want to identify 30 or 40 teams that command the biggest audience. That may be by reputation or location, but generally we all know that there are members in every one of these conferences that frankly don’t move the needle.
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I scanned the document of the Memphis BOT meeting. I don't have know how to link it but it looks like it's an exclusive ESPN negotiation and no CBS Sports Network. The other thing that jumped out at me was how high the student fees are for SMU, UCONN and ECU.
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Lincoln shot !!! ....LOL !
This has been Uconn's reality for years now, ever since they (+ USF & Cincy) got hit over the the head with a sledge hammer during conference re-alignment.
Especially since Uconn plays every sport sponsored by the AAC, plus others they had to park in conferences like Hockey East and the Big East.
Uconn's AD also has a larger total budget ( $81 mil) than alot of P-5's and dwarfs all the AAC schools. It's a problem, even more so since Pasqualoni and Diaco destroyed the FB attendance that was at 97% capacity for 8 years between 2003 to 2010. We've had a bunch of talk up here that the local media guys are just figuring out, but student subsidies were always gonna get worse once the millions ($100mil +) in Big East (UConn, USF, Cincy - Big Payouts) exit fees ran out for Uconn........story from Jan:
UConn AD in 2018: generated $40 million in revenue, $81 mil budget
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Yeah, especially at the same time as they're in the middle of building 3 new sports stadiums at the price tag of $60 mil:
Work Beginning on New UConn Stadiums Project
Latest Information of UConn's New Athletics District Stadiums
UConn Basketball Scores Big on SNY
NEW YORK - For seven seasons, UConn Basketball has scored on SNY, television home of the Huskies. For the 2018-2019 season, SNY televised more than 300 hours of exclusive UConn basketball programming including 15 women's games and seven men's games - bringing the Huskies into more than 11 million households across the country.
NEW YORK - For seven seasons, UConn Basketball has scored on SNY, television home of the Huskies. For the 2018-2019 season, SNY televised more than 300 hours of exclusive UConn basketball programming including 15 women's games and seven men's games - bringing the Huskies into more than 11 million households across the country.
Actual TV money goes up to about $7 mil per year per school. Renewal talks for CBS package have not begun. Obviously Navy and Wich St. would get partial deal.
" The average of $83.3M per year is about four times what the AAC was making in its previous rights agreement with the net, which paid the league just over $20M annually. They did not sign a grant of rights, which would have restricted them from jumping to a conference in the Power Five. The new contract also calls for some Saturday football games to be broadcast on ABC. Football, along with men's and women's basketball, will remain on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, but the majority of basketball games and a significant number of the football games will go to ESPN+. Other live sports including baseball, softball and soccer also will air on ESPN+. "
" The average of $83.3M per year is about four times what the AAC was making in its previous rights agreement with the net, which paid the league just over $20M annually. They did not sign a grant of rights, which would have restricted them from jumping to a conference in the Power Five. The new contract also calls for some Saturday football games to be broadcast on ABC. Football, along with men's and women's basketball, will remain on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, but the majority of basketball games and a significant number of the football games will go to ESPN+. Other live sports including baseball, softball and soccer also will air on ESPN+. "
Weird that Uconn would talk up the SNY deal a few days ago then have this come out in the article. I'd assume as in the past OOC (tier 3) games would still be available to contract with SNY /other networks ????
"ESPN will reportedly have rights to all AAC live programming, with the exception of a few basketball games that will air on CBS and some Navy football games that will air on CBS Sports Network. ESPN plans to air some AAC baseball, softball and soccer games on ESPN+, in addition to basketball and football. It is unclear whether SNY will continue to carry UConn women’s games. "
"ESPN will reportedly have rights to all AAC live programming, with the exception of a few basketball games that will air on CBS and some Navy football games that will air on CBS Sports Network. ESPN plans to air some AAC baseball, softball and soccer games on ESPN+, in addition to basketball and football. It is unclear whether SNY will continue to carry UConn women’s games. "
Great article by Mike Anthony....I'm glad some writer that follows Uconn Sports has a clue and asks the most important questions regarding what I mentioned here this past Tuesday. Uconn currently is being paid more for the Womens BB package on SNY than the Mountain West gets for their entire TV package per school. Over $1 million and when you package in the OOC mens BB games and a FB game that SNY produces plus coaches shows etc. I'd have to guess it could come close to the same 2 million a year that the current AAC TV package pays. So why should UConn have to give up all that NY/ CT/ tri-state coverage on their 3rd tier and money, so nobodies like Tulsa and Tulane can get the same $7 mil a year too ?......
from Anthony:
" Without an official announcement, without the contract in hand, without comment or confirmation from the involved parties, it would be irresponsible and shortsighted to call the American Athletic Conference's new TV deal with ESPN a garbage package for UConn......
But I can tell you this: it sure could turn out to be.The three-letter question: Why?..........The three-letter answer: SNY. If UConn games and related content can’t be televised by SNY, if the overall UConn brand can’t be pushed throughout the region by the high-quality and wide-reaching production of the New York-based network, it will be a disaster for the Huskies.
He also brings up the other point I mentioned on Tuesday about the recent Uconn-SNY news release ...
" Just over a week ago, UConn put out a press release that was a celebration of its partnership with SNY, detailing through-the-roof ratings in Connecticut for women’s basketball, which is obviously the Huskies’ prized product. Maybe it was meant to showcase the value of what will be lost, or of what will continue as a driving force for priceless athletic department and university exposure. Maybe the timing was coincidental and I’m over-analyzing everything. "
FULL READ- Mike Anthony:
The AAC TV contract with ESPN would be GARBAGE to UConn if SNY is pushed out of the picture
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Well what is the answer to this question? Is the SNY partnership continuing or not? I see no reason for it not to continue because it doesn’t compete with the AAC regionally except where it concerns UConn, and it benefits the AAC to benefit UConn by maximizing its coverage. It’s really more of an issue for ESPN it would seem and this in my mind goes to antitrust issues. Competition is good and monopolies are not allowed except in certain circumstances.
As I posted above on Tuesday.... " I'd assume as in the past OOC (tier 3) games would still be available to contract with SNY ???? "
I just hope Uconn didn't agree to give up their 3rd tier coverage to Aresco and those swindlers at ESPN.... because that's what this involves. Fine, let Aresco and the AAC have rights to games involving AAC teams but they should not have rights to the games Uconn plays out of conference ( ie... non P-5 level games).
Presently SNY has been televising the mens and womens OOC hoops games plus the FCS football game each year, Uconn gets paid for that by SNY. Plus it looks like their was some deal made by SNY to do some women's AAC games recently. Obviously ESPN controls that and those games are probably gone to the new ESPN+ streaming service that costs $4.99 a month in the new AAC TV deal....But what's up with all the other Uconn OOC games I just mentioned that ARESCO and the AAC should have no say in ????
I just hope Uconn didn't agree to give up their 3rd tier coverage to Aresco and those swindlers at ESPN.... because that's what this involves. Fine, let Aresco and the AAC have rights to games involving AAC teams but they should not have rights to the games Uconn plays out of conference ( ie... non P-5 level games).
Presently SNY has been televising the mens and womens OOC hoops games plus the FCS football game each year, Uconn gets paid for that by SNY. Plus it looks like their was some deal made by SNY to do some women's AAC games recently. Obviously ESPN controls that and those games are probably gone to the new ESPN+ streaming service that costs $4.99 a month in the new AAC TV deal....But what's up with all the other Uconn OOC games I just mentioned that ARESCO and the AAC should have no say in ????
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Well another thing I don't like about this is regarding the AAC. Aresco has allowed another conference member, Navy, to keep a separate TV agreement with CBS. So why should ARESCO strong arm Uconn into giving up millions of $$$ in TV money that a bunch of other AAC schools can't make on thier own ???
" Navy is not one bit interested in being part of a (AAC) television deal that could possibly result in home games being held on Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights. That baseline mandate is the major impetus behind an extraordinary agreement between CBS Sports, the American Athletic Conference and the Naval Academy Athletic Association that was announced on Wednesday. "
Navy agrees to 10-year extension with CBS Sports with support of AAC/Aresco
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OK here's Anthony's follow up....IF ARESCO / AAC has sold off Uconn's out of conference/SNY games like you mentioned KSTW to ESPN :
1. Why would Uconn allow that ?
2. What right should Aresco have to represent Uconn/AAC members in anything other than AAC games and who gave that to him ?
3. You don't give up as Anthony put it regarding what has been the SNY OOC conference deal : That airs more than 300 hours of UConn athletics content every year and brings in over $1 million, and priceless exposure, to UConn. "
4. The last thing Aresco should be doing with Uconn is selling ESPN exclusive rights to EVERY UCONN game (yes the NON AAC stuff ), so ESPN can go turn around and broker it back to SNY for a profit...like they did with CBS Sports for AAC games the last time around. To me that's some sort of collusion....
5, If CBS Sports wants AAC stuff or SNY wants Uconn OOC those should be separate deals/...without ESPN involved
6. Plus the Tulane's and the Tulsa's of the world should not be getting millions because of Uconn's loss.
Don't like the sound of this one bit:
“Frankly, we’ve been hearing probably as you’ve been hearing,” Morgenstern(of SNY) said at Harbor Yard Arena, where network reps gathered for the announcement of an annual hockey tournament involving all four Connecticut Division I teams. “We don’t know too much about it. We’ve been contacted by ESPN simply to say, ‘There’s a contract, and we’re going to go through it and understand all the components of that.’ But we frankly don’t know what it means for us.”
Uconn needs to hit the breaks on Aresco before he sells us down the road !!!!
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From the Courant- " ESPN and AAC did not disclose financial terms of the deal Wednesday--------ESPN executive Burke Magnus said the agreement does not necessarily mean the end of UConn’s relationship with SNY, which broadcasts Huskies women’s basketball games."
They had to carve out an exception for UConn. It’s self defeating if the AAC doesn’t have a school being marketed by SNY in an area (metro NYC) where the AAC has competition in the form of the Big East. Aresco knows that if the SNY package - which is a huge marketing bonanza for UConn - is lost, than AAC is basically raising the white flag and surrendering that turf to the Big East. This had to be included in the negotiations with the ESPN, otherwise it would be Conference Commissioner malpractice by Aresco.
And here it is - they did not .....make an exception for the SNY Deal and Uconn..
( though Aresco did make an exception for Navy to have a separate TV deal)
From Benedict's statement Aresco gave away the SNY deal to ESPN and Uconn has no control over it. That's ridiculous for Uconn to allow Aresco to have control and sell off non-AAC games (the games SNY paid Uconn $1mil + for ....and gave us tons of tri-state exposure).
FIRE BENEDICT ...and since we can't fire Herbst.... I bet she got paid off... to agree to this ! ( She should be under investigation by the State of CT)
PS. not a dime....Uconn will never get another dime of my money after 30+ years !
You want to pull this crap and give away Uconn TV contract$ so the Tulsa's and the Tulane's of the world can get that money funneled to them .....and ESPN can destroy Uconn's finances even more by filling their own pockets & possible selling off those games to SNY....FiNE run your bankrupt AD anyway you want to...but don't ever ask me for another donation ...I'm out.
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" Media rights deals are primarily about money … lots and lots of money. So on a day when the American Athletic Conference and ESPN announced their new 12-year TV contract, guess how many times dollar figures were actually discussed by the principal figures involved.....Zero. AAC commissioner Mike Aresco or Burke Magnus, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and scheduling, sprinted from the topic in a nearly hour-long tap dance Wednesday. "
" If you can afford $4.99 a month, and spring for the phone or tablet or any streaming device necessary to partner with the app, that’s how you’ll watch many UConn basketball games starting in 2020...... Or maybe you won’t. Aresco and Magnus addressed concerns regarding the potential for SNY, six years now the carrier of UConn basketball and so much additional content, to be excluded............Yet from there, just about every UConn-specific question — and there were many — on the teleconference and in interviews to follow was met with answers specific to ESPN+. Will fans be able to gather and watch games carried by a streaming service at a bar? How complicated is it to hook up to an actual TV? What’s the reach, the accessibility? "
" Let’s set that aside, though, and ask: Did UConn vote in favor of this new TV deal? Official UConn statement: “We are not at liberty to disclose how we voted.”
Athletic director David Benedict: “I can't answer that question.”....Aresco: “Oh, I can't get into the vote. UConn’s official response was an underwhelming endorsement. " However based on UConn’s understanding of the deal, there are certain exclusive components which we believe are not in the best interest of our fan base or representative of maintaining and building our brand.”
" No, UConn doesn’t sound happy. UConn shouldn’t be happy. The extra $5 million a year the school will take in does not offset what it would lose in SNY, monetary and beyond. Benedict and those around him in Storrs are in a strange position. It does them no good to butt heads too violently with ESPN. But they must meet fans’ frustration with their own and make clear that they won’t go along willingly while their product is pushed to a place it doesn’t fit or can be hidden. "
And spoken like a true lame duck who spent and spent and spent our taxpayer dollars at Uconn while she screwed us royally on conference re-alignment as she ran the AD into the ground...the fricken' pom-pom waiving snake in the grass: " University president Susan Herbst declined to discuss the situation, deferring to the school’s statement. "
FULL READ-------Mike Anthony: Announcement of AAC/ESPN deal leaves door cracked for SNY, and leaves UConn to express disappointment in potential streaming future
PS..... does anybody remember when that clueless fat slob BE commissioner from Providence College turned down $13 mil a year for the FB/BB schools ? Something he should have never had a say in.... Now Aresco for his salary closing in on $2 mil a year is playin' "slap on the back" with all his old buddies at ESPN ( yep, keep giving them pricks a tax break Gov. Malloy, SMH!). While this has continued to go backwards for Uconn financially and brand wise, ever since, yet the AD is $40 mil in the hole and still nobody has been held responsible .
" If you can afford $4.99 a month, and spring for the phone or tablet or any streaming device necessary to partner with the app, that’s how you’ll watch many UConn basketball games starting in 2020...... Or maybe you won’t. Aresco and Magnus addressed concerns regarding the potential for SNY, six years now the carrier of UConn basketball and so much additional content, to be excluded............Yet from there, just about every UConn-specific question — and there were many — on the teleconference and in interviews to follow was met with answers specific to ESPN+. Will fans be able to gather and watch games carried by a streaming service at a bar? How complicated is it to hook up to an actual TV? What’s the reach, the accessibility? "
" Let’s set that aside, though, and ask: Did UConn vote in favor of this new TV deal? Official UConn statement: “We are not at liberty to disclose how we voted.”
Athletic director David Benedict: “I can't answer that question.”....Aresco: “Oh, I can't get into the vote. UConn’s official response was an underwhelming endorsement. " However based on UConn’s understanding of the deal, there are certain exclusive components which we believe are not in the best interest of our fan base or representative of maintaining and building our brand.”
" No, UConn doesn’t sound happy. UConn shouldn’t be happy. The extra $5 million a year the school will take in does not offset what it would lose in SNY, monetary and beyond. Benedict and those around him in Storrs are in a strange position. It does them no good to butt heads too violently with ESPN. But they must meet fans’ frustration with their own and make clear that they won’t go along willingly while their product is pushed to a place it doesn’t fit or can be hidden. "
And spoken like a true lame duck who spent and spent and spent our taxpayer dollars at Uconn while she screwed us royally on conference re-alignment as she ran the AD into the ground...the fricken' pom-pom waiving snake in the grass: " University president Susan Herbst declined to discuss the situation, deferring to the school’s statement. "
FULL READ-------Mike Anthony: Announcement of AAC/ESPN deal leaves door cracked for SNY, and leaves UConn to express disappointment in potential streaming future
PS..... does anybody remember when that clueless fat slob BE commissioner from Providence College turned down $13 mil a year for the FB/BB schools ? Something he should have never had a say in.... Now Aresco for his salary closing in on $2 mil a year is playin' "slap on the back" with all his old buddies at ESPN ( yep, keep giving them pricks a tax break Gov. Malloy, SMH!). While this has continued to go backwards for Uconn financially and brand wise, ever since, yet the AD is $40 mil in the hole and still nobody has been held responsible .
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BY the way, .. guess who wasn't involved in these negotiations ? Uconn, Cincy and USF.......But who were ? all the former C-USA schools who are thrilled because they 'd be making $200k a year on a TV deal if they were still in that conference. You think Navy would spread the wealth and let Tulane, ECU and Tulsa make money off their brand ? That's why Navy said we're doing our own TV deal, just like Uconn should of for the non-AAC stuff, but Benedict & Herbst are to dumb to be aware that Uconn's tier 3 is the only one that has any value in this conference. (either that or got they paid off like that kiss ass Aresco did as he sold us out )
President Renu Khator of the University of Houston; our Vice-Chair David Rudd, President of the University of Memphis; and Gerald Turner, President of SMU, who chaired or ad hoc media committee. All have offered valuable counsel and support, as have our athletic director chair, Tom Bowen of Memphis, and vice-chair Troy Dannen of Tulane University.
President Renu Khator of the University of Houston; our Vice-Chair David Rudd, President of the University of Memphis; and Gerald Turner, President of SMU, who chaired or ad hoc media committee. All have offered valuable counsel and support, as have our athletic director chair, Tom Bowen of Memphis, and vice-chair Troy Dannen of Tulane University.
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Benedict on some kind of damage control assuring the fanbase that all is well & Geno won't quit over this and he'll be back next year, wow these clowns are desperate:
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SUZIE decided to speak this morning after no comment yesterday...spoken like a true lame duck who had no clue until after the fact:
" That said, I am deeply concerned about potential exposure for UConn men’s and women’s basketball.".....But exposure on ‘linear’ (traditional, cable) television is vitally important to us because many Husky fans gather to watch UConn basketball as a social event — when traveling, in restaurants or bars, or in the living room with family and friends. Right now, wherever I am, I can tune in easily and see our student-athletes in action. We do not want our amazing Husky fan lifestyle disrupted. Period.”
" That said, I am deeply concerned about potential exposure for UConn men’s and women’s basketball.".....But exposure on ‘linear’ (traditional, cable) television is vitally important to us because many Husky fans gather to watch UConn basketball as a social event — when traveling, in restaurants or bars, or in the living room with family and friends. Right now, wherever I am, I can tune in easily and see our student-athletes in action. We do not want our amazing Husky fan lifestyle disrupted. Period.”
No wonder Herbst had no clue regarding these negotiations....SHE WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION for being ON VACATION the whole time !
Also from Zac Boyer (former editor - Uconn Report) and John Silver ( former Uconn beat writer for the JI) now @ UConnDaily) | Twitter
Tensions Over AAC/ESPN Deal: UConn Not On Board
OUR TAKE: How the heck do the AAC presidents do this deal with UConn not on board? At the end of the day, UConn just sucked the air out of the goodwill of this deal. This is mindblowing to us. UConn is absolutely in the right in its view and it is hard to believe the AAC did this without a big program fully on board. ESPN, of course, is located in Bristol, and that makes for an uncomfortable political situation. ESPN and UConn are both very important to the state of Connecticut. How do both sides get out of this one?
This is the problem with the AAC in a nutshell. UConn, and the other teams in the league, are at different levels of athletic prowess and stature. UConn, of course, has been a marquee team in the NCAA, particularly in basketball, for much of the last 30 years. Its exposure and the intensity of the fanbase overwhelm what other schools in the conference bring. UConn is a brand name nationally and now, due to conference realignment, has to take a deal that will elevate Tulane, East Carolina, etc. but hurt UConn. This is not a tenable situation. If everyone acts in their best interests, this is a good deal for the AAC and a bad deal for UConn.
What is the answer to the paradox? There isn't one right now. The original sin of the league was the breakup of the old BIg East. The AAC was started as a lifeline for football schools left behind. It was supposed to be temporary, but this deal here is for more than a decade and it looks like UConn is getting that five-year itch.
Also:
GENO RESPONDS: Auriemma was uncharacteristically nuanced about the AAC deal, calling it good for the conference in many ways, but lamenting that it could alter or end the SNY deal:
"Well, I mean, I don't have all the details of it, obviously. I know that it's probably a great deal for the league as a whole, and I'm sure that was the intent to get a great deal for the entire league. I think any deal that keeps us off of the kind of television we've come to understand and our fans have come to appreciate, specifically SNY, anything that keeps us from being able to do that for our fans is not such a great deal for UConn. Hopefully, they can work something out. We have a great relationship with SNY. They've done a great job for us, probably a better job than anybody in the country does for their teams. So I'm hopeful that something can be worked out that allows us to continue that relationship ."
Tensions Over AAC/ESPN Deal: UConn Not On Board
OUR TAKE: How the heck do the AAC presidents do this deal with UConn not on board? At the end of the day, UConn just sucked the air out of the goodwill of this deal. This is mindblowing to us. UConn is absolutely in the right in its view and it is hard to believe the AAC did this without a big program fully on board. ESPN, of course, is located in Bristol, and that makes for an uncomfortable political situation. ESPN and UConn are both very important to the state of Connecticut. How do both sides get out of this one?
This is the problem with the AAC in a nutshell. UConn, and the other teams in the league, are at different levels of athletic prowess and stature. UConn, of course, has been a marquee team in the NCAA, particularly in basketball, for much of the last 30 years. Its exposure and the intensity of the fanbase overwhelm what other schools in the conference bring. UConn is a brand name nationally and now, due to conference realignment, has to take a deal that will elevate Tulane, East Carolina, etc. but hurt UConn. This is not a tenable situation. If everyone acts in their best interests, this is a good deal for the AAC and a bad deal for UConn.
What is the answer to the paradox? There isn't one right now. The original sin of the league was the breakup of the old BIg East. The AAC was started as a lifeline for football schools left behind. It was supposed to be temporary, but this deal here is for more than a decade and it looks like UConn is getting that five-year itch.
Also:
GENO RESPONDS: Auriemma was uncharacteristically nuanced about the AAC deal, calling it good for the conference in many ways, but lamenting that it could alter or end the SNY deal:
"Well, I mean, I don't have all the details of it, obviously. I know that it's probably a great deal for the league as a whole, and I'm sure that was the intent to get a great deal for the entire league. I think any deal that keeps us off of the kind of television we've come to understand and our fans have come to appreciate, specifically SNY, anything that keeps us from being able to do that for our fans is not such a great deal for UConn. Hopefully, they can work something out. We have a great relationship with SNY. They've done a great job for us, probably a better job than anybody in the country does for their teams. So I'm hopeful that something can be worked out that allows us to continue that relationship ."
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Come join the BE! Everyone benefits. Rekindle historical rivalries. Lower travel expenses and time. BET will be the hottest ticket in all of college basketball; it sold out all sessions in the past two years WITHOUT UConn!
One more take from someone who gets it & all the angles of failure by Uconn in this deal:
Also Uconn needs to consider legal action regarding the AAC allowing another member, Navy, having a seperate media contract...Navy ain't Notre Dame but Aresco allowed them to make $$ on the outside while he screwed Uconn over on the SNY deal $$
Excerpts:
" The source of the university’s displeasure does not appear to be the paltry bump in TV revenue, but rather the tenuous fate of UConn’s partnership with SNY. Now, with the contract in hand, the university is trying to salvage that relationship, but silence and tactical errors over the last months if not years, might have made that impossible. "
"We don’t know how UConn voted on the new TV deal, or how forceful they were if they demanded that a carve out be made for SNY (it should be noted that Navy received preferred treatment to broadcast its football games through CBS), however given the speed and volume of their post-announcement outrage, it seems safe to assume the university made its unhappiness known to the league, its members and ESPN, all of which agreed to the contract anyway......As mentioned above, pushing SNY out of the picture seems like a good move for ESPN. ..........but it certainly seems like UConn should have worked a little harder to let ESPN and its conference mates know that the other options on the table were viable......No one in Storrs wants to be the one who finally killed UConn football. Understandable. But by not playing the game, loudly and in public, they may have accidentally killed their access to SNY and done incalculable damage to the entire athletic department moving forward.."
Also Uconn needs to consider legal action regarding the AAC allowing another member, Navy, having a seperate media contract...Navy ain't Notre Dame but Aresco allowed them to make $$ on the outside while he screwed Uconn over on the SNY deal $$
Excerpts:
" The source of the university’s displeasure does not appear to be the paltry bump in TV revenue, but rather the tenuous fate of UConn’s partnership with SNY. Now, with the contract in hand, the university is trying to salvage that relationship, but silence and tactical errors over the last months if not years, might have made that impossible. "
"We don’t know how UConn voted on the new TV deal, or how forceful they were if they demanded that a carve out be made for SNY (it should be noted that Navy received preferred treatment to broadcast its football games through CBS), however given the speed and volume of their post-announcement outrage, it seems safe to assume the university made its unhappiness known to the league, its members and ESPN, all of which agreed to the contract anyway......As mentioned above, pushing SNY out of the picture seems like a good move for ESPN. ..........but it certainly seems like UConn should have worked a little harder to let ESPN and its conference mates know that the other options on the table were viable......No one in Storrs wants to be the one who finally killed UConn football. Understandable. But by not playing the game, loudly and in public, they may have accidentally killed their access to SNY and done incalculable damage to the entire athletic department moving forward.."
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Just caught this from the guys @ the UConn Daily, my guess is by the time SNY is out and the AAC goes to ESPN+ ...the now $4.99 a month service will be up to the $10-15 a month range. By the way Uconn is just now doing a internet survey of fans in regards to SNY...nothing like letting the horse out of the barn b4 you decide to try and close the door ...SMH!
Big 12 Goes To ESPN+ — Except Texas and Oklahoma
The Story: The Big 12 signed a deal that will put plenty of its content on ESPN+, except everything from Texas and Oklahoma, which have their own local contracts. The AAC and UConn won't be the only major athletic programs on the fledgling pay subscription service.
SOUND FAMILIAR? The AAC signed a television deal that will put many sports, including UConn men's and women's basketball and football on ESPN+. Much to the basketball teams' chagrin, the relationship with its local TV network in SNY is TBD. How come Texas and Oklahoma can opt out and UConn can't?
Big 12 Goes To ESPN+ — Except Texas and Oklahoma
The Story: The Big 12 signed a deal that will put plenty of its content on ESPN+, except everything from Texas and Oklahoma, which have their own local contracts. The AAC and UConn won't be the only major athletic programs on the fledgling pay subscription service.
SOUND FAMILIAR? The AAC signed a television deal that will put many sports, including UConn men's and women's basketball and football on ESPN+. Much to the basketball teams' chagrin, the relationship with its local TV network in SNY is TBD. How come Texas and Oklahoma can opt out and UConn can't?
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Aresco on.......his Uconn sellout in his media deal ...
" His advice for UConn fans holding the current AAC up against the old Big East and lamenting the drop in revenue, rivalries and prestige: It's time to move on." "But I do think at some point, in life and everything, you have to move on and you have to accept what you have, and you have to see the possibilities inherent in what you have."
and about football "I think that would be deleterious to UConn to give it up," he said. "They are a major state university. They have had a tremendous history in collegiate athletics. They need to be competitive in football, and they need to keep football at the FBS level." If UConn dumped FBS football, he said, "it would diminish their overall appeal, in my view."
On the UConn-SNY relationship:
"UConn can be on 10 times out of 13 appearance [the conference] is going to have for the women," Aresco said. "The guarantee we had in 2018-19 was four. This is a significant presence for UConn women's basketball. They may have as many games on ESPN major platforms as some of the major men's teams around the country."
Of course, many UConn fans don't care too much which television channel a game airs on, as long as it airs on a television channel. So a few more Huskies women's basketball games on ESPN2 likely won't mean much if that means losing more than a dozen SNY broadcasts.When Benedict expressed his displeasure at the deal on the day it was announced, he specifically cited the risk to UConn's relationship with SNY.
Hartford Courant: AAC commissioner Mike Aresco addresses perceived ‘misconceptions’ about new ESPN TV deal, discusses UConn-SNY deal
ps. he was also selling the P-6 again and FB stuff in another article out of Orlando , like how he plays to his audience......
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With the media-rights agreement out of the way, Aresco said the conference will turn its focus toward becoming an autonomy league.
“We still want to be a part of the autonomy conferences and we think a deal of this magnitude, it puts us in range,” said Aresco, who also notes the league is bringing in considerable bowl game payouts and NCAA Tournament revenue. “Our schools will be in double-digits in terms of revenue with all that other money accounted for.”
Orlando read: AAC leader Mike Aresco touts new media rights deal, addresses ESPN+ criticism
" His advice for UConn fans holding the current AAC up against the old Big East and lamenting the drop in revenue, rivalries and prestige: It's time to move on." "But I do think at some point, in life and everything, you have to move on and you have to accept what you have, and you have to see the possibilities inherent in what you have."
and about football "I think that would be deleterious to UConn to give it up," he said. "They are a major state university. They have had a tremendous history in collegiate athletics. They need to be competitive in football, and they need to keep football at the FBS level." If UConn dumped FBS football, he said, "it would diminish their overall appeal, in my view."
On the UConn-SNY relationship:
"UConn can be on 10 times out of 13 appearance [the conference] is going to have for the women," Aresco said. "The guarantee we had in 2018-19 was four. This is a significant presence for UConn women's basketball. They may have as many games on ESPN major platforms as some of the major men's teams around the country."
Of course, many UConn fans don't care too much which television channel a game airs on, as long as it airs on a television channel. So a few more Huskies women's basketball games on ESPN2 likely won't mean much if that means losing more than a dozen SNY broadcasts.When Benedict expressed his displeasure at the deal on the day it was announced, he specifically cited the risk to UConn's relationship with SNY.
Hartford Courant: AAC commissioner Mike Aresco addresses perceived ‘misconceptions’ about new ESPN TV deal, discusses UConn-SNY deal
ps. he was also selling the P-6 again and FB stuff in another article out of Orlando , like how he plays to his audience......
:With the media-rights agreement out of the way, Aresco said the conference will turn its focus toward becoming an autonomy league.
“We still want to be a part of the autonomy conferences and we think a deal of this magnitude, it puts us in range,” said Aresco, who also notes the league is bringing in considerable bowl game payouts and NCAA Tournament revenue. “Our schools will be in double-digits in terms of revenue with all that other money accounted for.”
Orlando read: AAC leader Mike Aresco touts new media rights deal, addresses ESPN+ criticism
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After reading all this mumbo jumbo from Aresco I am still trying to figure out what is the bottom line- more UConn TV games or less? More women’s TV games or less? Do we have to pay for any of them? Dude needs to spricken ze English.
Exactly ....he's playin' spin doctor.... because he knows damn well he sold Uconn's $1 million+ deal with SNY down the road so the Tulane's and the Tulsa's who no one cares about gets an equal share....
Now all the Uconn games ( many men's OOC too) that were on SNY are sold off to ESPN and will be behind a pay wall on ESPN+ ....unless ESPN get's paid off by SNY, in which case none the cash scrapped AD of Uconn gets a dime of. But why would ESPN let SNY have games? The point is to make it another bill Uconn fans have to pay to watch Uconn games besides cable. And it maybe $4.99 a month now but unlike cable, ESPN will have direct control of it and they can go up to $10-15 a month and consumers can't say squat if you want to watch Uconn games now that they're on ESPN +
Was this the final straw ??? I think Uconn's been out doing a lot of fact finding regarding some other TV partners (old & new) before they spend the next 12 years with almost all of their sports content locked up behind an ESPN paywall that could be $20+ a month before the contract is up !
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If it was the final straw Aresco and ESPN should have seen it coming and not shafted UConn in the deal.
KSTW, I got a question for ya, since your a lawyer. Since Uconn got sold down the road and lost millions on the SNY deal .....at the same time as Aresco championed not only allowing Navy special treatment to be a FB only, but to also keep it's TV deal with CBS.....you see where I'm going with this ? Do you think Uconn could press the issue regarding staying in the AAC as a FB only ( like Navy) or using that issue against the AAC in terms of paying the the $10 million exit fee and the 27 months requirement ?
“We understand that Navy has a unique situation and unique needs. CBS Sports has been able to accommodate those needs,” Aresco said. “Ultimately, the conference colloborated with ESPN and CBS........“It was complicated, but we worked it out. ESPN is totally comfortable with this arrangement and I think everyone got what they wanted out of this,” Aresco added.
Seems like Mr. Aresco likes to talk out of both sides of his mouth:
Navy agrees to 10-year extension with CBS Sports with support of AAC/Aresco
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