ESPN Loses Another 1.5 Million Subscribers

MeanGreenTexan · April 26, 2017

4 minutes ago, TheTastyGreek said:

P5 is Big 10, Big 12, SEC, PAC 12, and ACC. Big East and consolidation from 6 to 5 already went down.

If another conference breaks apart and the choice teams get absorbed into the other 4 conferences, it'll almost certainly be Big 12 or ACC, right? Probably Big 12 since there are fewer schools impacted and the marquee programs that would need to shift to survive are fewer and higher profile.

I don't think the Big12 will blow up unless Oklahoma decides to move before Texas is ready.
Didn't UT sign the LHN deal back in 2010 for $300mil over 20 years?
Why leave a rather weak conference, one that give you a much better shot at a championship than any other "P5", when you're getting $15mil/yr of TV money anyway? Texas is strong enough to float just about any conference by itself.

untjim1995 · April 26, 2017

9 minutes ago, TheTastyGreek said:

P5 is Big 10, Big 12, SEC, PAC 12, and ACC. Big East and consolidation from 6 to 5 already went down.

If another conference breaks apart and the choice teams get absorbed into the other 4 conferences, it'll almost certainly be Big 12 or ACC, right? Probably Big 12 since there are fewer schools impacted and the marquee programs that would need to shift to survive are fewer and higher profile.

The Big XII is the answer. The ACC has a network and a GOR that extends out for quite a while. The Big XII has no network, let UT have its own networks, and have a GOR that expires in 2025.

UT can go anywhere they want, except SEC--my guess is they go independent if OU and KU leave, just to keep their LHN until it expires in 2031, Then, they will find a conference to latch on to. Of course, they could do that ahead of time, too, and join a conference sooner, but that probably means no more LHN. The next level of schools, OSU, Tech, WVU, and KSU all COULD end up somewhere or could end up being left out. Which leads to the three that have no chance of being a power conference team after this: ISU, TCU, and Baylor.

The problem with the Big XII that the ACC doesn't have is a lack of eyeballs. Iowa, Kansas, West Virginia, and Oklahoma don't have a lot of eyeballs, while Texas does. In the ACC, they have the entire East Coast, Louisville, and Notre Dame's following. Its apples to oranges when comparing the Big XII and the ACC.

The MWC and AAC will love the Big XII leftovers, cementing both leagues as non-power leagues, but still available to play OOC and bowl games against power teams. The rest of us won't be able to and that should lead to the lower G5s and top FCS creating a new level that involves the playoff system that the FCS and lower divisions use, which will give these schools in the lower G5 a chance to win a national championship in football, while still preserving their places in the NCAA Tournaments and the College World Series.

Cerebus · April 26, 2017

ACC probably saved itself with its GOR extension. B12 is the most likely to implode. UT would love to leave behind the academics of schools like Iowa St and Kansas St and swap them out for the academics of Stanford and UC Berkeley. Culturally UT is much closer to Berkeley than it is to Lubbock.

I wouldn't worry too much about the LHN payout in 2031 because either ESPN will have to renegotiate all their media contracts before then or they will be bankrupt. Either way UT isn't getting all that money.

Wag Tag · April 26, 2017

Their non game programming is terrible. They would be better showing game re- runs! It is like watching one of those house wife shows! I This is why a conference needs to create their own distribution and cut them out. We will all have our own custom content eventually!

Arkstfan · April 26, 2017

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

The Big XII is the answer. The ACC has a network and a GOR that extends out for quite a while. The Big XII has no network, let UT have its own networks, and have a GOR that expires in 2025.

UT can go anywhere they want, except SEC--my guess is they go independent if OU and KU leave, just to keep their LHN until it expires in 2031, Then, they will find a conference to latch on to. Of course, they could do that ahead of time, too, and join a conference sooner, but that probably means no more LHN. The next level of schools, OSU, Tech, WVU, and KSU all COULD end up somewhere or could end up being left out. Which leads to the three that have no chance of being a power conference team after this: ISU, TCU, and Baylor.

The problem with the Big XII that the ACC doesn't have is a lack of eyeballs. Iowa, Kansas, West Virginia, and Oklahoma don't have a lot of eyeballs, while Texas does. In the ACC, they have the entire East Coast, Louisville, and Notre Dame's following. Its apples to oranges when comparing the Big XII and the ACC.

The MWC and AAC will love the Big XII leftovers, cementing both leagues as non-power leagues, but still available to play OOC and bowl games against power teams. The rest of us won't be able to and that should lead to the lower G5s and top FCS creating a new level that involves the playoff system that the FCS and lower divisions use, which will give these schools in the lower G5 a chance to win a national championship in football, while still preserving their places in the NCAA Tournaments and the College World Series.

Texas cannot go anywhere unless they are willing to give up LHN.

SEC, Big 10, and Pac-12 all have networks and B1G owns 49% of their network while P12 owns 100% of their network. They have to cough up their cut and allow LHN to be rebranded and ACC is headed down the network path as well.

No way Texas is walking away from LHN if they don't have to. The money is sweet but it more importantly is a great branding situation and a plum to attract anyone foolish enough to want to go into sports broadcasting in this climate because there are teaching and internship opportunities associated with LHN.

If I had lay a bet, my bet would be that when their GOR gets closer to expiring you will see OU and Kansas bolt to the B1G or SEC. Don't underestimate the value of hoops (nor Kansas being an AAU school) because conference networks live on a steady diet of hoops and Kansas is one of the blue bloods of basketball. While OU is obviously one of the best football brands going.

Then Texas either tries to rebuild the Big XII with fans holding pitchforks wanting out or they go hat in hand to the ACC begging for a Notre Dame type deal.

VideoEagle · April 26, 2017

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

The MWC and AAC will love the Big XII leftovers,

I think the Big XII leftovers will invite their choice of AAC and MWC teams to build a new "Big XII." The "leftovers" are still better recognized nationally thanks to decades of Power 6/5 funding. And they have very strong fan bases.

MeanGreenTexan · April 26, 2017

12 minutes ago, Arkstfan said:

Texas cannot go anywhere unless they are willing to give up LHN.

SEC, Big 10, and Pac-12 all have networks and B1G owns 49% of their network while P12 owns 100% of their network. They have to cough up their cut and allow LHN to be rebranded and ACC is headed down the network path as well.

No way Texas is walking away from LHN if they don't have to. The money is sweet but it more importantly is a great branding situation and a plum to attract anyone foolish enough to want to go into sports broadcasting in this climate because there are teaching and internship opportunities associated with LHN.

If I had lay a bet, my bet would be that when their GOR gets closer to expiring you will see OU and Kansas bolt to the B1G or SEC. Don't underestimate the value of hoops (nor Kansas being an AAU school) because conference networks live on a steady diet of hoops and Kansas is one of the blue bloods of basketball. While OU is obviously one of the best football brands going.

Then Texas either tries to rebuild the Big XII with fans holding pitchforks wanting out or they go hat in hand to the ACC begging for a Notre Dame type deal.

Big12 will survive if KU leaves with their basketball.
Big12 wont survive for very long if OU leaves with their football.

untjim1995 · April 26, 2017

12 minutes ago, VideoEagle said:

I think the Big XII leftovers will invite their choice of AAC and MWC teams to build a new "Big XII." The "leftovers" are still better recognized nationally thanks to decades of Power 6/5 funding. And they have very strong fan bases.

Very possible...I could see the Big XII getting UH, Memphis, and Cincy to replace the Big Three. The AAC would then replace them with Rice, MUTS, and NIU...

Arkstfan · April 26, 2017

1 hour ago, VideoEagle said:

I think the Big XII leftovers will invite their choice of AAC and MWC teams to build a new "Big XII." The "leftovers" are still better recognized nationally thanks to decades of Power 6/5 funding. And they have very strong fan bases.

Exactly.

CUSA didn't pick the carcass of the Big East.

SWC didn't raid when they got gutted but they were basically at three once Houston cast its lot with CUSA and when Houston did that, it meant Tulane and Memphis weren't heading over to join SMU, TCU, and Rice (and presumably Tulsa).

THOR · April 26, 2017

3 hours ago, Arkstfan said:

Texas cannot go anywhere unless they are willing to give up LHN.

With as much money as Texas already has, they don't NEED the lhn for its cash..maybe exposure. Texas will be just fine if they left for the Pac 16ish...not a concern

Edited April 26, 2017 by THOR

Rudy · April 27, 2017

5 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

Their non game programming is terrible. They would be better showing game re- runs!

This

TreeFiddy · April 27, 2017

6 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

Their non game programming is terrible. They would be better showing game re- runs! It is like watching one of those house wife shows! I This is why a conference needs to create their own distribution and cut them out. We will all have our own custom content eventually!

No doubt. Bring back some Australian rules football and arm wrestling!

Image result for australian rules football referee gif

Rudy · April 27, 2017

Drone Racing League, E "sports", and politically motivated documentaries are terrible.

Arkstfan · April 27, 2017

10 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

No doubt. Bring back some Australian rules football and arm wrestling!

I quit watching arm wrestling after watching a couple guys arms twist funny and flop over. Absolutely horrible programming when you are sitting down with your pal Tony the Tiger for breakfast.

7 hours ago, Rudy said:

Drone Racing League, E "sports", and politically motivated documentaries are terrible.

30 for 30 is some of the best stuff on TV.

THOR · April 27, 2017

11 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

No doubt. Bring back some Australian rules football and arm wrestling!

you can get your austrailan fix on fs1/2/fox soccer channel if ya need...

Got5onIt · April 28, 2017

I've been saying for years the cable companies are going to get killed by online streaming if they don't start offering subscribers more options to pick specific channels. You may not get as many channels, but picking a la carte content makes subscribers feel like they're getting more for their money. Who the hell likes paying for 3 damn lifetime channels?????

THOR · April 28, 2017

10 hours ago, Got5onIt said:

I've been saying for years the cable companies are going to get killed by online streaming if they don't start offering subscribers more options to pick specific channels. You may not get as many channels, but picking a la carte content makes subscribers feel like they're getting more for their money. Who the hell likes paying for 3 damn lifetime channels?????

ugh...my wife....and the 2 hallmark channels...

i wish we could get sky sports channels from england

VideoEagle · April 28, 2017

33 minutes ago, THOR said:

ugh...my wife....and the 2 hallmark channels...

My wife discovered on Dish you could get 3 Hallmarks - one called Pixels was older Hallmark movies without commercials.

Stan R · April 28, 2017

1 hour ago, THOR said:

ugh...my wife....and the 2 hallmark channels...

i wish we could get sky sports channels from england

Yeah and I never watch those... Like, ever, because they are so bad and stuff. Well I mean I usually wouldn't watch if it is a really bad hallmark show. Unless it is actually a good show with a good plot and all.

Ok who am I kidding, some of those romantic comedies are actually pretty good. DON'T LIE PEOPLE!! YOU KNOW YOU WATCH THESE WHEN YOUR WIFE HAS THEM ON SOMETIMES!!

southsideguy · April 28, 2017

when they became a political network I stopped watching.

VideoEagle · April 28, 2017

14 minutes ago, southsideguy said:

when they became a political network I stopped watching.

Hallmark?

Cerebus · April 28, 2017

1 hour ago, Stan R said:

DON'T LIE PEOPLE!! YOU KNOW YOU WATCH THESE WHEN YOUR WIFE HAS THEM ON SOMETIMES!!

This is really an act of mercy.

Aldo · April 28, 2017

36 minutes ago, VideoEagle said:

Hallmark?

The President Thomas Whitmore biopic is definitely slanted, yet somehow underrated.

Mean Green 93-98 · April 29, 2017

10 hours ago, southsideguy said:

when they became a political network I stopped watching.

You're on to something.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/longtime-sportscenter-anchor-politics-played-a-role-in-layoffs/ar-BBAuHMT?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

TreeFiddy · April 29, 2017

21 hours ago, Stan R said:

Yeah and I never watch those... Like, ever, because they are so bad and stuff. Well I mean I usually wouldn't watch if it is a really bad hallmark show. Unless it is actually a good show with a good plot and all.

Ok who am I kidding, some of those romantic comedies are actually pretty good. DON'T LIE PEOPLE!! YOU KNOW YOU WATCH THESE WHEN YOUR WIFE HAS THEM ON SOMETIMES!!

Resist. There is help out there.

1-800-LOW-T