Conference Realignment

[FreeSpiritCat]

So Apple Pay’s 30m per team for say 5 years and hopes at worst the PAC fans subscribe. Banking on the fans of this conference is a fools errand. Who would you bet on, PAC fans or Big12 fans subscribing more to a streamed channel? I don’t think it would be close.

Still this argument of streaming is not the issue to me. It’s stability and survivability that seems most important

I already pay to stream Netflix, Prime, and for commercial free versions of Peacock and Paramount+.

I also pay to stream SlingTV during basketball season, and used to for football to get the P12 and ESPN channels, and even then I hesitated since Sling jacked up the price.

So really doubt I will sign up for Apple too unless they will show all the games and I don't have to subscribe to anything else. I don't have cable or satellite.

If you don't record games Vidgo is a good option for Arizona basketball. Plus is $70/month without cloud DVR. Premium is $85 with cloud DVR. They include the Pac-12 Networks, ESPN, FX1, Fox, and ABC. Premium has NFL Redzone which is great since I don't have a favorite team.

The truth is I would love to pay a subscription for streaming all UA games, but understand that teams need national exposure too.

[CardiacCats97]

So Apple Pay’s 30m per team for say 5 years and hopes at worst the PAC fans subscribe. Banking on the fans of this conference is a fools errand. Who would you bet on, PAC fans or Big12 fans subscribing more to a streamed channel? I don’t think it would be close.

Still this argument of streaming is not the issue to me. It’s stability and survivability that seems most important

I already pay to stream Netflix, Prime, and for commercial free versions of Peacock and Paramount+.

I also pay to stream SlingTV during basketball season, and used to for football to get the P12 and ESPN channels, and even then I hesitated since Sling jacked up the price.

So really doubt I will sign up for Apple too unless they will show all the games and I don't have to subscribe to anything else. I don't have cable or satellite.

If you don't record games Vidgo is a good option for Arizona basketball. Plus is $70/month without cloud DVR. Premium is $85 with cloud DVR. They include the Pac-12 Networks, ESPN, FX1, Fox, and ABC. Premium has NFL Redzone which is great since I don't have a favorite team.

The truth is I would love to pay a subscription for streaming all UA games, but understand that teams need national exposure too.

Yes, it’s about national exposure and it being easy to stumble upon our games to generate new fan interest. All of us who can would likely pay $50-$150 a year to an Arizona-only streaming service. But that would kill us.

Whether it’s linear or streaming it’s about getting the most eyeballs and notice. AppleTV ain’t it. Never will be.

[Merkin]

All of us who can would likely pay $50-$150 a year to an Arizona-only streaming service. But that would kill us.

I would love that. SlingTV with the sports pack was $50 a month, and I only used it to watch UA MBB or FB.

There is nothing on SlingTV that interested me. I don't watch shows with commercials outside of sports.

What CITH said about Vidgo is great, just not for me. Don't watch NFL or any of those other channels.

[dovecanyoncat]

Pac-12 Conference getting its ducks in a row:

[CalStateTempe]

Let’s do this

[dmjcat]

[EastCoastCat]

That would be fucking wild.

[CardiacCats97]

I know we are all waiting for some kind of update from a national writer who has a reputation for good sources and not throwing bullshit against the wall, but there’s enough smoke that I’m starting to get excited that we are about to escape this burning building of a conference.

[Merkin]

Big 12 (rebranded as the MEGA Conference),

No.

[FreeSpiritCat]

Why would the Cats be punished for ASU not joining us to the Big 12? It's not like UW or UO, or even UCLA where the other major state schools weren't invited. ASU would have the opportunity to leave but would be turning down the offer. If they want to self-destruct why should UA be hurt by their decision?

[PHXCATS]

espn is failing

That is the biggest issue

And they are doing such a good job convincing others that they are not the main issue here

[ChooChooCat]

espn is failing

That is the biggest issue

And they are doing such a good job convincing others that they are not the main issue here

ESPN is failing at what exactly?

[CardiacCats97]

Reorganizing for the future is in no way, shape, or form “failing”. Try again.

[ChooChooCat]

Reorganizing for the future is in no way, shape, or form “failing”. Try again.

Is he making the argument that because ESPN doesn't have the windows or money to offer the Pac-12 what it would require to keep the conference together that they're the ones that are failing? Is he seriously doing that?

[AzCatFan2]

ESPN is losing cable/satellite subscribers. Each sub, regardless of whether they watch or not, pays ESPN monthly carriage fees. Carriage fees for the ESPN channels is $7.64 a month (https://digiday.com/future-of-tv/wtf-ar ... iage-fees/). In Q1 of 2023, ESPN lost 914,000 cable/satellite subs (https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/esp ... 0SportsPro). That's nearly $7 million a month less in subscriber operating fees has to work with in the start of Q2 than they had in the start of Q1.

It's also why Disney laid off a number of ESPN employees recently. The ESPN+ numbers aren't where Disney wants them to be, and they aren't replacing the lost subs at a similar rate. ESPN also recently announced that eventually, will go to a full streaming service.

ESPN is one of the more popular channels on cable. But industry standards are at most, only 50% of households watch sports on a regular basis. And this includes niche sports that ESPN doesn't cover much. At $9.99 a month for +, ESPN will have to add almost as many + subs as they are losing cable/satellite subs to make up the difference. Simply put, they aren't. So a price hike for ESPN+ is likely on the horizon sooner or later.

And with that price hike comes more potential issues. How many people can afford $9.99 a month, but would end the service at $19.99/month? Nobody really knows.

[CardiacCats97]

Reorganizing for the future is in no way, shape, or form “failing”. Try again.

Is he making the argument that because ESPN doesn't have the windows or money to offer the Pac-12 what it would require to keep the conference together that they're the ones that are failing? Is he seriously doing that?

In much the same way AzCatFan2 is trying to make cord cutting amongst all cable subscribers a Disney/ESPN-only issue. Pretty weird. Especially when advertisers still covet live sports and are willing to pay more money for those slots year after year.

Way less people have cable and satellite packages than they did even three years ago and yet didn’t ESPN just give Pat McAfee a multi year contract worth tens of millions? That’s not indicative of ESPN failing, but instead reprioritizing.

[ChooChooCat]

ESPN is losing cable/satellite subscribers. Each sub, regardless of whether they watch or not, pays ESPN monthly carriage fees. Carriage fees for the ESPN channels is $7.64 a month (https://digiday.com/future-of-tv/wtf-ar ... iage-fees/). In Q1 of 2023, ESPN lost 914,000 cable/satellite subs (https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/esp ... 0SportsPro). That's nearly $7 million a month less in subscriber operating fees has to work with in the start of Q2 than they had in the start of Q1.

It's also why Disney laid off a number of ESPN employees recently. The ESPN+ numbers aren't where Disney wants them to be, and they aren't replacing the lost subs at a similar rate. ESPN also recently announced that eventually, will go to a full streaming service.

ESPN is one of the more popular channels on cable. But industry standards are at most, only 50% of households watch sports on a regular basis. And this includes niche sports that ESPN doesn't cover much. At $9.99 a month for +, ESPN will have to add almost as many + subs as they are losing cable/satellite subs to make up the difference. Simply put, they aren't. So a price hike for ESPN+ is likely on the horizon sooner or later.

And with that price hike comes more potential issues. How many people can afford $9.99 a month, but would end the service at $19.99/month? Nobody really knows.

Cool. So how is the Pac-12's current failure in their TV negotiations ESPN's fault? Maybe they should've took the deal that ESPN offered the Pac 12 first before they gave it to the Big 12.

[AzCatFan2]

ESPN is losing cable/satellite subscribers. Each sub, regardless of whether they watch or not, pays ESPN monthly carriage fees. Carriage fees for the ESPN channels is $7.64 a month (https://digiday.com/future-of-tv/wtf-ar ... iage-fees/). In Q1 of 2023, ESPN lost 914,000 cable/satellite subs (https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/esp ... 0SportsPro). That's nearly $7 million a month less in subscriber operating fees has to work with in the start of Q2 than they had in the start of Q1.

It's also why Disney laid off a number of ESPN employees recently. The ESPN+ numbers aren't where Disney wants them to be, and they aren't replacing the lost subs at a similar rate. ESPN also recently announced that eventually, will go to a full streaming service.

ESPN is one of the more popular channels on cable. But industry standards are at most, only 50% of households watch sports on a regular basis. And this includes niche sports that ESPN doesn't cover much. At $9.99 a month for +, ESPN will have to add almost as many + subs as they are losing cable/satellite subs to make up the difference. Simply put, they aren't. So a price hike for ESPN+ is likely on the horizon sooner or later.

And with that price hike comes more potential issues. How many people can afford $9.99 a month, but would end the service at $19.99/month? Nobody really knows.

Cool. So how is the Pac-12's current failure in their TV negotiations ESPN's fault? Maybe they should've took the deal that ESPN offered the Pac 12 first before they gave it to the Big 12.

It's not ESPN's fault. But the PAC is certainly a victim of ESPN's and other channel's issues. Maybe we should have gotten out ahead of the BIG12 and signed early, but PAC leadership thought we could do better than $30 million. A mistake that might cause the downfall and demise of the PAC really soon.

[dmjcat]

Ultimately, I believe that the B12 is the best immediate option for the UA. If the P12 was going
to come up with an equivalent Media deal they would have already done so. The obvious reason the P12 hasn't
unveiled the contract details is because it stinks.

The one, and only, regret I will have is the location of the B12 basketball tournament...........Kansas City.

Las Vegas >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Cowtown

[Merkin]

Good read here. Sorry Zags.

[azgreg]

[AzCatFan2]

I think it's nice that Yormack thinks basketball is undervalued. But he doesn't get to make that determination; the market does. And fact is, college football doesn't have any competition from the pro league, as college is Saturday, and NFL is Sunday, for the most part. College basketball, on the other hand, competes head-to-head with the NBA, as well as the NHL.

For many sports fans, college basketball seasons starts the third week of March and ends the first Monday in April. Everything else before is ignored. And the end of the Tournament signifies the beginning of NBA and NHL seasons heating up for playoff races.

The Tournament is already maximized in terms of value in my opinion. Not sure how much more college basketball is going get value wise for November - February games.

[Merkin]

Hmmm, merit based would be interesting if the Cats can make a deep run in the tourney.

[Basketcats]

Why am I getting the feeling that UofA is going to agree to a shitty media deal in order to appease ABOR?

[dmjcat]

Looking at these numbers makes me wonder why there is any debate regarding moving to the Big12

https://sports360az.com/2023/06/wilner- ... ar-behind/

[GlobalCat]

Why am I getting the feeling that UofA is going to agree to a shitty media deal in order to appease ABOR?

Bluntly, because the head of ABOR is a Michael Crow crony/protégé.

[CardiacCats97]

Looking at these numbers makes me wonder why there is any debate regarding moving to the Big12

https://sports360az.com/2023/06/wilner- ... ar-behind/

That article made me sick to my stomach.

[AzCatFan2]

The 2023/24 numbers are bad, especially compared to other conferences. But moving to the BIG12 won't change those numbers for us. We are contractually obligated to be in the PAC this upcoming academic year regardless.

The big question is the TV contract numbers. Can the PAC meet or beat the BIG12's approximately $30 million/school deal. If we can come close or beat it, we should stay. If the final PAC tv numbers lag by $5million/year or more, then we have no reason to stay.

[KillerKlown]

I feel the fire getting hotter.

[84Cat]

I feel the fire getting hotter.

President Robbin's press conference didn't help cool things down at all

[Merkin]

I feel the fire getting hotter.

President Robbin's press conference didn't help cool things down at all

This? Robbins sure does not sound like a major university president.

What a fucking shitshow embarrassment the PAC is. UCLA and USC are so glad to be out.

[CardiacCats97]

Bobby isn’t great at this*.




*anything

[RondaeShimmy]

[Merkin]

Reads like Crow and Robbins are both out of the loop regarding negotiations.

[dovecanyoncat]

Hope in one hand, shit in the other.

[84Cat]

Thanks for nothing 'rado

[azgreg]

[CardiacCats97]

Good thing the conference doesn’t look totally desperate to get a media deal done at all costs ASAP. I’m sure that’s not affecting negotiations or anything.

[azcat49]

Best thing is we don’t have long to wait. Just want this thing over. Craving for some stability, hey, doesn’t the Big 12 offer that 🥹

[dovecanyoncat]

As my late Uncle, a reformed alcoholic, general fuck-up, and really wonderful person used to say: "We gotta to do something even if it's wrong!"

[AZCatGirl]

Robbins needs to get us out of this shit stain conference already.

[CardiacCats97]

Robbins needs to get us out of this shit stain conference already.

Robbins couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag. We need a real leader. Instead we have a President who is the equivalent of soggy wonder bread.

[TheCatInTheHat]

Well, when he says he's "tight" with Crow, and if ABOR chair Fred DuVal is buds with Crow, and statements are made that the ABOR would make it "expensive" for Arizona to abandon dear old ASU for the Big XII, that sounds like something of a Mafia kiss of death. Particularly with Crow's absolute obsession about having his "innovation" diploma mill associated in any way possible with Stanford. I think they're copying the Newsom/Cal thing of making UCLA pay Cal extortion alimony to move to the Big Ten, which would tend to negate some of the financial advantage. Meanwhile, if it's true that the new Pac-12 package will only pay $20M when they can get $30M from the Big XII, that should be a no-brainer.

[AzCatFan2]

San Diego State has asked the Mountain West for an extension of 1 month to leave without a larger penalty. The inside information is they are waiting for the PAC to sign a TV deal, and will leave if the deal is signed by June 30. If not, SDSU wants another month.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... plans-exit

[Merkin]

SDSU would fit right into that PAC with that clusterfuck series of letters.

[84Cat]

As expected

[Irish27]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ ... 342170007/

[Merkin]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ ... 342170007/

“Because the situation is so fragile right now. The leadership is better than it was, but it’s still not very good. I could give the new commissioner (George) Kliavkoff a pass maybe a year, year and a half ago because his predecessor literally ran this thing into the ground. But he’s had enough time. And I think so far, you have to give him a failing grade."

Pretty brutal regarding George and Larry.

[KillerKlown]

[84Cat]

Sounds like a streaming deal