(03-02-2018 01:23 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(03-02-2018 01:13 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  

(03-01-2018 01:04 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I don't think the loss is notable. You are moving ESPN3 content to ESPN+. The ESPN3 casual viewer is a unicorn or bigfoot. People think it exists but its hard to spot and prove. Generally ESPN3 viewers open the app with the intention to watch a specific game.

Bigfoot here. If ESPN Goal Line isn't running (WHICH IS THE CASE WAY TOO OFTEN) I'll pull up WatchESPN so I can quad screen the games of highest interest. And ESPN better not make Goal Line a + feature. I don't want your damn soccer ESPN. I just want the college football. And I want it in one big set monthly bucket from one provider. If we're going to fragment everything into oblivion, then I will no longer be a casual CFB fan. I'll only watch ACC content, the end. And I suspect that's how most of us would end up. And that's bad for the MAC and Sun Belt most of all, because they were the biggest financial winners from having the casual fan midweek games.

Yep, offering their games on + pay per view, to an interested audience most of whom will probably be within easy driving distance of the school where donations for tickets are not required and the tickets are much less expensive, is ESPN's way of saying we don't really want to discuss your value, but we will be happy to extend your contract in a manner that will prove to you why you are getting already what we are essentially willing to pay. If you increase your overhead with technology that makes our telecasts of your games more feasible and available and if you are willing to take the profits from those who will actually pay to watch, then sure we'll make all of your games available and give you a cut.

The way I read this ESPN is fronting very little and the Sun Belt schools have to pick up the overhead and then hope that the actual viewers cover the overhead. And they will at some schools, but will they at enough schools to cover the cost? It's dicey way to continue the contract, IMO.

I've paid to watch several conference road games and the broadcast quality of some is downright pitiful. We are fortunate that when the Athletics Center was built in 2009 it was wired plug in play HD ready and the stadium lights were designed to support HD broadcasts. The picture is major network quality. A few years ago the school ran HD cables from the Holmes Center to the AC which improved the basketball/volleyball games to the same level. There is a audio/video studio in the AC for editing, mixing and broadcasting games, but it does not have full blown production capabilities. We could use some new cameras, but once the production facility is upgraded App will be in great shape.