So lots of talk about John Swofford's not so fast talk about the lack of an ACC Network and the revenue that one would hope came with it.
Sadly, there is no progress on the matter. Instead, Swofford has, as one internet poster noted:
"Leave it to the ACC to change the definition of conference network. "
IE, Swofford is attempting to sell to the ACC fan base that the ACC throwing up free content on the internet is the equivalent of the B1G network or the SEC network.
Fortunately for him, the ACC fan base is so tepid, many will actually buy his BS.
If any of these other networks outside the ACC start to net $5-$15 million per year per team over the ACC, look for N.C. and Va schools to start looking to leave in 5-10 years.
BS will only hold this conference together for so long.
DeCock: ACC TV network makes sense, but no slam dunk
"Has the time come for an ACC Network, an actual channel dedicated to the conference?
The easy answer is yes. There has never been a better time to start a sports network of any kind. Live sports moves the broadcast needle like nothing else. Demand among advertisers has never been higher. The increasingly astronomic rights fees broadcasters are paying reflect that.
Yet there are other considerations for the ACC, which is why the conference has taken a surprisingly equivocal tone about its television future – which will be decided alongside ESPN, which holds the conference’s rights through 2027, and could take another two or three years to shake out." "Even a successful conference-specific channel always requires a tradeoff between exposure (on ESPN and other mass-market networks) and money (subscriber fees). For the ACC, that means weighing the reach of the so-called ACC Network, the rebranded Raycom syndication, against the financial benefits of an actual ACC Network. The relative success of ESPN’s newly launched SEC Network will have a lot to say about the direction the ACC goes."
ACC Network will be syndicated in 90 million homes
"The ACC does not have its own standalone cable sports network, but that does not appear to be getting in the way of spreading the ACC brand across the country. On the eve of the ACC Football Kickoff, the ACC released a statement claiming the conference will have football games airing in an estimated 90 million homes this fall."
"With the growth being shown by these numbers and with the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC dabbling to various degrees of success with their own respective networks, could an actual, standalone ACC Network still be on the way? The idea has been out there for a while now, and the model and framework is now in place with ESPN launching the SEC Network, assuming ESPN would be the broadcast partner for an actual ACC Network. Having a network would likely lead to a financial boost to the ACC, helping it catch up with other power conferences, and if a Division IV split comes of age, then having its own network may be in the ACC’s best interests for years to come.
Swofford may be asked about the idea when he opens the ACC Football Kickoff in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday, especially with the buzz surrounding the launch of the SEC Network. The question is whether the demand for 24-hour coverage of the ACC is there the way it is for the SEC. It may not be, but if the ACC were to launch its own network it would likely be able to boast some quality television markets at launch, including New York, Boston and Atlanta.
If you are an ACC fan, would you want to see an ACC Network made available, or is the syndicated coverage enough to satisfy your ACC football needs?"
The ACC is famous for doing most of its work in private, behind closed doors. Having said that, I don't see how anyone can claim that the league has "made no progress" toward launching a network. Only a handful of people would know that.
ReplyDeleteWhat is happening is the conference is building its football brand by filling the void left behind by SEC football moving to the SECN. Suddenly there are TV stations across the country with no SEC football to show - and the ACC has been more than happy to fill that demand. Does it pay as well as a cable channel? No, but right now ACC football is not as strong a brand as SEC football, and Swofford knows that. Yet in just 4 years syndicated coverage of ACC football has grown by 230%; who is to say how many folks will "demand" the ACC cable cable channel in 2 or 3 more years? I think this is the plan - to build a market first, then try to sell into that market later.
That is all a nice way of saying the ACC is many years behind the Power 5 conference and revenue differences will be MANY millions behind.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope it all works out for the ACC. If this was a football game, the ACC is getting beat like Maryland at FSU and trying to sell a first down as a win.
Agreed - the ACC is many years behind in developing into a major football conference. No one should be shocked at this, IMO. Meanwhile, FSU should enjoy winning while the rest of the conference teams try to catch up.
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