New American Athletic Conference TV Contract

[TexanMark]

From CougarRed at CSNBBS com:

So this very explicit slide from the Memphis BOR presentation says:

$3.45M per school from ESPN next year (about 100% raise during what was to be the final year of the current deal).

$6.95M per school from ESPN in following years.

The TV contract being worth $83M and change per year.

The numbers are quite specific. With the Memphis president on the TV negotiating committee, they would know...

So if true, the AAC received about what everyone thought. Thankfully we are in the ACC, now if we can just work on the Zebras calling fair games.

 

[FloridaFan]

how much will we be making from the new ACCN?

 

[nzm136]

From CougarRed at CSNBBS com:

So this very explicit slide from the Memphis BOR presentation says:

$3.45M per school from ESPN next year (about 100% raise during what was to be the final year of the current deal).

$6.95M per school from ESPN in following years.

The TV contract being worth $83M and change per year.

The numbers are quite specific. With the Memphis president on the TV negotiating committee, they would know...

So if true, the AAC received about what everyone thought. Thankfully we are in the ACC, now if we can just work on the Zebras calling fair games.

The unanswered question is what kind of exposure are they getting?

It’s commonly thought that the AAC left dollars on the table last time to get more exposure. The Big East took another route with a willingness to go on FS1.

I wonder if they’re making a money grab at the expense of exposure so that Mike can claim to have upper the contract by X%. It might also be a good propaganda line. “Outsiders are finally noticing our on field success ... we’re P6.”

 

[nzm136]

I also wonder if the revenue will be shared equally. I heard rumors of UCF, Memphis, Cincinnati, and friends getting more.

The rumor I heard had UConn in the left out group.

 

[sutomcat]

how much will we be making from the new ACCN?

I expect the ACC schools will earn more from the ACCN year one than the AAC schools will make from their TV contract.

It will be very interesting to see if the AAC gives more money to the most desirable schools with the new contract. I think the Big East did that with Miami back in the day.

I wouldn’t. No matter what they do to favor the schools P5 conferences might someday want, it won’t be close to what they could get with an invitation to P5.

On the other hand, if they do distribute unequally, poodle schools that think they are Dobermans are going to freak out. Not that any have any more attractive options out there.

 

[StopCoolio]

Damn, UConn is about to get their AD shortfall down to 37 million a year. P6!!

 

[All4SU]

I expect the ACC schools will more from the ACCN year one than the AAC schools will make from their TV contract.

It will be very interesting to see if the AAC gives more money to the most desirable schools with the new contract. I think the Big East did that with Miami back in the day.

I wouldn’t. No matter what they do to favor the schools P5 conferences might someday want, it won’t be close to what they could get with an invitation to P5.

On the other hand, if they do distribute unequally, poodle schools that think they are Dobermans are going to freak out. Not that any have any more attractive options out there.

Paying the top couple of schools more would simply help them position themselves for a hopeful leave to a P5.

 

[Orangefizz]

Paying the top couple of schools more would simply help them position themselves for a hopeful leave to a P5.

Surprised there has been no mention of UCF, Cincinnati, Memphis and Houston to the Big 12. Think those school would add a lot to that conference. Then AAC could add Army, UMASS and UB.

 

[TexanMark]

Surprised there has been no mention of UCF, Cincinnati, Memphis and Houston to the Big 12. Think those school would add a lot to that conference. Then AAC could add Army, UMASS and UB.

If I were the Big 12 should I would take both FL Directional Twins. USF though really needs to build an on-campus stadium. It would help with recruiting. However, I'm not sure they would pay for themselves (media contract value).

 

[ForCuseSake]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The comprehensive deal provides ESPN with rights to all of the AAC’s live programming, except for a small package of basketball games on CBS and some Navy football games on CBS Sports Network. 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+.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[reedny]

I expect the ACC schools will earn more from the ACCN year one than the AAC schools will make from their TV contract.

It will be very interesting to see if the AAC gives more money to the most desirable schools with the new contract. I think the Big East did that with Miami back in the day.

I wouldn’t. No matter what they do to favor the schools P5 conferences might someday want, it won’t be close to what they could get with an invitation to P5.

On the other hand, if they do distribute unequally, poodle schools that think they are Dobermans are going to freak out. Not that any have any more attractive options out there.

I think ACC schools were at almost $27M per year before the ACCN, which is expected to add another $10M a year - not counting non-conference bowls and playoffs. When the dust settles the total should be pushing $40M.

 

[Whitey23]

 

[orange79]

I'm not sure I understand the whole 'no grant of rights" thing. Makes it easier for conferences to poach teams (not sure there are any desirable teams, but the Big XII can't be choosers) and devalue the product.

 

[sutomcat]

I'm not sure I understand the whole 'no grant of rights" thing. Makes it easier for conferences to poach teams (not sure there are any desirable teams, but the Big XII can't be choosers) and devalue the product. View attachment 156768

I assume most of the AAC wanted a GOR. If they had signed one, ESPN would surely have paid more money to them. A significant amount more.

But UCF, USF and Cincinnati, maybe Memphis too, surely were against this and all it takes is one school to veto a GOR. These schools were against it because they think a P5 conference might someday take them, and they want the freedom to be able to leave easily if they ever get an offer to escape.

It looks to me as though all Tier 3 rights were included, which is good unless you were selling some of those rights and getting good money for them. UConn has a decent deal with SNY, mostly based on featuring their women's team. I think this means there will be no AAC content on regional sports networks, no local deals, all live sports events for ACC schools will owned by ESPN, who may or many not opt to cover the events, with the exception of a few games CBS owns each season.

Some AAC fans are saying they will get more games on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU because lots of ACC inventory will be shown on ACCN instead, but they fail to realize that the ACCN is going to show the content farmed out to Raycom in past years. ESPN will include a few attractive games that might have been shown on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU in past years to feature on ACCN to help ensure ACCN gets the carriage it needs.

But ACCN is just a way to take a lot of inventory that was never going to be shown on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU, and was destined to be syndicated by Raycom or sold by them to someone else, and repackage it so the schools and ESPN would make a ton more money from the same inventory.

I think the bottom line is that a lot of AC games that have been shown on CBSN and regional sports networks like SNY will be moved to ESPN+. You can still see these games very easily but you are going to have to pay extra for them. They will not be available to the general public any longer. Their best games will still be on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU. Losing the Tier 3 revenue is going to hurt the schools with decent deals in place to show that inventory.

I am a little bummed out because I watched some of those AAC games on CBSN, SNY, etc. I would continue to do this is it didn't cost me extra. But I am not going to pay $4.99 a month to have that access.

 

[texascpa]

Bye Bye UCF and Cinci.

 

[reedny]

I assume most of the AAC wanted a GOR. If they had signed one, ESPN would surely have paid more money to them. A significant amount more.

But UCF, USF and Cincinnati, maybe Memphis too, surely were against this and all it takes is one school to veto a GOR. These schools were against it because they think a P5 conference might someday take them, and they want the freedom to be able to leave easily if they ever get an offer to escape.

It looks to me as though all Tier 3 rights were included, which is good unless you were selling some of those rights and getting good money for them. UConn has a decent deal with SNY, mostly based on featuring their women's team. I think this means there will be no AAC content on regional sports networks, no local deals, all live sports events for ACC schools will owned by ESPN, who may or many not opt to cover the events, with the exception of a few games CBS owns each season.

Some AAC fans are saying they will get more games on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU because lots of ACC inventory will be shown on ACCN instead, but they fail to realize that the ACCN is going to show the content farmed out to Raycom in past years. ESPN will include a few attractive games that might have been shown on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU in past years to feature on ACCN to help ensure ACCN gets the carriage it needs.

But ACCN is just a way to take a lot of inventory that was never going to be shown on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU, and was destined to be syndicated by Raycom or sold by them to someone else, and repackage it so the schools and ESPN would make a ton more money from the same inventory.

I think the bottom line is that a lot of AC games that have been shown on CBSN and regional sports networks like SNY will be moved to ESPN+. You can still see these games very easily but you are going to have to pay extra for them. They will not be available to the general public any longer. Their best games will still be on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU. Losing the Tier 3 revenue is going to hurt the schools with decent deals in place to show that inventory.

I am a little bummed out because I watched some of those AAC games on CBSN, SNY, etc. I would continue to do this is it didn't cost me extra. But I am not going to pay $4.99 a month to have that access.

Good summary, Tom. I don't think AAC fans realize that games are going cost them now, or that their 3d tier programming (SNY coaches shows, etc) are going to belong to ESPN. I also suspect that, as TexasCPA notes above, this could push Cinci and UCF even further towards a power conference.

 

[Jake]

Good summary, Tom. I don't think AAC fans realize that games are going cost them now, or that their 3d tier programming (SNY coaches shows, etc) are going to belong to ESPN. I also suspect that, as TexasCPA notes above, this could push Cinci and UCF even further towards a power conference.

Push who closer to a P5 conference??

Cincy and UCF?

I don’t think that’s how it works. Someone has to want them.

My guess is the only way Cincy and UCF get invited to a P5 conference is if that P5 conference gets raided. And then they’ll be chasing to be in the P4.

Right now I like being perceived as the third most stable P5 conference.

 

[reedny]

Push who closer to a P5 conference??

Cincy and UCF?

I don’t think that’s how it works. Someone has to want them.

My guess is the only way Cincy and UCF get invited to a P5 conference is if that P5 conference gets raided. And then they’ll be chasing to be in the P4.

Right now I like being perceived as the third most stable P5 conference.

Agree .. I was mostly referring to the fans (and administration) wanting to get out of the AAC .. since their games are going to start costing them money on ESPN+ instead of being conveniently available on SNY, etc. Didn't realize you read my posts lol

 

[OrangePA]

Damn, UConn is about to get their AD shortfall down to 37 million a year. P6!!

Don't fear UConn!

Mr. Burton knows exactly what he's doing!