FCS Football on "The America Channel"

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Just got hit by this bombshell:


The Patriot League has signed a multi-year deal with a new national-sports broadcaster, The America Channel, Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich announced Wednesday. The arrangement, which will begin with the 2007-08 academic year, will bring additional exposure to the Patriot League, specifically in the sports of football, women's basketball and women's volleyball.

"We are excited about the increased visibility that this partnership will generate for the Patriot League and its institutions," Schlie Femovich said. "In addition, The America Channel will provide the viewing audience with a real-life perspective on the students and student-athletes of the Patriot League and its mission toward balancing excellence in academics and athletics."

In addition to game coverage, The America Channel will also tell the Patriot League story from each of the campuses as part of its new SportsLife initiative. The America Channel along with the Patriot League and its constituents will create video content about the aspirations, achievements, challenges, adventures, community service and lifestyles of its scholar-athletes.

At least 50 percent of the sports programming will profile and showcase women students and women student-athletes. In addition to football, women's basketball and women's volleyball, the opportunity exists for other Patriot League sports to be televised on the network.

The Patriot League was joined by the Colonial Athletic Association, Big South, Southern, Big West, Big Sky, America East and Atlantic Sun Conferences in securing video broadcast rights to The America Channel.

"We're honored to have such a depth of cooperation with these leading Conferences," America Channel CEO Doron Gorshein said. "The initiative is unique with extraordinary creative potential. We expect that viewers and advertisers will embrace it. We also believe that young people will be enriched by the programming about the aspirations, challenges and achievements of students and student-athletes. We're proud to be working with the Conferences on this initiative which combines compelling and cutting edge content with positive social purpose."

The network is planning a late-summer, early-fall launch with its first game broadcasts coming in November 2007.

So, no more Fox Sports broadcasts for Lehigh football? What about the Lafayette Sports Network? NOTE THE OTHER CONFERENCES INVOLVED: THE SOCON, BIG SKY, BIG SOUTH AND CAA. What about CN8? Is that over too?

[Footix]

According to its website, The America Channel will not launch until the summer of 2007. So, who knows when it will be available on enough cable and satellite providers around the country to do FCS fans some good. But the idea of getting that many conferences involved is good for our brand of college football. This can only help the programs and schools in those conferences.:hurray:

[UNHWildCats]

Theres also this from their website

http://www.multicasting.com/

http://www.americachannel.us/pdf_downloads/TAC_FCCLetter.pdf


Seems to me that there attempting to protect multicasting hopefully for the purpose of broadcasting numerous games at the same time, that could be great for the FCS.

[PantherRob82]

The more FCS on TV, the better. I had 2-3 FCS games a week on cable in my area.

[rokamortis]

Just got hit by this bombshell:

So, no more Fox Sports broadcasts for Lehigh football? What about the Lafayette Sports Network? NOTE THE OTHER CONFERENCES INVOLVED: THE SOCON, BIG SKY, BIG SOUTH AND CAA. What about CN8? Is that over too?

I guess the question is - does the America Channel have the rights to all televised games? Hopefully the school can still broadcast other games that the Ac isn't broadcasting.

Here is the Big South release.
http://www.bigsouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4800&ATCLID=727922


CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference has entered into a new multi-year national television arrangement with The America Channel, it was announced today by Big South Conference Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander. The broadcasting agreement will begin with the 2007-08 athletic season and will specifically highlight women’s basketball, football and League championships.

Under the agreement, The America Channel will broadcast a minimum of 20 women’s basketball games, including at least three per institution, nine football games including every institution, the Big South women’s soccer championship, volleyball championship, men’s and women’s tennis championship, men’s and women’s track championships, softball championships as well as the potential for additional sports and championship broadcast.

[Footix]

Under the agreement, The America Channel will broadcast a minimum of 20 women’s basketball games, including at least three per institution, nine football games including every institution, the Big South women’s soccer championship, volleyball championship, men’s and women’s tennis championship, men’s and women’s track championships, softball championships as well as the potential for additional sports and championship broadcast.

Nine football games being broadcast will be great for the league. It will also be good for each school to be guaranteed at least some sort of TV coverage. The Big South TV Network often picks the trendy teams for its broadcasts, which leaves some of the cellar-dwellers without hope for getting on the tube.

[DFW HOYA]

Networks need viewers to survive. Football is one way to do that.

[UNHWildCats]

I guess the question is - does the America Channel have the rights to all televised games? Hopefully the school can still broadcast other games that the Ac isn't broadcasting.

Here is the Big South release.
http://www.bigsouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4800&ATCLID=727922

I'd doubt there buying exclusive rights to all the games prolly a set amount of games for each conference that might work like the NFLs flex schedule a few weeks before each game they decide what there gonna broadcast

[*****]

... "At least 50 percent of the sports programming will profile and showcase women students and women student-athletes. In addition to football, women's basketball and women's volleyball, the opportunity exists for other Patriot League sports to be televised on the network." Hmmm, "At least 50 percent of the sports programming will profile and showcase women students and women student-athletes" so that means no football there... Seems like this is a women's channel...

Anyone remember The Football Network??? It never saw the light of day.

We shall see...

[eaglesrthe1]

Just because they have the rights, doesn't mean that you won't see them on other channels. They will just sell the rights to the games that they don't want to televise. The SoCon has had a TV package for years, and yet you see the various teams on other channels all the time.

[cosmo here]

Hmmm, "At least 50 percent of the sports programming will profile and showcase women students and women student-athletes" so that means no football there... Seems like this is a women's channel...

Anyone remember The Football Network??? It never saw the light of day.

We shall see...

In the Patriot League, men's basketball already has high visibility (the ESPN family, CSTV, PL all-access broadband) . . women's basketball has less so, and the women's volleyball is a good product, so this is a good outlet for the league.

It will be a good opportunity to get all of the league's football programs on DIRECTV/DISH also, aside from what Lafayette already does with the Lafayette Sports Network - sometimes DIRECTV/DISH live, always available somewhere on a replay, and Lehigh (WFMZ, Service Electric) and Colgate (Time Warner) do with local cable companies, who send the telecasts to Fox Sports on occasion.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

But what does this do for existing Lehigh contracts with Fox, CSTV? Does the Lafayette Sports Network continue to exist? Does the AN have a sports department, or sports people, in there at all? How will this work?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I wrote the league office on this, and netting out the reply:


All the school television contracts will remain in place and unaffected.

So it looks like the America Network will be merely another distribution center for Patriot League, Big Sky, CAA, and Big South programming -- IF it ever gets on the air. Basically, Lehigh's distribution of games on FCA is unaffected, as I imagine Lafayette's would as well.

My bigger questions now are coming about the America Channel itself. Prepare for a blog posting on this later today. Hopefully I can sneak out an email soon to the America Channel to get more details.

[DFW HOYA]

So it looks like the America Network will be merely another distribution center for Patriot League, Big Sky, CAA, and Big South programming -- IF it ever gets on the air. Basically, Lehigh's distribution of games on FCA is unaffected, as I imagine Lafayette's would as well.


The Patriot would be well served by a league-wide package. Right now, it's largely just the Lehigh and Lafayette games.

[*****]

apparently they have some big money behind them and a good biz plan with connections, they'll get a widely dispursed cable channel, show what the other channels aren't, feature SAs, could be good

IF they make it...

[Pard4Life]

I didn't read too closely... is this a national, basic cable channel? i.e. you don't have to buy the 300-channel and digital package?

Sounds like an interesting idea.

[*****]

I didn't read too closely... is this a national, basic cable channel? i.e. you don't have to buy the 300-channel and digital package?
Sounds like an interesting idea.They don't have deals done yet but it would definitely be on satellite and may be on cable packages (similar to CSTV but they're hoping for much more).

[Lehigh Football Nation]

apparently they have some big money behind them and a good biz plan with connections, they'll get a widely dispursed cable channel, show what the other channels aren't, feature SAs, could be good

IF they make it...

They seem to be an aggressive independent network that is fighting to get onto cable systems. The executives are TV veterans. It definitely is an interesting idea for a network.


The America Channel® was founded with a single idea: tell the ever-unfolding story of America through the eyes of real Americans.

Driving the network are the fascinating stories of real people and places that so often capture the imagination and attention of our country. These stories are joined by exciting adventures and competitions, lifestyle shows, in-depth profiles, relevant news and perspectives from every corner of the country, as well as a little culture, comedy and music. It is a diverse mix of programs, some light and fun, some thought provoking and controversial, but every one entertaining and every one connecting with the channel's central purpose: to tell real stories about real Americans.

Trouble is, it's still awaiting a launch. Originially it was looking to go in November 2006, which appears at this point to have been pushed out to November 2007. I'm awaiting more details.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Had a chance to weigh in on this.

Happy Holidays!

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com

[LeopardFan04]

I wrote the league office on this, and netting out the reply:



So it looks like the America Network will be merely another distribution center for Patriot League, Big Sky, CAA, and Big South programming -- IF it ever gets on the air. Basically, Lehigh's distribution of games on FCA is unaffected, as I imagine Lafayette's would as well.

My bigger questions now are coming about the America Channel itself. Prepare for a blog posting on this later today. Hopefully I can sneak out an email soon to the America Channel to get more details.


This is good to hear...I'd be happy if we kept the Lafayette Sports Network, since although I get to almost every home game, I can catch all of our away games on regular cable...It'd be great if the PL and these other conferences could get the extra exposure...

[LeopardFan04]

Had a chance to weigh in on this.

Happy Holidays!

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com

Good post...I agree, if we can keep the status quo plus add coverage, then that is the best scenario...My fear was when first hearing about this was that it would replace the current setup, thereby making it more difficult to see even the games we are able to now...but it sounds good...I hope it works out...

[walliver]

I used my crystal ball and came up with timeline for "The America Channel"

2007 Launch is delayed.

2008 Broadcast a full slate of FCS games to the half dozen cable systems that pick up the channel.

2009 Broadcast a full slate of FCS games (sharing time with women's soccer) to 30% of America's cable systems.

2010 Splits football coverage between FCS and the Sunbelt conference.

2011 Carries a full slate of Sunbelt, C-USA and Big East games.

2012 Drops football for women's volleyball, and starts prime-time programming targeted for lesbians.

[PantherRob82]

I used my crystal ball and came up with timeline for "The America Channel"

2007 Launch is delayed.

2008 Broadcast a full slate of FCS games to the half dozen cable systems that pick up the channel.

2009 Broadcast a full slate of FCS games (sharing time with women's soccer) to 30% of America's cable systems.

2010 Splits football coverage between FCS and the Sunbelt conference.

2011 Carries a full slate of Sunbelt, C-USA and Big East games.

2012 Drops football for women's volleyball, and starts prime-time programming targeted for lesbians.

wow...xlolx

[BigApp]

I used my crystal ball and came up with timeline for "The America Channel"

2007 Launch is delayed.

2008 Broadcast a full slate of FCS games to the half dozen cable systems that pick up the channel.

2009 Broadcast a full slate of FCS games (sharing time with women's soccer) to 30% of America's cable systems.

2010 Splits football coverage between FCS and the Sunbelt conference.

2011 Carries a full slate of Sunbelt, C-USA and Big East games.

2012 Drops football for women's volleyball, and starts prime-time programming targeted for lesbians.

hah!!! xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[LeopardFan04]

I used my crystal ball and came up with timeline for "The America Channel"

2007 Launch is delayed.

2008 Broadcast a full slate of FCS games to the half dozen cable systems that pick up the channel.

2009 Broadcast a full slate of FCS games (sharing time with women's soccer) to 30% of America's cable systems.

2010 Splits football coverage between FCS and the Sunbelt conference.

2011 Carries a full slate of Sunbelt, C-USA and Big East games.

2012 Drops football for women's volleyball, and starts prime-time programming targeted for lesbians.


xlolx You think they'll last that long? xlolx

[PantherRob82]

I hope it works out. Would be nice to see more FCS football. UNI only has 1 bye week a year, so I don't get too many options for games.

[Black and Gold Express]

If this gets SoCon games off of the abominations known as CSS and SportSouth, this is a good thing from my point of view living outside the regions of those networks, and thus being unable to watch any games shown there, even on satellite.

[catbob]

Any update on this?

[Franks Tanks]

But what does this do for existing Lehigh contracts with Fox, CSTV? Does the Lafayette Sports Network continue to exist? Does the AN have a sports department, or sports people, in there at all? How will this work?

I highly doubt the Lafayette Sports Network will go away, and with all those conferences signed up they may not even have a patrioy league game on every week. It sounds like the type or arrangment that allows the schools to keep existing arrangments, and this new network can cherry pick the games it wants to put on.

[DFW HOYA]

Its web site lists a "breaking news" item dated Dec. 20, 2006.

It looks like this has gone the way of the Football Network.

[colorless raider]

Another great job by Femovich. Who got jobbed?

[blur2005]

Hmmm, "At least 50 percent of the sports programming will profile and showcase women students and women student-athletes" so that means no football there... Seems like this is a women's channel...
This policy will last like a year until they realize that it's really bad for business, especially if you're a brand new channel trying to get viewers.