While there’s a lot of speculation about the future of college athletics – it’s 2012 all over again, too many folks haven’t considered ESPN may actually want to keep the ACC together.
How would they do this?
They’d have to increase payouts to the conference, and I think there are several reasons why ESPN may want to do this.
Let’s get into four of them.
1. The ACC Network
ESPN likes to make money. The ACC Network makes money. The ACC Network in terms of distribution is right there with the SEC and Big 10 Network, carried by every single one of the major cable networks. It was the 2nd most successful conference network launch in history. Estimates had the ACC Network paying some $5 Million per school, and once ESPN takes their half, ESPN is making in the neighborhood of $75 Million – $100 Million at least, and that is sure to go up for bother entities now that Comcast has signed up.
For a cable network losing subscribers, that’s a lot of money and a piece of Notre Dame to risk letting getting away.
2. Notre Dame
Speaking of Notre Dame, the ACC owns Notre Dame in all sports, and a couple of Notre Dame home games. Last year’s Notre Dame / Florida State game drew nearly 9 million viewers. Now if ESPN could steer Notre Dame to the SEC, it would be a net win, but they can’t be assured of that by any stretch. But with just 3 more ACC games, Notre Dame becomes a full ESPN property. If I’m ESPN I’m ready to pay a boatload to make this happen, because as it stands now Fox – Big 10, and ESPN – SEC, ACC and a Notre Dame on the open market become very enticing to FOX and Big 10.
3. FOX vs ESPN
FOX is going all-in with the Big 10. We just said ESPN is all in with the SEC and ACC. There are still some valuable properties in the ACC and Notre Dame. If the ACC crumbles, FOX ends up likely with Notre Dame, and at least 2 or 3 other ACC properties, that ESPN currently has the rights to. Who those properties are could be anyone’s guess from Clemson / Florida State to UNC / Duke or someone else. ESPN has to be very careful they aren’t outmaneuvered by FOX and lose what they already have.
4. ESPN never fully owned the Big 12 or Pac 12
ESPN didn’t fully own the rights to Oklahoma and Texas. FOX didn’t fully own the rights to UCLA and USC. Now all four schools’ rights are fully owned by those respective networks. To point number 3, ESPN already owns Clemson, Florida State, UNC, Duke, Pittsburgh, Miami, etc. You get the idea…
ACC rights to the SEC are just swapping the rights to schools you already own while losing the money-making conference network you already own as well. ESPN didn’t have full rights to the teams that most recently moved conferences. They do here.
The overriding theme is below…
Is ESPN willing to risk losing their 2nd most valuable collegiate property? They aren’t getting the Big 10, and the Big 12 and Pac 12 are too diminished to tip the FOX/ESPN scales.
That’s the key to the entire future. How much does ESPN value Notre Dame and the ACC. There is a risk that the big 10 ends up with Notre Dame and several of the accs best properties. It could work the other way too but that’s a significant 50/50 risk when you can just pay acc.
— Jeff or Jeffrey Fann (@TalkinACCSports) July 4, 2022
ESPN/FOX have been pulling the collegiate athletic strings for years. What are you going to do ESPN?
