Some optimism on a Big East television contract
Feeling gloomy about Rutgers continuing to be stuck in the Big East? Who isn't, but Matt Hayes from the Sporting News at least reports that NBC/Versus continue to have interest in bidding on the Big East's television contract. That's important, if only to scare ESPN into pushing another conference to act. Well, until the one true superconference comes into fruition.
This conversation is also interesting in the context of growing cable provider frustration over ESPN's fees. Right on the heels of that, the NY Times crunched the numbers, finding that the average cable subscriber pays $100 a year for sports. Maybe this is just anecdotal evidence, but it does seem like more and more people are dropping cable for iTunes/Netflix/Amazon/etc...
All the more reason for sports networks like ESPN to actually get their heads together and offer a comprehensive on-demand service. Why, oh why, do consumers always seem to feel the negative effects of cartels, and never the seemingly-benevolent benefits? Is the lack of any half-way decent on demand (which would at most require the finest technology that 1996 have to offer) more a result of rights issues, or of ESPN and the various leagues being scared to death of anything that could even theoretically seem like a slippery slope to ala carte cable?
5 months ago
On the Banks
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ESPN is reluctant to go a la carte.....
…..because they like getting the $100 a year from every cable subscriber, sports fan or not. There are a lot of folks who aren’t sports fans, or at least not big enough to finance ESPN’s cost structure. But if they want to watch South Park, or the Kardashians, or pro wrestling, or have a decent Internet connection, they’ve got to buy the whole bundle and ESPN gets their cut.
Remember also, ESPN the network is a gatekeeper, signaling to fans what to watch. “Being on ESPN” is a priority for colleges because that’s where the audience is. Move to an on-demand model, where the game/school/league is driving the demand for the product, and top sports leagues don’t need ESPN as badly, and the lower-tier leagues don’t benefit from an ESPN boost. Either way, ESPN won’t get as big a cut of the revenue. ESPN would just be a sports television production company.
I forgot to mention...
…if they just want to watch American Idol or the NFL with decent picture quality, or a DVR that works, they have to buy the cable bundle.
the problem isn't so much ESPN as it is the cable companies
they have more to lose from ala carte than most. They would never do it. However, as the articles show, they are itching to put ESPN on a special sports tier.
by On the Banks on Dec 21, 2011 5:34 PM EST up reply actions
Cable providers are moving to have games sent to mobile phones. Some progress there. We need to get out from under this ESPN3 crap and make sure every game is televised in the NYC and Philly markets no matter what. That is my priority with the new deal. I want a gaurantee that all Basketball and Football games be televised on basic cable in the NYC and Philly Markets.
that will happen
just as soon as Cablevision adds ESPN 3 and ESPNU. Boom, every Rutgers game not on ABC/ESPN is instantly allowed to be on SNY.
by On the Banks on Dec 21, 2011 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
the best hope for ending the ESPNification of sports
is for the product to bring distribution in house, like the NFL network, SNY, YES, or the Big Ten Network. its better than a la carte cable in that it completely obviates the carte as well.
were still a ways aways from each team doing all its own broadcasting, for many reasons, chief among them being that the ESPN’s of the world have the experience, skills and ability to produce a better product then if each team were to start from scratch, hence the partnership method that is so popular right now. also 3rd party distribution theoretically includes journalistic independence, but that concept for sports coverage has pretty much always been a farce. until the proliferation of self published blogs thats it.
anyway, we’re getting there. maybe im optimistic about the subject but i see nothing but good things on the horizon for sports entertainment.
HELLO HELLO MR WILPON... BUY THAT MANSION. WE DONT NEED A CONDO.
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