Big East Network 'is definitely on the table'

[Guest]

This will never launch due to a number of reasons, most notably the high broadcast numbers already seen for BE MBB games.  We have too many games on the ESPN suite and national broadcast games before you even look at the other college bball outlets.  Why would a subscriber pay to see games already broadcast for free?  And ESPN et al would take the broadcast rights first.  If they do not you are simply shifting dollars from the current TV contract to the BEchannel.

Second, the BE does not have the alumni numbers nationally to make this work.  Football is just not a big enough draw to get national subscribers, and you have to get Time Warner, Comcast, and Cox on board for a move like this, and they will not do it regionally.

As for hockey, that would help, but not sure enough. The one variable that would help this out would be Notre Dame coming on board, but they probably would not do that, and I do not see them getting their independent TV contract once their current deal expires.

good points...these smallish Catholic Schools have tiny enrollment numbers, and small pools of alumni.   A school like Ohio State probably graduates more kids in one year then Villanova has in it's entire school.  Ditto for Wisconsin, and MSU, and Illini...the SEC schools are even bigger, they pump out future subscribers like an assembly line.  Whereas the BE is filled with many tiny, elitist Northeastern Catholic Schools, or an elitist SUNY like Syracuse.  Just not a big enough alumni play.

The hoops could be broken off equitably from the ESPN, or a smaller more abbreviated agreement could be worked out with ESPN, but like you said the BE doesn't have the alumni support for interest to watch the BE Network if it is televising St. Johns v. Providence, if on ESPN they've got Syracuse v. Connecticut.  Just not a deep enough well...wheras if the B10 was showing OSU v. UW in hoops they would still get solid support to watch Iowa v. Northwestern....or maybe more like Illini v. Minnesota (a more closer representation to SJU v. PC)...but two state schools have tons more television interest.

From a viewership standpoint I can't see the BE capable of maintaining an exclusive network.

My thoughts would be that St Johns Providence would be televised when there isn't a Big East game on ESPN... and one has to think that Big East Network would be a better place than ESPNU or ESPN Regional for some of these games.  The Big East would just work out the scheduling to have two or three games on most nights... with none opposite a game on ESPN or ESPN2.

It might reduce the value of the ESPN contract, but I think a stand-alone network could overcome the loss of ESPN revenue.  With 16 teams playing 18 conference games, that means 144 conference games... and another 160+ non-conference games. They aren't ALL going to be televised on ESPN.

Plus women's basketball, lacrosse, baseball, hockey, soccer... plenty of sports action.  Then all of the archived games... The coaches shows... and more.

It can be done.

[usfbullcpa]

The thing with basketball is that the BE is so strong we get so many national broadcasts already.  Think of last season, when could you NOT find a good BE MBB game on TV?  We almost always had one, and when you put BHSN on, and the regional broadcasts, usually 2-3. 

The opportunity would be potentially the up and coming second tier sports.  Lacrosse is in a growth mode, hockey, of which USF could leverage the club team to NCAA status and be competitive, and volleyball all have increasing fan base and viewership. 

Still, consider if you would put down $10/month to watch old football games, WVU vs Pitt baseball games, and interviews with the athlete of the week at Rutgers? 

It is like the NFL network, everyone wants it, few want to pay for it, most realize the content is crap once they get it.

[Guest]

Still, consider if you would put down $10/month to watch old football games, WVU vs Pitt baseball games, and interviews with the athlete of the week at Rutgers? 

Where on earth did you get $10/month??? Even ESPN or CNN don't get that kind of money.

It would be less than the $0.80 cents per month the Big Ten gets in their footprint... probably in the 50 to 60 cents per month.  And  for that, I'd pay to be able to watch old USF games... interviews with the athlete of the week at USF... the coaches shows of our upcoming opponents to see what they think about USF... the coaches shows of our past opponents to see how they liked losing to USF...

At Bright House, I get - Big Ten, Yes, NHL, NBA, Fox College Sports, and a few more for $4 / month... if they added the more channels (Big East, ACC, SEC) it might bring their ENTIRE "Sports Pack" to $10... if then.

[tampabull]

Still, consider if you would put down $10/month to watch old football games, WVU vs Pitt baseball games, and interviews with the athlete of the week at Rutgers? 

Where on earth did you get $10/month??? Even ESPN or CNN don't get that kind of money.

It would be less than the $0.80 cents per month the Big Ten gets in their footprint... probably in the 50 to 60 cents per month.  And  for that, I'd pay to be able to watch old USF games... interviews with the athlete of the week at USF... the coaches shows of our upcoming opponents to see what they think about USF... the coaches shows of our past opponents to see how they liked losing to USF...

At Bright House, I get - Big Ten, Yes, NHL, NBA, Fox College Sports, and a few more for $4 / month... if they added the more channels (Big East, ACC, SEC) it might bring their ENTIRE "Sports Pack" to $10... if then.

I would get that sports package

[usf97]

My understanding of the article is that a possible Big East Network would be contingent on whether the Big East DOES a new deal with ESPN. So if Big East games are on ESPN...that would mean we have a new contract with ESPN meaning no Big East Network...ie SEC.

However, if we didn't get a deal we liked from ESPN, then you may see a Big East Network which would carry ALL the mens's basketball games. That is the only place there is a real value. BE MBB would be tough for ESPN to compete against even with ACC basketball so this all may be just a bargaining chip to get a better deal. I mean would ESPN want to have Syracuse v Georgetown at the same time Duke v North Carolina is playing? Right now they don't face any real competition in MBB.

Football would really just be a throw in....in regards the Big East....men's basketball would be where it is at.

The only other competion I could see is ESPN would have to go elsewhere for weeknight football. If the BIG East Network could bring in C-USA and MAC football somehow for fill in material, you might be able to shut out ESPN during the week.  Again, sounds more like a bargaining chip when negotiations comes around. The ACC was talking big and got a decent deal it appears.

[Bull94]

My understanding of the article is that a possible Big East Network would be contingent on whether the Big East DOES a new deal with ESPN. So if Big East games are on ESPN...that would mean we have a new contract with ESPN meaning no Big East Network...ie SEC.

However, if we didn't get a deal we liked from ESPN, then you may see a Big East Network which would carry ALL the mens's basketball games. That is the only place there is a real value. BE MBB would be tough for ESPN to compete against even with ACC basketball so this all may be just a bargaining chip to get a better deal. I mean would ESPN want to have Syracuse v Georgetown at the same time Duke v North Carolina is playing? Right now they don't face any real competition in MBB.

Football would really just be a throw in....in regards the Big East....men's basketball would be where it is at.

The only other competion I could see is ESPN would have to go elsewhere for weeknight football. If the BIG East Network could bring in C-USA and MAC football somehow for fill in material, you might be able to shut out ESPN during the week.  Again, sounds more like a bargaining chip when negotiations comes around. The ACC was talking big and got a decent deal it appears.

ESPN could spin off a BE channel if there was enough demand.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did that with the SEC and maybe the ACC. That's why they paid up for those deals. They know how much Fox and the big ten are making by going this route.

They already have something called the SEC network, it's just distributed regionally on different channels. I could see them starting an actual SEC channel and demanding .80c-$1.00 from basic subscribers in many parts of the southeast.

In the end, this is a competition between Fox and ESPN for conference broadcast rights. They are maximizing revenue by getting cable systems to pay for individual conference channels. Smart move on their parts but it will all end once a la carte pricing is put into effect. They make a boatload by charging people .80c per month that never watch the channel.

[usf97]

My understanding of the article is that a possible Big East Network would be contingent on whether the Big East DOES a new deal with ESPN. So if Big East games are on ESPN...that would mean we have a new contract with ESPN meaning no Big East Network...ie SEC.

However, if we didn't get a deal we liked from ESPN, then you may see a Big East Network which would carry ALL the mens's basketball games. That is the only place there is a real value. BE MBB would be tough for ESPN to compete against even with ACC basketball so this all may be just a bargaining chip to get a better deal. I mean would ESPN want to have Syracuse v Georgetown at the same time Duke v North Carolina is playing? Right now they don't face any real competition in MBB.

Football would really just be a throw in....in regards the Big East....men's basketball would be where it is at.

The only other competion I could see is ESPN would have to go elsewhere for weeknight football. If the BIG East Network could bring in C-USA and MAC football somehow for fill in material, you might be able to shut out ESPN during the week.  Again, sounds more like a bargaining chip when negotiations comes around. The ACC was talking big and got a decent deal it appears.

ESPN could spin off a BE channel if there was enough demand.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did that with the SEC and maybe the ACC. That's why they paid up for those deals. They know how much Fox and the big ten are making by going this route.

They already have something called the SEC network, it's just distributed regionally on different channels. I could see them starting an actual SEC channel and demanding .80c-$1.00 from basic subscribers in many parts of the southeast.

In the end, this is a competition between Fox and ESPN for conference broadcast rights. They are maximizing revenue by getting cable systems to pay for individual conference channels. Smart move on their parts but it will all end once a la carte pricing is put into effect. They make a boatload by charging people .80c per month that never watch the channel.

That sounds about right. This is all about getting money from people who aren't using the product. Once someone offers al a carte pricing, the Big Ten Network will be nothing special.