When ESPN Inc. launched a 24-7 college sports network in March, the notion seemed like too much football and basketball is never enough. But after six months, most major cable companies are not sharing Bristol's gusto. ESPNU is wired in only 4 million homes, including DirecTV subscribers.
"Actually, we're ahead of schedule," ESPNU vice president and general manager Burke Magnus said. "We've done a pretty good job having DirecTV right out of the gate."
Even with ESPN's muscle, ESPNU appears to be struggling like any startup channel. Unlike CSTV, which is widely available on pay-extra sports cable tiers, ESPNU is holding out for digital basic. So far the big three national cable bosses, which include Comcast and Charter in Connecticut, are not buying it.
Correction: The cable guys are not buying it and passing the cost on to you.
"We do want people to lobby their local cable operators," Magnus said on the phone Wednesday. "It's still a time-tested method of influencing them."
Fans who want what ESPNU offers are caught in the middle. That includes UConn fans who want to watch the game against Georgia Tech Saturday but are not DirecTV or Adelphia customers. Adelphia's 28,000 subscribers represent 2.5 percent of the state's cable homes. And UConn-Georgia Tech is not a candidate for local TV syndication through ESPN Regional, Magnus said, because it's an ACC home game.
"We don't own the syndication rights to the ACC," Magnus said.
If you think it might make sense for ESPNU to allow cable companies to pick up select games with local interest, which might also help to spread the ESPNU syllabus, nice try.
"That kind of technique, which was used a lot during the early days of ESPN2, really didn't work the way we hoped," Magnus said.
And gratefully for many, it delays the inevitable cable hike. What ESPNU seems to be saying is that you asked for more games, so now go out and get it.
"Our job is to put on the best possible service and make it available through cable to fans. We don't want to leverage fans into doing our work for us," Magnus said. "The flip side to the pawn argument ... [is] if it wasn't for ESPNU, this game wouldn't be on television."
One thing for sure is ESPNU is hunkering down for as long as its standoff with cable continues.
"It's a very lean operation. We're maximizing all the rights we already own," Magnus said. "Four million homes to some [conferences and schools], especially outside Division I, to them that's like ESPN is right now to UConn. That is so much better than nothing."
Kolber's Flying
ESPN sideline reporter Suzy Kolber goes coast to coast in NFL Week 2, working Chiefs-Raiders Sunday night with Mike Tirico and Sterling Sharpe, then Giants-Saints with Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire on ABC/ESPN's Monday night doubleheader.
On Sunday, Dick Enberg and Dan Dierdorf work Patriots-Panthers on WFSB, Ch. 3. ... Week 1 locals: Raiders-Patriots scored an 11.1 rating last Thursday on WTNH, Ch. 8. On Sunday, Cardinals-Giants did 9.6 on WTIC, Ch. 61 and Jets-Chiefs 4.6 on Ch. 3.
View From The Couch
Baseball's eight-year, $2.4 billion contract through 2013 with ESPN averages about $297 million a season. That's reportedly about $160 million more each season than in ESPN's current deal. But the new agreement does not give ESPN exclusive cable rights, allowing baseball to broker other deals. And OLN, which recently acquired NHL rights and is in the hunt for a Thursday/Saturday NFL package, is rumored to be interested. ... Debatable: Ch. 61 offers Mets-Braves with Josh Lewin and Tim McCarver on Fox's "Saturday Game of the Week." But Phillies and Marlins are neck and neck in the wild card chase. ... CN8's "Sports Pulse" with Ed Berliner is all NASCAR tonight at 10. Chats at New Hampshire International Speedway, where Sunday's Sylvania 300 kicks off the "Chase for the Championship" on TNT, include NASCAR president Mike Helton and driver Tony Stewart. ... Say what? NESN calls "Wait Till This Year," which debuts Sunday night at 6, a "reality docudrama." Ch. 61 sports anchor Rich Coppola and former colleague Tony Terzi are part of it.
"Actually, we're ahead of schedule," ESPNU vice president and general manager Burke Magnus said. "We've done a pretty good job having DirecTV right out of the gate."
Even with ESPN's muscle, ESPNU appears to be struggling like any startup channel. Unlike CSTV, which is widely available on pay-extra sports cable tiers, ESPNU is holding out for digital basic. So far the big three national cable bosses, which include Comcast and Charter in Connecticut, are not buying it.
Correction: The cable guys are not buying it and passing the cost on to you.
"We do want people to lobby their local cable operators," Magnus said on the phone Wednesday. "It's still a time-tested method of influencing them."
Fans who want what ESPNU offers are caught in the middle. That includes UConn fans who want to watch the game against Georgia Tech Saturday but are not DirecTV or Adelphia customers. Adelphia's 28,000 subscribers represent 2.5 percent of the state's cable homes. And UConn-Georgia Tech is not a candidate for local TV syndication through ESPN Regional, Magnus said, because it's an ACC home game.
"We don't own the syndication rights to the ACC," Magnus said.
If you think it might make sense for ESPNU to allow cable companies to pick up select games with local interest, which might also help to spread the ESPNU syllabus, nice try.
"That kind of technique, which was used a lot during the early days of ESPN2, really didn't work the way we hoped," Magnus said.
And gratefully for many, it delays the inevitable cable hike. What ESPNU seems to be saying is that you asked for more games, so now go out and get it.
"Our job is to put on the best possible service and make it available through cable to fans. We don't want to leverage fans into doing our work for us," Magnus said. "The flip side to the pawn argument ... [is] if it wasn't for ESPNU, this game wouldn't be on television."
One thing for sure is ESPNU is hunkering down for as long as its standoff with cable continues.
"It's a very lean operation. We're maximizing all the rights we already own," Magnus said. "Four million homes to some [conferences and schools], especially outside Division I, to them that's like ESPN is right now to UConn. That is so much better than nothing."
Kolber's Flying
ESPN sideline reporter Suzy Kolber goes coast to coast in NFL Week 2, working Chiefs-Raiders Sunday night with Mike Tirico and Sterling Sharpe, then Giants-Saints with Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire on ABC/ESPN's Monday night doubleheader.
On Sunday, Dick Enberg and Dan Dierdorf work Patriots-Panthers on WFSB, Ch. 3. ... Week 1 locals: Raiders-Patriots scored an 11.1 rating last Thursday on WTNH, Ch. 8. On Sunday, Cardinals-Giants did 9.6 on WTIC, Ch. 61 and Jets-Chiefs 4.6 on Ch. 3.
View From The Couch
Baseball's eight-year, $2.4 billion contract through 2013 with ESPN averages about $297 million a season. That's reportedly about $160 million more each season than in ESPN's current deal. But the new agreement does not give ESPN exclusive cable rights, allowing baseball to broker other deals. And OLN, which recently acquired NHL rights and is in the hunt for a Thursday/Saturday NFL package, is rumored to be interested. ... Debatable: Ch. 61 offers Mets-Braves with Josh Lewin and Tim McCarver on Fox's "Saturday Game of the Week." But Phillies and Marlins are neck and neck in the wild card chase. ... CN8's "Sports Pulse" with Ed Berliner is all NASCAR tonight at 10. Chats at New Hampshire International Speedway, where Sunday's Sylvania 300 kicks off the "Chase for the Championship" on TNT, include NASCAR president Mike Helton and driver Tony Stewart. ... Say what? NESN calls "Wait Till This Year," which debuts Sunday night at 6, a "reality docudrama." Ch. 61 sports anchor Rich Coppola and former colleague Tony Terzi are part of it.
