ESPN and SEC sitting in a tree...
The Big Ten made the first move with starting their own network with the ultra-creative moniker, the Big Ten Network. Disputes with cable providers and a few trips around the DirecTV dial ensued, but they have made some money from the deal despite controversy.
The SEC and ESPN went ahead and finalized that ESPN was really the SEC network with 2.25 billion dollars. This ensures that really any other conference can look elsewhere for good coverage now.
The ACC’s deal is coming up now and what can they do to match/surpass/save face in relation to their rival, the SEC? According to Sporting News/Sports Business Journal, the options they are looking at are:
- A two conference channel like the Big Ten Channel, but with the ACC/Big XII or ACC/PAC 10.
- An ACC Channel, produced by Raycom who just lost the SEC.
- By far the strangest option, FitTV would let the ACC have a big stake in the channel which would allow for games and other programming along with some regular FitTV programming.
Buster Sports has a really interesting podcast on the second option of an ACC Network. One guy was really against it and was also spewing silly talk about contracting teams and other nonsense. The other guy seemed 60/40 for an ACC Network.
Let’s face it, the SEC threw down the gauntlet with this deal. No one is going to match it–probably not even come close. ESPN has sold their soul to the SEC. The ACC has a deal with ESPN expiring in 2011 and a deal with Raycom. The biggest bargaining chip the ACC has is the basketball obviously. ACC basketball featured on a ACC Network, FitTV, or split conference network would be a serious draw. The football is still getting there, but over the last couple years, those Raycom noon games have seen increasingly better matchups. Another sport to throw in there is ACC baseball which is some of the best in collegiate baseball. I know fans of ACC teams would be estatic to watch baseball games on a regular basis on a network dedicated to ACC sports.
I think you can see where I am leaning here. The ACC having its own network would something that if handled well(and that’s an issue with the ACC higher-ups)–could really compete with the SEC/ESPN conglomerate. Here how I see the series of events:
- Check if ESPN still has some money in the bank for you. Hey, 2.25 billion dollars does not grow on trees in Bristol CT., but you never know.
- If they are low-balling you, look at the competition. I think Fox handles the ACC Game of the Week in b-ball season really well. I’m also a big fan of the ACC Baseball Tourney coverage. Pretty much anybody who gets ESPN gets Fox Sports Regional television. I know in my market–I get two Fox Sports Regional channels with the regular package on DirecTV. You still have RayCom and if ESPN is not paying you any attention, ripping ACC b-ball from Dicky V and ESPN and bolting to Fox would make a statement.
- If Fox is not an option, look hard into this network deal. Examine pros and cons, send feelers out to cable/satellite networks on whether they would take it, and make a strong decision.
- If another network wants to get a channel but wants a partner, see how you can work with that conference.
- For the love of John Swofford, don’t just settle with a bad deal because that’s what you have always had. Grow a set and do something bold.
Where does the ACC fit on TV, folks? Should the ACC try to get as much as they can from ESPN? Look to other networks? Start a network or partner in one? If you’re John Swofford(just for a couple minutes), what do you do? Vote and make your argument in the comments…
ACC TV Decision Total Voters: 76
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Just as a note, the ACC TV contract is just up for football so moving basketball would be down the road.
Not a fan of FitTV. If only for the reason that I don’t get FitTV. I mean, I haven’t even heard of FitTV until you just mentioned it. Is it just a DirecTV channel? I like where you are going with the Fox idea. As much as I am not a fan of CFB games on FSN, it would also be nice to show ESPN that they can’t control the entire CFB world. However that would probably mean that we would get very limited College Gamedays to ACC matchups.
FitTV is probably just on DirecTV and whatever digital cable system that has a million channels. The problem I think is that we are probably going to see less College Gamedays to ACC matchups anyways with the SEC deal. Just think, we have two top 25 ACC teams meeting and ESPN picks Vandy/Ole Miss…yay 2.25 billion!
Good point. Oh how I miss the days when College Gameday went to the big games no matter who was playing. Granted , they still kind of do but its getting less and less.
Seems like you’re getting the honorary ACC banner. (http://www.gobblercountry.com/2009/7/28/966254/who-will-carry-the-banner-for-the#add-comment) carry it well
I think the best move is a creative one. Why not create a joint venture between a newly created ACC (or ACC/Pac 10) Network and ESPN (specifically ESPNU)? The end game would essentially be an ESPN U-type channel for each of the major BCS conferences. This is in-line with ESPN’s approach to localized websites for ESPN Chicago, ESPN New York, ESPN LA, etc. Place the ESPN U-ACC channel as a tiered option for anyone that wants to pay a nominal per-month fee for ACC football (the Raycom game and other games not picked up on the WWL’s mainstream channels), all other non-network ACC basketball and ACC baseball.
Seems like a good idea, Brian. It seems like that it would all rest in the pitch to ESPN. It does go with the ESPN Chicago, LA, NY theme, but let’s go back to square one.
Wouldn’t the SEC have wanted such a channel? Sure, monopolizing the big networks is to their advantage also, but a U-SEC channel would be highly coveted. They are the big dog in football and if they cannot get such a deal–I doubt the ACC could work it(especially with what at times, seems like a general apathy towards football at the Offices).
SEC has the leash of the 4 letter right now and though it would be good for the ACC–such creativity would be shot down on one end or the other. But really good comment and idea, Brian!
The ACC should try and get a deal with NBC/Versus/Comcast, to have one Game of the Week on NBC, a couple more on Versus (maybe one on Thursday nights) and the rest on syndication using Comcast’s regional networks… Similar for basketball… and maybe get some olympic sports into the Universal Sports channel or whatever its name is…
Thanks for the comment, Serge!
Thing I don’t like about the Versus idea…is that I don’t get it. The channel that is. DirectTV and Comcast are at war so no dice for me. I don’t get any Comcast regional networks either. So this potential deal would suck for me.
I say bring back the FitTV option!(Ok, not really lol)
[...] Last summer, we went over the different options for the next ACC TV deal–and here we are at the climax of the whole shebang. We said in ‘09: [...]