Future of College Sports TV rights/networks/services/etc.

[Rocky Style]

10 hours ago, Outlaw said:

Got to keep up with the transitory inflation to turn more profits.

Yeah the transitory inflation is wrecking my bills.  I really appreciate that so many financial experts are employed.  

[bull2saintleo]

Update on the status of Venu from last night

Judge blocks ESPN, Fox, Warner sports streaming venture Venu

[WoolyBully]

"In its filing, FuboTV said it has tried for years to offer a sports-only streaming service but has been prevented from doing so because ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery have imposed bundling requirements on FuboTV that it says forces "Fubo to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to license and broadcast content that its customers do not want or need."

Venu Sports announced Aug. 1 that it would be available for $42.99 per month with its planned launch in the fall.

The platform would include offerings from 14 linear networks -- ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ABC, Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS, truTV -- as well as ESPN+. Subscribers would have the ability to bundle the product with Disney+, Hulu and/or Max."

 

So, even the provider - FuboTV - doesn't like the idea of mandatory bundling? I often wonder what true à la carte streaming would cost and how many current offerings would fall by the wayside. The only reason I see to get Venu is if - huge if - SEC/ACC/FSx etc. were to be pulled from Sling and offered exclusively on Venu.  I'm guessing Venu appeals to the population that doesn't use live streaming YouTube TV, Sling, Hulu, or FuboTV as a replacement for their cable provider, hence the pricing model. 

[Cat941]

DirecTV-ESPN standoff could have a major impact on FSU and Clemson’s legal fight against the ACC

WWW.TOMAHAWKNATION.COM

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The dispute between DirecTV and Disney/ESPN will play a role in ESPN’s decision on whether to extend the ACC’s contract in February 2025. That decision will have...

This all changed with the ACC’s West Coast expansion. ESPN is on the hook for an additional $60 million to cover the Tier I rights for SMU, Cal, and Stanford. Those additional payments will balloon to over $100 million by the end of the contract if ESPN extends the deal past 2027. Adding all of Texas and California cable homes was supposed to provide a short-term boost in revenue for the conference and subsidize the new additions less than stellar television performance.

During last year’s Charter-ESPN dispute, Big Ten Network co-founder and former Fox Sports President Bob Thompson expressed his belief that a sticking point was Charter pushing back on paying the new ACC Network in-conference rates outside of the Bay Area or Dallas. It appears that was indeed the case, as ESPN senior director Jeramy Michiaels previously confirmed the ACC Network will only have in-market rates in Northern California and Dallas.

The doomsday scenario for the ACC would be DirecTV demanding that ESPN shrink the in-conference areas for ACC Network to each school’s immediate market area rather than statewide. Such a move would be financially disastrous for the conference. Cable subscribers in New York City and Philadelphia are paying $1.30 a month to have ACC Network on basic cable due to a school on the other side of the state that 99% of the market doesn’t care about. Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and West Palm Beach are additional Top 50 markets without an ACC school that are currently considered “in-conference.” The move would also trigger “Most Favored Nation” clauses with other providers such as Comcast, Dish, and YouTube TV causing even further revenue losses.

As ESPN moves towards a model focused on marquee events and brands in order to attract streaming subscribers, the ACC contract becomes a long-term financial albatross. ACC Network’s statewide carriage fees currently subsidize ESPN having to cut outsized Tier I checks to schools like Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Boston College, smaller private schools in the ACC that simply don’t bring the same number of potential subscribers to the table.

[Friscobull]

8 minutes ago, Cat941 said:

DirecTV-ESPN standoff could have a major impact on FSU and Clemson’s legal fight against the ACC

WWW.TOMAHAWKNATION.COM

---

The dispute between DirecTV and Disney/ESPN will play a role in ESPN’s decision on whether to extend the ACC’s contract in February 2025. That decision will have...

This all changed with the ACC’s West Coast expansion. ESPN is on the hook for an additional $60 million to cover the Tier I rights for SMU, Cal, and Stanford. Those additional payments will balloon to over $100 million by the end of the contract if ESPN extends the deal past 2027. Adding all of Texas and California cable homes was supposed to provide a short-term boost in revenue for the conference and subsidize the new additions less than stellar television performance.

During last year’s Charter-ESPN dispute, Big Ten Network co-founder and former Fox Sports President Bob Thompson expressed his belief that a sticking point was Charter pushing back on paying the new ACC Network in-conference rates outside of the Bay Area or Dallas. It appears that was indeed the case, as ESPN senior director Jeramy Michiaels previously confirmed the ACC Network will only have in-market rates in Northern California and Dallas.

The doomsday scenario for the ACC would be DirecTV demanding that ESPN shrink the in-conference areas for ACC Network to each school’s immediate market area rather than statewide. Such a move would be financially disastrous for the conference. Cable subscribers in New York City and Philadelphia are paying $1.30 a month to have ACC Network on basic cable due to a school on the other side of the state that 99% of the market doesn’t care about. Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and West Palm Beach are additional Top 50 markets without an ACC school that are currently considered “in-conference.” The move would also trigger “Most Favored Nation” clauses with other providers such as Comcast, Dish, and YouTube TV causing even further revenue losses.

As ESPN moves towards a model focused on marquee events and brands in order to attract streaming subscribers, the ACC contract becomes a long-term financial albatross. ACC Network’s statewide carriage fees currently subsidize ESPN having to cut outsized Tier I checks to schools like Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Boston College, smaller private schools in the ACC that simply don’t bring the same number of potential subscribers to the table.

This whole thing is a pile of poop, cut the cord with DIRECTV after 8 yrs and they tried after 5 hours on the phone to charge me a 400 dollar early disconnect however I an persistent and wore them out on their scam.  Got Hulu, hate Disney and ESPN but need to watch the bulls and the price was good and ESPN + included. End of the day we will pay bundl and A la carte because these pricks always seem to be one step ahead. 

[Cat941]

ESPN Flagship service could include licensed Fox Sports content

AWFULANNOUNCING.COM

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Venu Sports may be dead, but a Wells Fargo analyst predicted "ESPN Flagship" would license Fox Sports content when it launches In 2025.

Venu Sports, the joint sports streaming venture between ESPN, Fox and TNT Sports, may already be dead. But Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall believes the partnership could end up right back where it started, with ESPN licensing Fox Sports content for its “ESPN Flagship” service starting in 2025.

[CousinRicky]

2 hours ago, Friscobull said:

This whole thing is a pile of poop, cut the cord with DIRECTV after 8 yrs and they tried after 5 hours on the phone to charge me a 400 dollar early disconnect however I an persistent and wore them out on their scam.  Got Hulu, hate Disney and ESPN but need to watch the bulls and the price was good and ESPN + included. End of the day we will pay bundl and A la carte because these pricks always seem to be one step ahead. 

Right now we're still running DirectTV but piggybacking on daughter and son-in-law's free trial YouTube TV. Have ESPN+ yearly subscription.  Amidst this cutting of Disney channels they (Direct) send a notice of a $10 increase in Oct. We went with Direct TV mainly because of Bally. But for $50 - $60 less per month with YouTube, I can just subscribe to Bally to get the Lightning and Rays. And could have not signed up for the Rays since they are playing like trash this season. 

[Friscobull]

10 hours ago, CousinRicky said:

Right now we're still running DirectTV but piggybacking on daughter and son-in-law's free trial YouTube TV. Have ESPN+ yearly subscription.  Amidst this cutting of Disney channels they (Direct) send a notice of a $10 increase in Oct. We went with Direct TV mainly because of Bally. But for $50 - $60 less per month with YouTube, I can just subscribe to Bally to get the Lightning and Rays. And could have not signed up for the Rays since they are playing like trash this season. 

I liked you tube tv as well however 2 of my 4 tv’s are not smart and run off Apple TV (older version) so can’t add apps, both had Hulu and no YouTube tv app so I went with the least disruptive either way, I had a bad box (insert joke) and they sent me one to replace it and then tried to tell me that put me on a new 2 year contract, had to call maintenance, hung up on, etc… if you keep direct tv, good time to call and tell them you are cancelling due to expense, ESPN etc.. they  offered to cut my bill by 40 percent for 12 mos. 

[Outlaw]

1 minute ago, Friscobull said:

I liked you tube tv as well however 2 of my 4 tv’s are not smart and run off Apple TV (older version) so can’t add apps, both had Hulu and no YouTube tv app so I went with the least disruptive either way, I had a bad box (insert joke) and they sent me one to replace it and then tried to tell me that put me on a new 2 year contract, had to call maintenance, hung up on, etc… if you keep direct tv, good time to call and tell them you are cancelling due to expense, ESPN etc.. they  offered to cut my bill by 40 percent for 12 mos. 

Friscobull get a cheap firestick 4k tv and plug it into your nonsmart tvs and it essentially becomes a smart tv.

[Friscobull]

9 minutes ago, Outlaw said:

Friscobull get a cheap firestick 4k tv and plug it into your nonsmart tvs and it essentially becomes a smart tv.

I know, however I liked plus bundled with Hulu anyways, Hulu made sense, no contract so can flip whenever I feel like it. I also could start watching right away, didn’t need a fire stick