CUSA Looking to Double TV Revenue, add ESPN3

[Cerebus]

Virginian Pilot: Conference USA hoping to reach deal with ESPN

Quote

 The league did not disclose how much it will receive in rights fees, but sources said they will double from $200,000 to $400,000 per school

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“Mostly digital” would mean ESPN3, a streaming service that has been C-USA’s primary ESPN outlet in recent years.

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MacLeod said new agreements could be completed by the end of the month, or in early June.

 

[edcollopy]

I'm plenty fine with ESPN3...even i know how to stream it from my phone to my TV!

[MrStrange18]

I'm good with this as well.  More chances to see us on TV, the better!

ESPN 3 is fine.  Most folks know how to use the app now.  Bring it!

 

[meanrob]

Wonder if ESPN+ might be in the mix. Lord knows they need content. 

[aztecskin]

3 hours ago, meanrob said:

Wonder if ESPN+ might be in the mix. Lord knows they need content. 

 I think this is what they mean by "mostly digital". Sun Belt signed a deal with ESPN that will put most of their stuff on Plus which is a separate deal. I am not too excited about paying two different $10 monthly fees to watch CUSA FB though. 

[TreeFiddy]

18 minutes ago, aztecskin said:

 I think this is what they mean by "mostly digital". Sun Belt signed a deal with ESPN that will put most of their stuff on Plus which is a separate deal. I am not too excited about paying two different $10 monthly fees to watch CUSA FB though. 

I get your point, but fyi ESPN+ = $4.99/mo.

Maybe CUSATV goes away if CUSA signs a deal with ESPN+?

[jdennis82]

I pointed out this Underdog Dynasty interview with Commissioner MacLeod a few days ago and she brings up a commitment made by each university to raise the level of their home broadcasts to allow the streaming model to have consistency in broadcast quality/standards.  I think this is key to sustained success or even growth.

Here's the interview: https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2018/5/18/17369154/underodog-pawdcast-a-conversation-with-conference-usa-commissioner-judy-macleod

[Side Show Joe]

The writer of this article didn't really put much work into the article. Most of the information is from back when the new media deal was announced. I can't see why ESPN would be looking to add some of our games to ESPN, when they just launched ESPN+. We have enough games being streamed on Facebook and Stadium. We need more games on TV.

[oldguystudent]

I liked the Facebook broadcast the best last year.  I never have had much luck with getting ESPN3 to my television, but these days, my computer monitors are big enough with good sound and comfortable chair, that I'm fine with just watching it on desktop. 

[meanrob]

17 minutes ago, oldguystudent said:

I liked the Facebook broadcast the best last year.  I never have had much luck with getting ESPN3 to my television, but these days, my computer monitors are big enough with good sound and comfortable chair, that I'm fine with just watching it on desktop. 

I have to ask...the over-enthusiastic sideline reporter reading off facebook posts didn't make you want to jump out your window?

Asking for a friend. 

[NorthTexan95]

8 hours ago, edcollopy said:

I'm plenty fine with ESPN3...even i know how to stream it from my phone to my TV!

I disagree.  ESPN 3 has an awful stream.  Facebook provided a much, much better stream. 

[Greendylan]

I love that we're in an era when pretty much all of our games are broadcast in one form or another.  But--I'm also looking forward to the day when my friends and I don't have to awkwardly tote a laptop to a bar to watch our games while the SEC blasts on the big projector.

[Rudy]

53 minutes ago, Greendylan said:

I love that we're in an era when pretty much all of our games are broadcast in one form or another.  But--I'm also looking forward to the day when my friends and I don't have to awkwardly tote a laptop to a bar to watch our games while the SEC blasts on the big projector.

I used to do that, when we were in the SBC 10 years ago.  Now, I can stream it on a tablet, so it's a little easier.

 

#progress?

[Greendylan]

28 minutes ago, Rudy said:

I used to do that, when we were in the SBC 10 years ago.  Now, I can stream it on a tablet, so it's a little easier.

 

#progress?

Believe me, we've experimented with all options.  And yes, the tablet is less obtrusive.  I suppose we persist with the laptop for the (slightly) bigger screen.  

I guess now is the time for me to give a big shout out to Dots in Deep Ellum for being really, REALLY cool to us this past fall when we came in to watch North Texas games.

 

[oldguystudent]

11 hours ago, meanrob said:

I have to ask...the over-enthusiastic sideline reporter reading off facebook posts didn't make you want to jump out your window?

Asking for a friend. 

I must've been a few deep because I don't remember that aspect of it.  I just remember crisp streaming, though I didn't particularly like listening to the Southern Miss announcers home cooking analysis of the game. Still better than anything I've seen on ESPN3 with their jerky picture and spare "couldn't get a job anywhere else" ex D2 football waterboys in the booth. 

Then again, I haven't been particularly good about watching road games for the past few years.  Suffering through Dodge then Mac's unwillingness to bother even showing up to road games kinda took it out of me.  I know things are better now, but it's taken some time for me to accept the new realities. 

[GreenN'walinsVet]

14 hours ago, NorthTexan95 said:

I disagree.  ESPN 3 has an awful stream.  Facebook provided a much, much better stream. 

unless it is a true ESPN broadcast, ESPN 3 generally just uses the house feed and streams out via their service.  I cut the cord, and use ESPN 3 quite a bit.  Their broadcast for ESPN broadcast games is perfect.  So the complaint is against the host schools stream not ESPN per say.

[Cerebus]

12 minutes ago, GreenN'walinsVet said:

unless it is a true ESPN broadcast, ESPN 3 generally just uses the house feed and streams out via their service.  I cut the cord, and use ESPN 3 quite a bit.  Their broadcast for ESPN broadcast games is perfect.  So the complaint is against the host schools stream not ESPN per say.

This.  I would also assume any fan under 30 is really comfortable using a streaming service and would in fact prefer a streaming app like ESPN3 (or facebook, twitter, etc) over having to watch a game on cable TV.  

 

[TreeFiddy]

1 hour ago, GreenN'walinsVet said:

unless it is a true ESPN broadcast, ESPN 3 generally just uses the house feed and streams out via their service.  I cut the cord, and use ESPN 3 quite a bit.  Their broadcast for ESPN broadcast games is perfect.  So the complaint is against the host schools stream not ESPN per say.

Thankfully, ESPN has minimum requirements in order to place content on their service.  It sounds like CUSA as a conference has agreed to produce content at levels that will meet the ESPN requirement beginning this Fall.

Edited May 23, 2018 by TreeFiddy

[NorthTexan95]

1 hour ago, GreenN'walinsVet said:

unless it is a true ESPN broadcast, ESPN 3 generally just uses the house feed and streams out via their service.  I cut the cord, and use ESPN 3 quite a bit.  Their broadcast for ESPN broadcast games is perfect.  So the complaint is against the host schools stream not ESPN per say.

It's not the quality of the broadcast that's an issue.  It's the quality of the stream.  Even true ESPN games can have horrible quality of the stream with lots of buffering and disconnections.  I've paid for games on the CUSA website and I've seen some truly horrible broadcasts.  I've never had as much issues with buffering that I've had with ESPN 3.