DRC: Report -- AAC lands $1 billion media rights deal from ESPN

[Brett Vito]

DRC:

https://www.dentonrc.com/sports/report----aac-lands-billion-media-rights-deal/article_f69b1448-97c7-5dbc-bf72-f492cb6ac480.html

[NorthTexan95]

Why? 

[dml7007]

This is what sets AAC as the closest to a P6.  But we just need to keep getting better in every sport the rest will take care of it self. 

[Cerebus]

[MeanGreenTexan]

Hmm. 
AAC leadership apparently has friends in high places, but I'm legitimately wondering if that conference has figured it out....  to the point that even after Texas/OU/OSU/Kansas leave the Big12, schools like Houston & SMU won't want to join up with the Big 12 leftovers, rather staying with the AAC.   If NT can keep up momentum better than we have (football & basketball), we can position ourselves nicely to fit with the Big12 leftovers if SMU decides to stick with the AAC.

Also, pretty please can we get rid of McCleod & bring in someone who can run a conference?  C-USA has done nothing but backslide under her leadership.

[EagleMBA]

[Legend500]

What's telling isn't necessarily the numbers, but the lack of a Grant of Rights. AAC was expected to get between 6-10 million/team/year, and had to take the low end to avoid it.

That means that a few schools expect to have... other options soon enough. If I'm not Cincy, Houston, Navy or UCF, I'm very happy with the money but already sizing up potential programs to date, because I know my time is limited.

[MGNation92]

18 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Hmm. 
AAC leadership apparently has friends in high places, but I'm legitimately wondering if that conference has figured it out....  to the point that even after Texas/OU/OSU/Kansas leave the Big12, schools like Houston & SMU won't want to join up with the Big 12 leftovers, rather staying with the AAC.   If NT can keep up momentum better than we have (football & basketball), we can position ourselves nicely to fit with the Big12 leftovers if SMU decides to stick with the AAC.

Also, pretty please can we get rid of McCleod & bring in someone who can run a conference?  C-USA has done nothing but backslide under her leadership.

Why?

I really enjoy our games being exclusively shown on ESPN 8 The Ocho. 

[TheColonyEagle]

I guess I'm not sure what ESPN is getting out of that.

I'm not being snarky...

But how do they get return on that investment? Don't they have to sell advertising now and to sell advertising, they need viewers?

Something doesn't add up...

 

[Harry]

Looks like part of it is due to generating ESPN+ 4.99 a month revenue:

Football and men’s basketball will remain on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, but the majority of basketball games and about half of the football games will go to ESPN+. Other live sports including baseball, softball and soccer also will air on ESPN+.

link:  https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2019/3/19/18273232/aac-television-deal-espn-conference-realignment

 

[Wag Tag]

how many people watch SMU football much less attend? There is something in the details!

[Harry]

Also keep in mind they have a solid basketball league:

“After all, the AAC sent four teams to the NCAA Tournament this year, more than the Pac-12, and the same number as the Big East.”

[Harry]

Here is the bad news:

If you’re a program that needs to compete against an AAC school for coaches, recruits, or a coveted New Year’s Six bowl spot, that job just got much harder over the next few years. That additional $5 million a year for the AAC could go a long way towards facilities or coaching upgrades that you might not be able to afford.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

FML. 

We are in a vicious cycle of irrelevance. And this absolute dumpster fire of a conference commissioner is a disgrace. She has done nothing - nada - zilch. 

 

Edited March 19, 2019 by NorthTexasWeLove

[jdennis82]

If CUSA is going to level the financial playing field, it's got to start on the gridiron.  We've got two shots in 2019 to do our part...

Saturday, Sept 7 - at SMU

Saturday, Sept 28 - vs HOU

 

 

[97and03]

Can someone remind me what our current media deals brings us? Something like $23 and a carton of expired skim milk?

[NorthTexan95]

2 minutes ago, CK2 said:

I told ya so. P6 baby!

More like 5.1

[Wag Tag]

1 hour ago, Harry said:

Here is the bad news:

If you’re a program that needs to compete against an AAC school for coaches, recruits, or a coveted New Year’s Six bowl spot, that job just got much harder over the next few years. That additional $5 million a year for the AAC could go a long way towards facilities or coaching upgrades that you might not be able to afford.

Holgorsen? Can SMU, Tulsa Tulane ever be a UCF UH or a Memphis? I don’t think so. Denton and surrounding counties are booming and will not be recognizable in 5-10 years. We have to get them involved in UNT! A big plus for us! GMG 

[Legend500]

10 minutes ago, CK2 said:

I told ya so. P6 baby!

It's a good - if somewhat risky - result for Houston. Not having to sign a Grant of Rights is a huge deal, worth far more than the money (although that helps with a program that's bleeding cash). Houston now has the flexibility to move, assuming that the Big XII survives the coming apocalypse in a recognizable form. 

There is, however, a downside here. AAC is now tied to the fate of ESPN+. When they raise prices, how many people will pay a monthly fee? How negatively will the lack of exposure effect recruiting and income? Is this merely the best paid of the mid majors, now that the AAC is consigned to the same package that CUSA, MAC and Sun Belt have? A growing dynamic that concerns ESPN is Stadium/Facebook/Twitter. Will advertisers prefer a gated game over one accessible to all? Will people log on, check facebook, and settle on the game that's on their feed? Tough questions we'll find out about soon. 

Another potential downside is betting on the Big XII. If there's no XII left or just a few stragglers, Houston will get left at the altar. That means staying in a conference where you're giving up several million dollars a year so that you can have... Tulane, Tulsa and ECU in the conference. 

No matter the outcome, I've Coogs in my immediate family, so GO COOGS except for a few hours in September. 

[peanuts104]

[RiseUNT]

Still not P5 money. 

 

[El Paso Eagle]

Good for the AAC. 

Look, they will never be P5 (IMO)

In the next round of shuffling the top teams (UCF, Memphis, UH, and Cinci) are looking to find new homes in a revised P4 world. 

[DallasGreen]

48 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Holgorsen? Can SMU, Tulsa Tulane ever be a UCF UH or a Memphis? I don’t think so. Denton and surrounding counties are booming and will not be recognizable in 5-10 years. We have to get them involved in UNT! A big plus for us! GMG 

This has only been tried for 40+ years now!!! Good luck on getting Denton County to support UNT. There are more lame excuses than there are residents!!

[NTXCoog]

1 hour ago, Wag Tag said:

Holgorsen? Can SMU, Tulsa Tulane ever be a UCF UH or a Memphis? I don’t think so. Denton and surrounding counties are booming and will not be recognizable in 5-10 years. We have to get them involved in UNT! A big plus for us! GMG 

SMU probably can't build that kind of program but they've proven that they're willing to pay coaches although with less than stellar results

[MCMLXXX]

1 hour ago, DallasGreen said:

This has only been tried for 40+ years now!!! Good luck on getting Denton County to support UNT. There are more lame excuses than there are residents!!

 Didn't you post before last football season that you would not go to the SMU game because we would lose? Will you go next season?

Don't worry about what others do, just show up!

By the way I know many residents of Denton County that graduated from UT, OU, A&M, KSU, SMU, TCU, Texas State, etc. who have Club Seats at Apogee.