Perhaps we should keep an eye on Amazon as a potential suitor for MAC content the closer we get to the conference's current ESPN deal coming up for renewal.

https://twitter.com/rltsports/status/157...eYxcorAAAA

(09-15-2022 11:44 AM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  Perhaps we should keep an eye on Amazon as a potential suitor for MAC content the closer we get to the conference's current ESPN deal coming up for renewal.

https://twitter.com/rltsports/status/157...eYxcorAAAA

Mentioned the same thing a while back but the espn fan boys shot it down. We need to think outside the box and be open to new ideas

I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

I'm sure the MAC would be happy to get broadcast rights offers better than ESPN's from anyone. Just sittin' by the phone waiting'.

Somehow, I don't think the market for second tier regional college football is all that robust, unless you are trying to monopolize the market like ESPN does. It's worth something to them to fill that ESPN+ bucket with more programming so they can have 20 games going at once, plus the bonus of weeknights in November on ESPNU & 2.

But when the current contract expires, it will be interesting if someone else comes forward with a better offer for non-power conference sports. Seems very unlikely though.

(09-15-2022 12:00 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

For the life of me I don't understand why some want to jump on the 'Saturday' bandwagon with the belief that will bring bigger dollars.

Saturday is already saturated with P5 games. What makes you think a regional Midwest league is going to bump those games. The worst move the MAC ever made was not getting EXCLUSIVE rights to midweek football. Every NFL draft day you hear the stories of NFL teams getting infatuated with a MAC player via midweek football.

And as I understand it, the best ever MAC BB televised games on ESPN were those Monday nighters back in the day. Frankly when the negotiations come around again, whatever day the MAC goes with for FB/BB I say make the day exclusive; 2/3 FB games and 2/3 BB games. Same time slots every week.

(09-15-2022 12:47 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:00 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

For the life of me I don't understand why some want to jump on the 'Saturday' bandwagon with the belief that will bring bigger dollars.

Saturday is already saturated with P5 games. What makes you think a regional Midwest league is going to bump those games. The worst move the MAC ever made was not getting EXCLUSIVE rights to midweek football. Every NFL draft day you hear the stories of NFL teams getting infatuated with a MAC player via midweek football.

And as I understand it, the best ever MAC BB televised games on ESPN were those Monday nighters back in the day. Frankly when the negotiations come around again, whatever day the MAC goes with for FB/BB I say make the day exclusive; 2/3 FB games and 2/3 BB games. Same time slots every week.

Doesn't have to be bigger dollars, just has to be nearly the same.

(09-15-2022 12:47 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:00 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

For the life of me I don't understand why some want to jump on the 'Saturday' bandwagon with the belief that will bring bigger dollars.

I don't care about the money (its peanuts that ESPN gives us anyway) or that we'd be competing against P5 for Saturday eyeballs. As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

Our games are not exclusive even on weekdays in November. ESPN puts NBA games on ESPN during our weekday games and they overlap 3 MAC games to the point we are competing against our own conference so one of those games gets relegated to ESPN+.

Look at the ESPNU weekday MAC game ratings. They're so terrible they don't even get an actual rating.

In the end, how has this contract helped the MAC?

Our schools have dwindling enrollments, we aren't getting better recruits, and our conference has ultimately become the worst (there's a thread on here with most agreeing) in FBS.

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:47 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:00 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

For the life of me I don't understand why some want to jump on the 'Saturday' bandwagon with the belief that will bring bigger dollars.

I don't care about the money (its peanuts that ESPN gives us anyway) or that we'd be competing against P5 for Saturday eyeballs. As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

Our games are not exclusive even on weekdays in November. ESPN puts NBA games on ESPN during our weekday games and they overlap 3 MAC games to the point we are competing against our own conference so one of those games gets relegated to ESPN+.

Look at the ESPNU weekday MAC game ratings. They're so terrible they don't even get an actual rating.

In the end, how has this contract helped the MAC?

Our schools have dwindling enrollments, we aren't getting better recruits, and our conference has ultimately become the worst (there's a thread on here with most agreeing) in FBS.

Even AAC schools playing on ESPNU get crap ratings.

(09-15-2022 01:34 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:47 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:00 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

For the life of me I don't understand why some want to jump on the 'Saturday' bandwagon with the belief that will bring bigger dollars.

I don't care about the money (its peanuts that ESPN gives us anyway) or that we'd be competing against P5 for Saturday eyeballs. As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

Our games are not exclusive even on weekdays in November. ESPN puts NBA games on ESPN during our weekday games and they overlap 3 MAC games to the point we are competing against our own conference so one of those games gets relegated to ESPN+.

Look at the ESPNU weekday MAC game ratings. They're so terrible they don't even get an actual rating.

In the end, how has this contract helped the MAC?

Our schools have dwindling enrollments, we aren't getting better recruits, and our conference has ultimately become the worst (there's a thread on here with most agreeing) in FBS.

Even AAC schools playing on ESPNU get crap ratings.

Ratings are 80% about the platform, 20% on who is playing IMO.

(09-15-2022 01:34 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:47 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:00 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

For the life of me I don't understand why some want to jump on the 'Saturday' bandwagon with the belief that will bring bigger dollars.

I don't care about the money (its peanuts that ESPN gives us anyway) or that we'd be competing against P5 for Saturday eyeballs. As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

Our games are not exclusive even on weekdays in November. ESPN puts NBA games on ESPN during our weekday games and they overlap 3 MAC games to the point we are competing against our own conference so one of those games gets relegated to ESPN+.

Look at the ESPNU weekday MAC game ratings. They're so terrible they don't even get an actual rating.

In the end, how has this contract helped the MAC?

Our schools have dwindling enrollments, we aren't getting better recruits, and our conference has ultimately become the worst (there's a thread on here with most agreeing) in FBS.

Even AAC schools playing on ESPNU get crap ratings.

Even P5. Most people do not get ESPNU unless they have a premium cable package.

(09-16-2022 09:09 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 01:34 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:47 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:00 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

For the life of me I don't understand why some want to jump on the 'Saturday' bandwagon with the belief that will bring bigger dollars.

I don't care about the money (its peanuts that ESPN gives us anyway) or that we'd be competing against P5 for Saturday eyeballs. As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

Our games are not exclusive even on weekdays in November. ESPN puts NBA games on ESPN during our weekday games and they overlap 3 MAC games to the point we are competing against our own conference so one of those games gets relegated to ESPN+.

Look at the ESPNU weekday MAC game ratings. They're so terrible they don't even get an actual rating.

In the end, how has this contract helped the MAC?

Our schools have dwindling enrollments, we aren't getting better recruits, and our conference has ultimately become the worst (there's a thread on here with most agreeing) in FBS.

Even AAC schools playing on ESPNU get crap ratings.

Even P5. Most people do not get ESPNU unless they have a premium cable package.

Yep. I've seen some posters from Ohio saying they get ESPNU along with ESPN and ESPN2 with a standard package, but everyone I know has to have the premium cable package.

I loathe ESPNU. I would much rather pay for one subscription to Amazon, Netflix, Peacock to get all the MAC/WMU games than have it spread out over multiple stations. The way the B10 deal is spread out will be the death of college sports because people will start watching something else instead of chasing your team around to every service it might be on.

Edit to add: U isn't on the basic or even expanded package here in Michigan. I do love the NCHC hockey package, even though it only covers home games, and one game a season will be picked up by CBSSports making it unavailable. But it is 150-ish for then entire league's season, less those exceptions. Well worth it.

(09-15-2022 12:28 PM)axeme Wrote:  I'm sure the MAC would be happy to get broadcast rights offers better than ESPN's from anyone. Just sittin' by the phone waiting'.

Exactly.

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

If you get your wish, my guess is you soon won't be able to get people to come to weekend games with you in November because the weather seems a bit too cold.

Most of the November crowds weren't that great to begin with. That makes #MACtion a great trade. We get $700,000+ per school per year plus a national television audience on ESPN2 and ESPNU for games that mostly weren't drawing big crowds to begin with.

I think all this streaming stuff is a personal choice how you look at things. As a Buffalonian I want the MAC to stay with ESPN+. I would think many in Buffalo, Western New York would agree with that. Because ESPN+ carries the Buffalo Sabres games not shown on MSG cable television locally in WNY. Plus all the Buffalo Bandits NLL indoor lacrosse games which is popular in WNY all the UB, Canisius, Niagara and St Bonaventure Bonnies the local WNY games not picked up by cable so it is one streaming service not multiple which runs into money that isn’t happening I would guess for many me included.

Buffalo already complains about some of the New York Yankees games on Amazon and Thursday Night NFL. This streaming stuff reminds me of Beta Max against VHS back in the day. Not all these streaming services are going to make it. Beta Max was first but didn’t make it over VHS. I have no desire to pay for UB Bulls on Amazon or Apple but each there own. But all these streaming services are running up the bills there is really no benefits at all to the sports fan. I am going back to my transistor radio for UB Bulls football and calling a day if the MAC does that. The way UB Bulls football plays it is best to use one’s imagination in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

(09-16-2022 10:12 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:28 PM)axeme Wrote:  I'm sure the MAC would be happy to get broadcast rights offers better than ESPN's from anyone. Just sittin' by the phone waiting'.

Exactly.

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

If you get your wish, my guess is you soon won't be able to get people to come to weekend games with you in November because the weather seems a bit too cold.

Most of the November crowds weren't that great to begin with. That makes #MACtion a great trade. We get $700,000+ per school per year plus a national television audience on ESPN2 and ESPNU for games that mostly weren't drawing big crowds to begin with.

A national television audience for the ESPN2 games. As pointed out before, hardly anyone is watching ESPNU.

(09-16-2022 01:13 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  A national television audience for the ESPN2 games. As pointed out before, hardly anyone is watching ESPNU.

It's a continuum. My hunch is that ESPNU may have more of an audience than CBS Sports Network, although I'm guessing about that. It surely has more of an audience than does games streamed on demand on ESPN+, right?

(09-16-2022 10:12 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:28 PM)axeme Wrote:  I'm sure the MAC would be happy to get broadcast rights offers better than ESPN's from anyone. Just sittin' by the phone waiting'.

Exactly.

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

If you get your wish, my guess is you soon won't be able to get people to come to weekend games with you in November because the weather seems a bit too cold.

Most of the November crowds weren't that great to begin with. That makes #MACtion a great trade. We get $700,000+ per school per year plus a national television audience on ESPN2 and ESPNU for games that mostly weren't drawing big crowds to begin with.

I agree on part of this. People always talk about attendance as if people were packing the Saturday games in the past which, with the exception of really big games, they were decidedly not.

However, what the midweek games have morphed into is not advantageous for the MAC schools. I have no problem with a game or two a week showcased on a midweek night, but to have basically everyone playing only in the middle of the week (and many relegated to ESPNU or even ESPN+) is not a great situation especially as more and more people drop cable.

The attendance factor is often overplayed among MAC fans, but it's not nothing. And even if you aren't going to the game its probably still preferable to have on a Saturday. There's got to be a better balance than selling out all the games in the last month or so of the season for what amounts (per school) to half the money you'd get for one buy game.

(09-16-2022 03:44 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(09-16-2022 10:12 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(09-15-2022 12:28 PM)axeme Wrote:  I'm sure the MAC would be happy to get broadcast rights offers better than ESPN's from anyone. Just sittin' by the phone waiting'.

Exactly.

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  As a fan, I want to be able to make it to games on a Saturday and have the full gameday experience with tailgating and not worrying about getting home at 1am to go to work the next day. I can't get people to come to weekday games because they have other family obligations and also don't want to get home late and work the next day.

If you get your wish, my guess is you soon won't be able to get people to come to weekend games with you in November because the weather seems a bit too cold.

Most of the November crowds weren't that great to begin with. That makes #MACtion a great trade. We get $700,000+ per school per year plus a national television audience on ESPN2 and ESPNU for games that mostly weren't drawing big crowds to begin with.

I agree on part of this. People always talk about attendance as if people were packing the Saturday games in the past which, with the exception of really big games, they were decidedly not.

However, what the midweek games have morphed into is not advantageous for the MAC schools. I have no problem with a game or two a week showcased on a midweek night, but to have basically everyone playing only in the middle of the week (and many relegated to ESPNU or even ESPN+) is not a great situation especially as more and more people drop cable.

The attendance factor is often overplayed among MAC fans, but it's not nothing. And even if you aren't going to the game its probably still preferable to have on a Saturday. There's got to be a better balance than selling out all the games in the last month or so of the season for what amounts (per school) to half the money you'd get for one buy game.

Yea, that's what I was thinking. Who wants to be a season ticket holder to see maybe 4 home games, with one of them being the FCS game? And even if you get 500 more people for a Saturday game vs. a Tuesday game, some of those 500 could end up being a donor to the program. How many donors are there who just watch the games on ESPN-?

Quote:A national television audience for the ESPN2 games. As pointed out before, hardly anyone is watching ESPNU.

Random? Sure. That depends how the bars/restaurants set things. Which will be ESPN/ABC/FS1/ESPN2 -- and if a game's going on Sat, FOX (and NBC when ND's playing).

But ESPN2 is not showing when that's the "no thought" case when you have ND on NBC, a B1G team on FOX, and a good game on ESPN. FS1, ESPN2 -- nope.

It's where you're at.

Tonight -- it's going to be nice. MSU on ABC, UM's already done, Toledo @Ohio State on FOX, and Pitt @WMU on ESPNU.

Essentially, it's going to be MSU & WMU here in MI.

And yes, you can tell the College bartender wearing the black stretchy pants who won't lose her virginity until she's married -- to change it to ESPNU. It happens. All the time. :)

(09-15-2022 12:00 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I would happily give up terrible ESPNU/ESPN+ weekday coverage for all Saturdays on Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, or Peacock.

They'd want weekday games too. The difference is, without a fixed number of slots and different levels of carriage for different slots, the MAC might be able to get away with a single Midweek Game on Tuesday and a single Midweek Game on Wednesday, for the whole season, and only go up to two in November if CBSSN wanted to partner in, rather than typically three per Tuesday and three per Wednesday for ESPN to get a choice to pick from for ESPN2, then CBSSN a choice if the number 2 game looked attractive to them, then the third game on ESPNU or ESPN+.

But so long as ESPN2 is broader exposure than Amazon Prime, I reckon the MAC Presidents would prefer the ESPN deal.

________________

(09-15-2022 01:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  However, what the midweek games have morphed into is not advantageous for the MAC schools. I have no problem with a game or two a week showcased on a midweek night, but to have basically everyone playing only in the middle of the week (and many relegated to ESPNU or even ESPN+) is not a great situation especially as more and more people drop cable. ...

"A game or two a week" is not what the #MACtion deal was every about. It was always based on two games a night, and two #MACTion nights for most #MACtion weeks, in return for ESPN picking their preferred game of the two on ESPN2.

The third game on one of those days is the evolution, and with the development of Thursday night as an NFL game and #MACTion moving from Tuesday/Thursday to Tuesday/Wednesday, and the side-contract between ESPN and CBSSN opening up more broadcast slots, it could well have been the MAC that went to three games on one of those nights because of the greater ease in swinging between Tuesday and Wednesday and the need to burn a bye to swing between Tuesday/Wednesday and Saturday.

If FBS went to a 14 week season with two byes, it might be easier to go back to two #MACtion games per night.