CBS looking to buy CSTV?

[putter]

Will this be the end of our I-AA coverage. The Big 3 have never given anything other than BCS airtime so I wonder what will happen now? :confused:

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6280110.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP&nid=2226

[grizbeer]

Combine this with ESPN picking up NASCAR. CTS and NBS races would be shown on ESPN2, which is about 5 hours of programming per week, usually on Friday night or Saturday afternoon. I wonder if that will push all non-BCS games to ESPNU and ESPN Game Plan.

[AppGuy04]

Will this be the end of our I-AA coverage. The Big 3 have never given anything other than BCS airtime so I wonder what will happen now? :confused:

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6280110.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP&nid=2226

knew it was coming

[putter]

Naw, get used to I-AA on TV, it is here to stay.


I hope your right Ralph, but CBS is part of Viacom and all they care about it the bottom line...$$$$$$$$$$$$

[MarkCCU]

I hope they try to devout some games to I-AA. I know the only other channel i've watched a game on is ETV, and even that's once in a blue moon.

[Black and Gold Express]

The bottom line is increasing college football market share and I-AA is the favorite these days. :)

:confused:

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you weren't a business major. Cause the "bottom line" is what it always in in a business, money. Plain and simple. And buyouts of companies and acquisitions fall firmly in the "business decision" category.

The large portion of I-AA coverage is coming from the regional sports networks, of which Fox has the large portion of. CSTV is the only "national" network that adds any into it. If they go the way of CBS, you can make a safe bet they'll use CSTV as a way to push what makes the most money for them. Which is I-A and the teams "more people care about", and that advertisers will want to push their wares on. To think otherwise is kinda, no really, naive. As much as we wish it wasn't.

Fox College Sports has been a success so far in terms of coverage of I-AA games, but that's only because they are just packaging games that Fox is covering anyways. And you still see plenty of I-A/BCS team coverage on there.

No, if you care about and want to see I-AA covered more, you will be praying for CBS to not buy CSTV, unless they are trying to find a niche to be the preminent "small school" broadcaster. And nothing CBS has ever done would lead one to think that.

[Retro]

I don't wanna say i told you so but, I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!!

See my post from this thread: cstv thread (http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4681&highlight=cstv+espn+classic)


CBS TO ACQUIRE CSTV: COLLEGE SPORTS TELEVISION NETWORKS
Popular Cable and Satellite Sports Network with Nearly 15 Million Subscribers Marks CBS's Entry Into Cable Sports Arena




Nov. 3, 2005

CBS today announced the acquisition of CSTV Networks, Inc., the leading digital media company devoted exclusively to college athletics. The announcement was made by Leslie Moonves, Chairman of CBS and Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Viacom Inc.

CBS is acquiring CSTV Networks, Inc. for $325 million. The transaction is likely to close in early January 2006, after certain governmental approvals are obtained, and after the split of Viacom into two discrete entities, which is expected by the end of 2005. At that time, consideration for the transaction will be in CBS Corporation Class B non-voting common stock.

The new cable programming entity will be operated by its founder and CEO, Brian Bedol, who will report to Moonves. The acquisition includes:

· A digital cable network featuring 30 men's and women's college sports events and nearly 15 million subscribers by year end and growing; license deals now include numerous sports agreements with colleges, universities and conferences across the nation;

· Online properties consisting of a network of more than 250 official college athletic websites -- each maintained and managed for its institution by CSTV -- featuring full video and audio, news, scores, community elements and e-commerce for retail college sports-related products;

· A fast-growing website, www.CSTV.com, that supports the cable networks and other online properties. In its most recent analysis, Comscore Media Metrix ranked the CSTV.com network as one of the top ten destinations with the greatest prior monthly increase in unique visitors during the month of September 2005, with a 43 percent increase from August, and more than 7.5 million unique visitors;

· Regional College Sports Networks to be launched in 2006, featuring the sporting events of the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA, including Utah, Brigham Young University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Marshall and others.

"I am very excited about this acquisition, which brings a new dimension to our efforts in sports and the digital space as well," said Moonves. "We're not only getting hugely valuable assets here, we're acquiring a superb management team that has a proven record in building lucrative sports television franchises. College athletics and the online community it generates represent one of the biggest sectors in sports television, and CSTV has made tremendous strides in capturing this market. We think it's a natural fit for our company and we're confident that, as part of CBS, it will continue to grow and compete even more aggressively."


Moonves added: "As the founder of The Classic Sports Network and other ventures, Brian has proven himself to be a truly creative business manager with a track record of getting things done. I am particularly pleased that he and his partner Chris Bevilacqua come along with this deal. They will be a valuable addition to the CBS team."

"CSTV was built to offer college sports enthusiasts access to content for which they have passion, whether it be on television, the Internet or any platform, for that matter," said Bedol. "Through this transaction, we will now have the ability to help those consumers transition from the mass media of CBS Sports to the personalized media of the Web, and many points in between. Taking our partnership with CBS to this level is the ideal way to solidify our growing business. Chris and I couldn't be more enthusiastic about the exciting days that lie ahead."

full story: cstv story (http://www.cstv.com/genrel/110305aac.html)

[Black and Gold Express]

Actually I was a business major (and current business owner) until I decided I liked other things more. If you look at ESPNU, CSTV, Fox and others you will see that I-AA is the plumb they are picking because the rights to the cream of I-A has already been picked.

How can you say that with a straight face? Even now they aren't just picking I-AA, they are delving deep into non-BCS I-A for a lot of their programming as well. More in fact if you look at it all, including coaches shows and other programming.

Don't get me wrong, I hope that CBS figures out the eternal problem people have had marketing I-AA - how to make Johnny Six-Pack want to spend some of his television viewing time watching teams that get little to no national publicity. Something nobody has had much success with.

Because even if you just say you are catering to the alumni of these schools, perhaps you'll get an immediate bump. Bot over time you still have to convince advertisers that it is worth their while to sell to a smaller audience. You're still losing a lot of those alums who already have a "big time" school they root for, in many cases over their own alma mater. We see that everywhere. You still are working with schoolswith smaller budgets who may not be able to pony up the money needed to pay for TV broadcasts, or may not want to give over exclusive rights to someone.

Maybe in the short run this helps I-AA, but I firmly believe that without a major breakthrough, you will see CSTV catering more and more to I-A as time goes on, to get the viewers in bigger numbers.

[Retro]

Actually ralph, You know like i do that CSTV themselves have cut back I-AA games this year and last due to them signing more deals with I-A conferences like Conference USA and the WAC for example... Only time will tell if CBS will keep I-AA in the picture, but as for ESPNU, even they could show more I-AA games, but instead choose to show more ESPN AND ESPN2 replays at times when I-AA games could be show.

As far as fox, they have contracts with the BIG 12 and PAC 10 and their regional channels will only show I-AA games when they don't conflict with these games many times..

FOXSW which shows SLC games, only shows 3 this year.

[Black and Gold Express]

Just look at which division/subclassification is gaining more games on the networks I mentioned. Sorry, it is I-AA.

I should get paid for this. Correcting you is turning into a full-time job.

Let's look at one week of ESPNU programming, to shoot down this myth on that channel alone.

Here are the I-AA games I found from November 1-5.

ESPNU College Football
South Carolina State vs. Howard
Greene Stadium Washington, DC USA

ESPNU College Football Primetime
Grambling State vs. Alabama State
Cramton Bowl Montgomery, al USA

College Football: Magic City Classic
Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M
Legion Field Birmingham, al USA

College Football
Bethune-Cookman vs North Carolina A&T
Greensboro, NC, USA

None of them repeated.

In that same timespan, I found 20 I-A college football games (some of thme repeats) being shown.

That's 20 I-A games... to 4 I-AA games.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++

Let's go another week, shall we?

I-AA games the week of 11/6 - 11/12

College Football
South Carolina State vs. Howard
Greene Stadium Washington, DC USA

College Football
Morgan State vs South Carolina State
Orangeburg, SC, USA

ESPNU College Football
Massachusetts vs. Army
Michie Stadium West Point, NY USA

ESPNU College Football
Alabama State vs. Mississippi Valley State
Rice-Totten Stadium Itta Bena, MS USA

ESPNU College Football Primetime
Jackson State vs. Prairie View A&M
Blackshear Stadium Prairie View, TX USA

5 of them. And 19 I-A games - most of them repeats.

This is just in a TWO WEEK timespan. a 39:9 ratio.

Now, somehow I am sure you'll go umassfan on me, and say that these facts don't prove a point and that you're right, but come on ralph, research it a little before you go saying things on occasion, please?

[AppGuy04]

I should get paid for this. Correcting you is turning into a full-time job.

Let's look at one week of ESPNU programming, to shoot down this myth on that channel alone.

Here are the I-AA games I found from November 1-5.

ESPNU College Football
South Carolina State vs. Howard
Greene Stadium Washington, DC USA

ESPNU College Football Primetime
Grambling State vs. Alabama State
Cramton Bowl Montgomery, al USA

College Football: Magic City Classic
Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M
Legion Field Birmingham, al USA

College Football
Bethune-Cookman vs North Carolina A&T
Greensboro, NC, USA

None of them repeated.

In that same timespan, I found 20 I-A college football games (some of thme repeats) being shown.

That's 20 I-A games... to 4 I-AA games.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++

Let's go another week, shall we?

I-AA games the week of 11/6 - 11/12

College Football
South Carolina State vs. Howard
Greene Stadium Washington, DC USA

College Football
Morgan State vs South Carolina State
Orangeburg, SC, USA

ESPNU College Football
Massachusetts vs. Army
Michie Stadium West Point, NY USA

ESPNU College Football
Alabama State vs. Mississippi Valley State
Rice-Totten Stadium Itta Bena, MS USA

ESPNU College Football Primetime
Jackson State vs. Prairie View A&M
Blackshear Stadium Prairie View, TX USA

5 of them. And 19 I-A games - most of them repeats.

This is just in a TWO WEEK timespan. a 39:9 ratio.

Now, somehow I am sure you'll go umassfan on me, and say that these facts don't prove a point and that you're right, but come on ralph, research it a little before you go saying things on occasion, please?

maybe I'm wrong, but is this HBCUtv or CStv?

[Black and Gold Express]

maybe I'm wrong, but is this HBCUtv or CStv?

Damn dude, that's just wrong.

[bodoyle]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2212595

[AppGuy04]

Damn dude, that's just wrong.

no its not, look at the damn games

i mean, yeah, everyone wants exposure, but its a little lopsided

[Retro]

2004 CSTV I-AA GAMES:

WEEK 1 - NONE

WEEK 2 - NONE

WEEK 3 - GRAMBLING VS BETHUNE-COOKMAN (9/18)

WEEK 4 - DELAWARE VS. UMASS (9/25

WEEK 5 - NORHTERN IOWA VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (10/02)

WEEK 6 - IDAHO STATE VS. MONTANA (10/09)
- MAINE VS. DELAWARE (10/09)

WEEK 7 - MCNEESE STATE VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE (10/16)

WEEK 8 - WOFFORD VS. APPALACHIAN STATE (10/23)

WEEK 9 - COLGATE VS. LEHIGH (10/30)

WEEK 10 - PENN VS. PRINCETON (11/06)

WEEK 11 - FURMAN VS. WOFFORD (11/13)

WEEK 12 - LEHIGH VS. LAFAYETTE (11/20)
- MONTANA STATE VS. MONTANA (DELAYED (11/20)

TOTAL: 12

2005 CSTV I-AA GAMES:

WEEK 1 - FURMAN VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE (9/1) (THURS)

WEEK 2 - NORTHERN COLORADO VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS (9/8) (THURS)

WEEK 3 - PRINCETON VS. LAFAYETTE (9/17)
- WILLIAM & MARY VS. RHODE ISLAND (9/17)

WEEK 4 - NONE

WEEK 5 - LEHIGH VS. HARVARD (10/01)

WEEK 6 - HOFSTRA VS. DELAWARE (DELAYED) (10/08)

WEEK 7 - GRAMBLING VS. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF (10/15)

WEEK 8 - JAMES MADISON VS. DELAWARE (10/22)

WEEK 9 - NONE

WEEK 10 - SE LOUISIANA VS. SAM HOUSTON STATE (11/05)

WEEK 11 - WOFFORD VS. FURMAN (11/12)

WEEK 12 - ALCORN STATE VS. JACKSON STATE (11/19)

TOTAL: 11

[FightinBluHen51]

The bottom line is increasing college football market share and I-AA is the favorite these days. :)
That is VERY true. I just hope (after reading down the page a bit) that we can get some revenue sharing opportunities back to the conferences. Imagine, our parity with better facilities and increased fan bases. Perhaps this is a move by the NCAA to help reclass some schools that are borderline between divisions?

[Black and Gold Express]

In 2005 I counted 26 I-A games to 15 I-AA games on CSTV. Almost a 2:1 ratio. Still not sure where all this "everyone is taking I-AA games" is coming from though.

[mainejeff]

I feel bad that this happened, but we all knew this was inevitable. It would have been worse if Disney/ABC/ESPN had swallowed them. I'm hoping that the very well produced and I'm assuming very popular (in a niche sense) Friday Night College Hockey survives. It's worth a look even if you are not a college hockey fan just to see how well this production (game and in-studio between periods) is run. I always thought that CSTV should have done a similar Saturday afternoon or Saturday night I-AA game of the week with all the fixins' like they do for college hockey. Let's cross our fingers that we don't get a steady diet of crapola big conference also-rans...... :rolleyes:

[Husky Alum]

What we're seeing here is an acquisition by Viacom/CBS in anticipation of Comcast launching their own sports network in the very near future. The networks are all trying to secure their own cable/satellite outlets for the next wave of sports television.

CSTV gives CBS/Viacom an outlet for more sports programming. I know some people who did diligence on this deal for CBS and when I asked them what was going to happen to CSTV as it currently exists they said "won't look the same in 12-18 months".

This could be CBS trying to find a secondary home for things like out of market NCAA Tournament games (something they now sell through DirecTV and have to pay a cut to DirecTV for distribution), or as part of CBS expanding its current deals for hoops and college football.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I think CBS buying CSTV is a good thing, and this is good for I-AA football. Let me explain.

Before, CSTV was basically a voice in the wilderness, developing a channel devoted to not just college football, but all other college sports. In a way, it was returning to a market that ESPN basically gave up on. ESPN in effect got so fat with MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL games that it stopped broadcasting NCAA volleyball, I-AA football, smaller-conference basketball. It hasn't gotten all the way out of that market, but it's a lot less than in the '80s and '90s.

CSTV had a scattershot approach, getting anything and everything that it could. I-AA football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, women's sports. Basketball, not surprisingly, is where it got its biggest boost, and in this year's NCAA tournament they scooped CBS Sportsline and had the best NCAA tournament coverage.

Now, CSTV has the backing of a major player, CBS. This benefits CBS since they now (again) basically control most of the NCAA Tournament coverage (basketball, men's and women's). I think that was the main impetus for the deal.

Football-wise, with Fox, ABC and CBS basically going head-to-head for NCAA football games, it throws even more money into the mix than ever before. CBS will still cover the big games, but CSTV will cover probably more of the SEC and conferences that CBS "controls". However, there's no still shortage of programming that CSTV will need to fill - that hasn't changed. But this time, CSTV will have the deep pockets of CBS.

The more money there is broadcasting Division I football, and the more media outlets there are, the better it is for all of Division I, and that includes I-AA. In this case, competition is a great thing. The problem came when there was only one decent outlet (ESPN) with too much competition for broadcast time, meaning somebody gets shut out. The more players there are, and the deeper the pockets, the better things will be.

[walliver]

We still don't get CSTV on Charter cable, except for the C-USA Saturday night game which, for some reason, in carried on the "Inspirational Network" - so, I don't think I will be missing anything.

As far as "growth" in I-AA coverage overall, I've noticed lately that there are a growing number of Division-II and high schools games on cable. The SAC (Division II) has a game of the week on CSS with fancy graphics and knowledgable announcers which puts the SoCon braodcasts to shame. Fox Sports Atlantic is more likely to show California University (of Pennsylvania) than an A-10 game. Carson-Newman is sponsoring their own games on CSS. When it comes to TV coverage, I-AA (with the exception of some of the HBCU's) is doing no better than D-II, and since Charter doesn't carry ESPN-U, we're not getting the HBCU games, anyways.

More troublesome, to the casual viewer of the regional cable channels, I-AA is increasingly indistinguishable from Division II.

[Husky Alum]

To Clarify, CBS doesn't have rights to the NCAA Women's D-I Hoops Tourney, that rests with ESPN.

Many of LFN's points regarding the "expansion" of the BCS schools broadcasts to CSTV are likely to happen, according to my pal who worked on the diligence.

There's likely to now be a possible CBS version of the "ESPN Game Plan" providing MORE college football on TV.

On DirecTV last year, CBS had its out of region weekly Sunday hoops games on special channels during the year, and you'll likely now see those on CSTV.

Yet again Steve Greenberg and his investing group did well (they founded Classic Sports Network and sold to ESPN) with an investment in sports tv. Greenberg is former deputy commissioner of MLB and is former Detroit Tiger slugger Hank Greenberg's son and a sports agent.

[nevadagriz]

Fox nw no longer shows a BSC game, they used to have a game of the week now they show Beach volleyball or surfing instead of a BSC game. Does anyone else notice that almost all the cstv games are east coast games, is this because west coast games start later and cstv shows I-a games and hockey during that time slot? Also if these networks are worried about ratings why show a replay of a highschool game on sat rather than a live I-aa game? Rant over. I think someone saw the ratings for cstv I-AA football and thought wow what would they be if we showed I-a games?
Sorry Ralph but me thinks I-AA will always get the shaft!

[grizbeer]

Fox nw no longer shows a BSC game, they used to have a game of the week now they show Beach volleyball or surfing instead of a BSC game.

Let's face it, in a couple years the only thing you will see on a non-pay per view sports channel is network produced "sports" (X-Games, Outdoor Games), network produced entertainment (movies, talk shows, game shows and reality TV), and Poker. :(

[putter]

I too think I-AA gets the shaft. With CBS behind them they will have deeper pockets but with that they will want viewership and with that will come BCS games that the actual networks don't show and their existing hold on March Madness! The biggest culpret to me is the NCAA. They do not support I-AA and negotiate with the networks to get our games broadcast, as I think they have the power to do, which means less money for I-AA conferences. I am pessimistic but I hope Ralph is proven correct.

[walliver]

Yep, you are talking local cable coverage, I was referring to national games on nationally available channels. There's no doubt I-AA is growing in TV coverage.

How many people actually receive these "nationally available channels". My cable system carries neither CSTV or ESPN-U. We get the Fox National Channels, but the Fox stations are more likely to show D-II or high school games than I-AA. I used to enjoy watching the SLC games on Fox Sports Southeast every Thursday nights. They were usually much better games than the Sunbelt games on ESPN, but Fox seems to have cut way back on I-AA coverage now that they are pushing the "national channels" instead of allowing subscribers access to multiple regional channels. Maybe CSTV and ESPN-U have made up the difference, but I can't get either channel short of buying a dish.

I my particular situation, which I think is similar to many on the board, my access to good I-AA games on TV has decreased over the last two years. Fortunately, I enjoy attending games more than I enjoy watching them on the tube.

[JaxSinfonian]

Somebody correct these statements for me if they don't reflect reality:

BCS-league I-A games get on the air because sponsors are willing to shell out big bucks to get their name on the air in connection with "big time" teams. The networks showing the games make money, the conferences make money, the teams make money.

I-AA games get on the "semi-national" (that is the best description I can come up with for the ESPNUs and CSTVs of the world, and I still think it's being kind) and regional cable and satellite networks because some conferences and/or teams are paying the networks directly to get the games on the air. Some conferences and/or teams are able to line up sponsors to help pay for this but at best, they break even on it. The networks make a little dough and the folks in I-AA have to be satisfied with the "exposure."

CBS will work to get its new network on more cable outlets, increasing the available airtime and eyeballs available for more I-A games, which is where the money is.

[skinny_uncle]

It appears to me that CBS is looking for programming to stay competitive with the ABC/ESPN conglomerate. I know for instance that they acquired the rights to the hoops MVC tourney title game (also known as Arch Madness) which ESPN had had for years. If they can find a way to market IAA games and make money off of it, they will.

[arkstfan]

Husky got most of it.

Remember this, ABC Sports basically no longer exists. They are moving it all to ESPN and then "buying" the games from ESPN to be shown on ABC.

ESPN is a monstrosity. Remember the announcement a few months back that CBS was going to carry to the Valley's conference basketball tournament title game? CBS bought that from ESPN.

A lot of CSTV's content, some of the Fox Regionals and some of the other regional nets buy content from ESPN.

CBS has the SEC package and has some of its own basketball deals but a lot of it comes from buying the rights from ESPN.

CBS is going to use CSTV as a bidding arm to get the network content.

They don't do a ton of regional telecasts in basketball yet basketball is better suited to regional telecasts than football (because the short schedule and lack of playoff makes regular season games matter more so an out-of-market game more interesting).

CSTV has primary rights on the MWC and secondary on CUSA. Now CBS can carry a Big East game to most of the nation, throw a CUSA game to parts of the south and a MWC game to the west.

I've been told that Fox Sports has informed a number of conferences to expect them to submit a bid once their ESPN deals expire.

With Comcast now trying to be a player in the sports programming field, it will get even more fast paced.

[TexasTerror]

CSTV has primary rights on the MWC and secondary on CUSA. Now CBS can carry a Big East game to most of the nation, throw a CUSA game to parts of the south and a MWC game to the west.

Most of us down here don't want to see CUSA games unless they feature the Texas teams! Quite frankly, I'm a bigger fan of Big East basketball (UConn Huskies fan)...

[Black and Gold Express]

I know CSTV has deals with a bunch of I-AA conferences.

Yeah, and they show about half as many I-AA games as I-A games. And that's all before CBS gets it's hands on it and ours in a bunch more I-A content, to get viewers going there.

I will be glad if I am wrong, but I think you are setting yourself up for major disappointment if you think I-AA benefits much, if at all, from this.

[arkstfan]

MWC?? CUSA??? Those aren't I-AA participants are they?? Do they even play football? :rolleyes:

I know CSTV has deals with a bunch of I-AA conferences.

Holding the rights and doing something with them are different things.

Remember that CSTV adds the Mountain West to their inventory next year. With the network carrying at least one CUSA game a week (typically offering several more to satellite subscribers) they will keep the CUSA content where it is and add more MWC at the expense of I-AA.

The good news for I-AA schools is that MWC will be completely out of the ESPN rotation unless ESPN buys a game from them and they won't be on any of the regional nets.

With CBS/CSTV, ABC/ESPN, Fox Sports Net, and OLN/Comcast Regionals needing inventory you will see an increase in I-AA coverage.

[Black and Gold Express]

With CBS/CSTV, ABC/ESPN, Fox Sports Net, and OLN/Comcast Regionals needing inventory you will see an increase in I-AA coverage.

I would agree with this, except that all these networks already are loading up plenty of spots with reruns of I-A games over new/live/diffferent games.

What's to stop them from just filling up the times with reruns more, or to add other interests (like ESPN and the World Poker Tour for example?).

There is a lot of history out there to suggest that I-AA games are hardly a lock for growth areas. People seem to be assuming I-AA will fill the gaps, that's hardly a for-sure thing. You cannot rationally ingore that.

[ysubigred]

I would agree with this, except that all these networks already are loading up plenty of spots with reruns of I-A games over new/live/diffferent games.

What's to stop them from just filling up the times with reruns more, or to add other interests (like ESPN and the World Poker Tour for example?).

There is a lot of history out there to suggest that I-AA games are hardly a lock for growth areas. People seem to be assuming I-AA will fill the gaps, that's hardly a for-sure thing. You cannot rationally ingore that.

Now that someone mentioned it: When did FRIGGEN POKER become a sport? :bang:

Back to the subject. I hope 1AA does get more air time with this merger.

[Black and Gold Express]

Now that someone mentioned it: When did FRIGGEN POKER become a sport? :bang:

I believe that would fall under the "E" in ESPN. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

[ysubigred]

I believe that would fall under the "E" in ESPN. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

LOL! I knew you would say that. Entertaining to who :D

[arkstfan]

CSTV and ESPNU may not be the avenue for I-AA. We are moving into a direction where Fox already has multiple regional nets. Comcast has multiple regional nets and is (or has) added some to its line-up. Numerous pro franchise owners now have stakes in or outright ownership in regionals as well.

With more games headed to CSTV and ESPNU (and ESPN's need to keep some content available for GamePlan) the number of I-A games available to fill in the gaps is going down. If you own a regional covering the area in and around Kansas City chances are slim you can find a Big 12 game to plug in, but you can find a Gateway game.

I think the real growth though will be basketball coverage. Generally fewer cameras (keeping costs down slightly) and a wider selection of dates.

[eaglesrthe1]

In 2005 I counted 26 I-A games to 15 I-AA games on CSTV. Almost a 2:1 ratio. Still not sure where all this "everyone is taking I-AA games" is coming from though.

I don't think that the issue is I-A vs I-AA. It doesn't matter if the coverage for I-A increases X10, as long as I-AA increases as well. Even if it is just X2.
For me, the issue isn't whether you can see more I-A this year than in the past, but whether you can see more I-AA this year than in the past. I submit that you can. Doesn't matter to me if it is regional, national, or even on the net. The question is "Do I have ready access to it if I am interested?"

[Hansel]

For me, the issue isn't whether you can see more I-A this year than in the past, but whether you can see more I-AA this year than in the past. I submit that you can. Doesn't matter to me if it is regional, national, or even on the net. The question is "Do I have ready access to it if I am interested?"

:nod: :nod: :nod: