Creighton's AD Comments

[MU82]

ESPN is ESPN. They bring along ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. Nobody else has anything like it. Of course that's where we want to be if we -- especially those of us who live far away from Milwaukee -- really want to see most of our games.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

ESPN is ESPN. They bring along ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3. Nobody else has anything like it. Of course that's where we want to be if we -- especially those of us who live far away from Milwaukee -- really want to see most of our games.

Think BIGGER.

ESPN didn't always have those stations, and they were kind of a joke at first (remember "the deuce")

The current model of distribution is going to change drastically in the next 10 years. Don't get concerned about the network letters, but rather the $, and the long-term vision of distribution.

[dgies9156]

Here's a hot potato out of the blue for you to handle.  Is Lenti-Ponsetto the problem?

Yes!!!!!

+1 gadzillion

[Galway Eagle]

Think BIGGER.

ESPN didn't always have those stations, and they were kind of a joke at first (remember "the deuce")

The current model of distribution is going to change drastically in the next 10 years. Don't get concerned about the network letters, but rather the $, and the long-term vision of distribution.

Are we talking about paperview? It works with boxing and MMA.  Or are thinking bigger like new league only station.  Or making money off a conference website that streams all games, that way the conference keeps all the money. 

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Are we talking about paperview? It works with boxing and MMA.  Or are thinking bigger like new league only station.  Or making money off a conference website that streams all games, that way the conference keeps all the money.  

Well, for now, obviously ESPN and B10 network are the most powerful college basketball distribution networks.

My only point is, the distribution game is evolving quickly. IMO, the new conf. can't concern itself so much with the letters of the network they go with, but rather the long term ramifications and opportunities of the deal they make.

I don't think that means PPV, or the conf. creating it's own traditional network, but, landing on the 4 letter network isn't absolutely necessary. NBC sport would be fine, and maybe a partnership to show the games online as well. They can and should think outside of the box on this one. This conference is different than any other, and should act as such.

[ChicosBailBonds]

What do you think this will look like in 10 years? I just can't see the traditional cable/network distribution plan staying in place.

DVR, streaming video, tablets, phones, etc. Think of all of the content distribution changes in the past 10 years. Now imagine what it will look like 10 years from now.

It still comes down to rights ownership.  It's really simple, you're making it too hard.  All the new gadgets are a means to an end, but doesn't change the rights ownership.  If you carve it up too much, you're going to potentially screw yourself.  These leagues and networks want guaranteed revenues that can be counted on, and sports (live sports) is the one thing that people want to watch on a tv screen more than anything else. 

If a network that does these deals isn't controlling the digital rights and consquently the distributor, then they aren't worth a damn.  All those rights are going to be lumped in together.  If they aren't, then the dollars are going to be crap and not worth it to the conferences.  Simple as that.  No different than the deals we do with NFL for NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB, NASCAR, etc.  You aren't going to write a huge check to ESPN or NBC or the Big Ten for tv rights if they, in turn, are going to sell digital rights for other ways to distribute the product.  Every distributor worth a hill of beans will tell them to pound sand.  Then you have a big problem because those other avenues can't generate the same amount of money.  So you either cut a really lame deal and get small dollars and hope to make up the rest with these other digital rights, or you sell them all through and get real dollars and not worry about the rest.  Most conferences and teams don't want to worry about the rest, and rightly so.

In the meantime, the technology will continue to change, there will be more and better ways to consume the product.....WHO OWNS THE RIGHTS is the key.  Not how you consume, but what you are able to consume and at what price.

[MU82]

Think BIGGER.

ESPN didn't always have those stations, and they were kind of a joke at first (remember "the deuce")

The current model of distribution is going to change drastically in the next 10 years. Don't get concerned about the network letters, but rather the $, and the long-term vision of distribution.

Just as MU needs to think only about MU in its role in all these conference issues, my MU alum wife and I need to think only about ourselves. We want a network affiliation that allows us to watch as many games as possible -- next season, 5 years from now and 20 years from now.

If NBCSportsNet televises 10 MU games and has a system in place that lets us watch the rest on a laptop we can hook up to our 50 inch plasma, that's fine. If it televises 6 and has a lousy internet service, that's not fine and we'd MUCH rather have ESPN. The New Fun Hoops Conference can leave ESPN for its next contract if NBC or somebody else has something better in place then.

Yes, it's all about us. We want to watch our Warriors. We ARE Mar-quette!