All Hokie, All the Time. Period. Presented by First Bank & Trust Company

HokieAl HokieAl OP
Aug 01, 2024 at 10:11 AM ET
$43 a month for the new sports service Venu? No thanks
I’m sure many will pony up but I won’t be one of them. That is way too much for just sports.

53 Replies

F
FLKEYSHOKIE
Over priced, over rated and probably will fail before this year's end !
M
mjfhokie
Only 5 million subscribers?
I was surprised to see the article's mention of 5 million subscribers in 5 years. With 130 million households in the US, that represents only 4 percent of all households. Although expensive, I can see them meeting the 5 million level. There are many sports fans out there.
S
Stech
ACC Chanel included in this says a lot about where ESPN is on ACCN. I just
don’t see the ACC going away, even if the Mag 7 leave for a P2 one day. I think they will do what Fox has done with the B12 for the ACC, and double down on potential basketball schools, or schools in urban areas with higher Academics, that could do what the Big East private schools did in the 80’s. Just think of the south located version of that for expansion. ** Edited by Stech at 8/1/2024, 12:32:57 PM
S
SMU Pony
I'm curious what cut the ACCN will get from Venu subscriber fees...
...that could blunt the impact of cord-cutting on ACCN revenues.
B
Baltimore_Hokie
The BTN and SECN are also included, FWIW.
I agree with you regarding the ultimate outcome for the ACC in all this - erosion from a national "power conference" into something more resembling the 80's era Big East: a regional basketball power where 1-2 of the member schools also fields an occasionally competitive football program.
S
Sunsetunderground
If Stanford Duke and Cal stay it will remain the top D1 Academic Conference
Outside of the Ivy. Does that still count for something?
B
Baltimore_Hokie
What do you think that should count for?
I can promise you that it certainly wouldn't matter even one iota with regard to football, which is pretty much the sole metric in determining just how much "power" there is to any given "power conference."
S
Sunsetunderground
The Ivy League was the elite Football Conference with dozens of National
Champions for a long time. They only relinquished this because they wanted to focus on academics. The ACC has historically focused on academics and was not willing to cheat on the level of the SEC and SWC where it was abundant. I guess I think that is more honorable that having poor academics and cheating at all costs to win at Football. Now it is legal so I guess it doesn't matter.
S
Stech
Football is not #1 according to the SEC mouth of the south’s Paul Finebaum.
He said the SEC would take UVA over Virginia Tech because of their higher academic ratings. Now he flips a lot on the expansion subject, but that’s what he recently said on his SEC Channel broadcast.
B
Baltimore_Hokie
We can disagree on how much "academic elitism" is worth in expansion terms-
but I can tell you exactly how much Paul Finebaum's opinions are worth regarding anything. Anyone who, like myself, has been familiar with the Finebaum show since his early days on WJOX in Birmingham can tell you that he's not a competent X's and O's or color analyst guy, he's not even a competent opinion guy, he's nothing more than a carnival huckster who made his bones by having deep south caricatures call into his show and yell at each other unintelligibly. He has obtained the veneer of credibility since his show was put on the college football SiriusXM channel, which led to his contract with ESPN, but his shtick will always be "The Jerry Springer Show meets college football."
S
Stech
We don’t disagree on Athletic Elitism, I didn’t say it, Finebaum said it.
I’m just pointing out that there is recent change in what some of the media are saying about it. If Academics mattered Stanford would in the B10, but some of this IMHO is trying to keep your competition guessing.
J
jms41
They probably want to improve basketball and not add to football difficulty
S
Stech
Certainly a possibility, I think it’s about John Skipper wanting UNC in SEC
so they are still with ESPN. I still think the best move for the SEC would be to take all 4 Va and NC schools. The SEC is a rivalry Conference, their ratings are about having close rivalries, they definitely don’t have the biggest markets. This would be completely consistent with their formula for success.
B
Big12 guy
Do you still think that FOX invested in the B12 for basketball content?
HokieAl HokieAl OP
They invested in B12 for eyeballs
The B12 had ok school sizes and state coverage. But those both went up very positively with the two recent rounds of expansion. Now they have big schools in big states across lots of time zones. Both AZ schools, UCF, and Cincinnati were great pure size additions. They already had good basketball and now they have wider reach, which is where the value lies.
B
Big12 guy
Basketball does not hurt the B12, nor does it hurt the ACC. Football
content however, is the driver for both ESPN and FOX, not basketball.
S
Stech
Right now yes, but if the NCAA tournament expands, that could change.
That is from John Skipper former CEO of ESPN Sports, and Bob Thompson the former President of Fox Sports. They have some pretty good connections on the subject.
HokieAl HokieAl OP
Agreed. But my view was more that both football and bball are just tools
When it comes to money, the media companies need viewers. And bigger schools with more students and more alumni are very valuable. The sports are just what they use to extract the value from viewers. That’s why I keep focusing on school sizes. No matter how good the ACC gets in football, it will never be as valuable as the SEC or BIG because the conference schools are so much smaller on average. That’s why I’m impressed with not only the B12 survival, but also how they improved their position with new states and very large schools. Compared to the ACC who added one large school and two small private schools (all of which are far away).
B
Baltimore_Hokie
If you can make everyone here understand and accept this fact-
you would be mentioned in the same breath as Aristotle and Socrates.
S
Stech
Because Aristotle and Socrates knew the only constant is change. Read my
post above on the subject, some heavy weights with connections have said it will change.
B
Baltimore_Hokie
The value of college basketball (and any other sport besides football)-
may wax and wane, but college football will always hold exponentially more value, which means, however the paradigm of the sport changes, or doesn't change, wherever the top football brands are aligned will always hold the vast majority of the power. whether you're talking the Ivy League in the late 19th century to the pending SEC/B1G monopoly today. VT, and every other football program with ambition, will either sit at that table, or they won't. That's something that has never changed in the entire 150 year history of intercollegiate athletics, so I wouldn't hold your breath that it's going to change any time soon.
S
Stech
I do believe 🏈 will always be #1, but I also believe Skipper & Thompson
former ESPN & Fox Sports CEO & Presidents who have way more connections than you or I, know what they are talking about and 🏀 at a minimum will expand to about 96, and pay the Sweet 16 like the 🏈 playoff money. That’s a huge amount of money for the teams/conferences that make it. The playoffs and Sweet 16 is where the money is, but it’s just paid out differently. Bottom line is you are right, right now, and I agree with right now. However, skate to where the puck is going, and those guys have the connections to know where the puck is going.
S
Stech
No doubt, and a smart move too. ESPN has the football, so it wasn’t 4 that.
Kansas and Arizona alone make this conference a basketball big deal. Some of the others have not been at the top long enough, and lose coaches to the P2 when good.
B
Big12 guy
ESPN gets the top picks in football and the conference championship, but
FOX gets a tremendous amount to football content. ESPN also gets the basketball tournament championship, and the first pick in basketball content. FOX gets a tremendous amount of basketball content as well, but there is virtually no difference in the pecking order of the content - football or basketball. Yormark has talked about separating the football and basketball content in the next round of negotiations, but for now, the media rights are not separated from football. I also disagree with you on the basketball coaching opinion. It's an area that the B12 and ACC can compete with the P2. Check out UConn as an example.
S
Stech
It’s the first picks that matter most, so if Kansas plays Arizona in 🏀 🦊
getting that, is probably way more valuable than possibly 3 other match ups.
B
Big12 guy
Yep, and ESPN gets first choice.
S
Stech
For basketball? They get first choice over Fox?
B
Big12 guy
Yes.
S
Stech
I didn’t know that, I thought Fox had first choice for 🏀 & ESPN for 🏈.
B
Big12 guy
Not sure where you read that. In
No way shape or form is FOX there just for the basketball. They get about 40+% of both football and basketball. It's an interesting marriage.
S
Stech
Knew it was a combo agreement, but you r saying ESPN gets 1st pick 4 both?
That I did not know that if true, I thought 1 got basketball first pick and 1 got football first pick. It’s been a very long time since I read anything on the B12 agreement. Thus far, the B12 has had very little to do with Virginia Tech, and therefore I am as about as informed as B12 Podcaster on the ACC. 🤣🤣
3
33laszlo99
Fox bought 26 FB games and ~63 MBB games. ESPN gets the first four
FB picks, then they alternate, I haven't seen any report on how the MBB selections are made.
S
Stech
Thanks, I’m not surprised by the football, I just thought the basketball
was Fox picks first.
B
Big12 guy
Haha, I just came back from dinner with people the
follow their teams, and they aren't paying attention to what's going on with the ACC, so except for a few crazies like me and a few others, not many are paying attention out here from what I can see. Many of the schools in the ACC have not had much experience with the original B12, unless it's in basketball. An undefeated Duke played an undefeated KU recently, but it was like an exhibition game, not a football game. There just is not a lot of history with our conferences if you take out West Virginia. I'm sure you are not alone, and sometimes leads to stereotypes from both fan bases.
S
Stech
Psychologist tell us that over 90% of our thoughts are about ourselves, the
other thoughts are about how other people effect us. 🤣🤣
S
Stech
If FSU & Clemson leave the ACC should grab UCONN and USF, if more leave,
grab San Diego State and Oregon State. If more than that leave, I think Houston market with Rice could be great in basketball, I also think New Orleans with Tulane could also be a powerhouse in basketball. There are others like Temple that would probably thrive in the ACC, but to me those 6 have good to great potential.
V
VPI_1998
If this comes to pass and VT is still in the ACC,I hope VT just goes indy.
what a nightmare conference that would be! I am guessing this is sarcasm but maybe not?
V
VTCALS72
I think all of the ACC, big 12 and PAC will pare down the numbers
to no more than 12 per conference. Do any really need more?
S
Stech
If it’s just about 🏈, I agree, but I think many are underrating NCAA 🏀
expansion. I think they are going to about 96 teams playing, and the Sweet 16 will be paid out like 🏈 playoff money. That will make 🏀💵 there, just like it is for the NBA.
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
If FSU and Clemson or even more leave the ACC, the name of the conference
beyond that will be purely academic. It won't matter. It will be the ACC in name only.
B
Big12 guy
I think the ACC will be just fine if FSU and Clemson leave. What
you guys need is an extension of that contract. It buys you 12 years of stability. The next round of media negotiations will be more important now, especially with all of the other changes going on with the NCAA and FBS. Having a sound and predictable contract to negotiate these changes are paramount in my opinion. There are some valuable schools out there that would LOVE and invite to the ACC or the B12 for that matter, but we are not the ones cutting the checks. Also, if the pie just gets sliced in more pieces, maybe the ACC and B12 stay pat for now. Adding more at the bottom of the spectrum doesn't help either conference, but if the networks pony up the money, it's a different story.
S
Sunsetunderground
No CBS NBC CW Redzone etc
Still missing alot of sports I watch.
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
The Masters on CBS is a must have for me.
A tradition unlike any other ⛳. I also think CBS is doing some college football games too. Also, if VT plays ND on NBC, I imagine that wouldn't be included.
E
EDGEMAN
Have you heard about this new technology...
...it's called putting up an antenna and getting your network channels over the airwaves. I hear it's only growing in popularity. :) BTW, buy an OTA DVR if you want to take full advantage of that technology...lol
S
Stech
Seriously, does the antenna thing work?
E
EDGEMAN
Like a charm.
Maroon Baboon Maroon Baboon
I just watch stuff on my laptop. LOL.
B
Big12 guy
They need the NFL if they want that kind of money. ESPN with their
problems with Charter recently, was because of the carriage fees, and college athletics were a big part of that. Too many linier subscribers do not want to pay the carriage fees for college athletics. Of all of Disney's channels, which ones would be first on the chopping block, or first to negotiate down?
Femoyer Hokie Femoyer Hokie
If it works well, I'll pay and drop YouTube TV.
AnotherTechW AnotherTechW
Would agree but doesn’t have nbc so still need something else
Femoyer Hokie Femoyer Hokie
Works for me because I have always paid for Peacock and Paramount Plus Apps
I have those to watch broadcast shows the next day without commercials, some exclusive live sports and they throw in your local NBC/CBS channels.
H
harlote101
RE
This should of never left the drawing board
B
Baltimore_Hokie
There's zero chance that service will be a success at that price point.
90% of people that would actually pay that vs. using a pirate stream site would just pony up the extra $25-$30 and get a full streaming package. It makes it even worse when you consider that this is the price on day one - that price will definitely go up at least once every year or two.