The regional sports network era appears to be coming to an end, leaving teams and leagues scrambling.
But for ESPN, there’s no worry that the ACC and SEC Network will suffer the same fate as the Bally or AT&T Sports networks.
Meadowlark CEO and former ESPN president John Skipper helped negotiate the current TV deal the ACC has with The Worldwide Leader. He told Chris Whittingham and David Samson on Sports Business with John Skipper & David Samson that part of what helps set the conference channels apart is their reach.
“It’s still a national channel and still is watched by most people in the footprint as opposed to five or ten percent,” Skipper said. “And because of the clout of ESPN in negotiations.”
Skipper and Whittingham broke down the details of the carriage deals in place with TV providers, and Skipper said ACC Network will always have a place even with sports fans wanting their offerings a la carte thanks to being under the ESPN umbrella.
“They will as long as there’s a pay-TV bundle,” he said. “It will have as its highest-paid member of the bundle, ESPN, and those other networks associated with ESPN are along for the ride.”
Florida State athletic director Michael Alford pointed out a widening financial gap between FSU and other competing schools in different conferences. Specifically, Florida and the SEC.
There has been speculation about Florida State’s future in the ACC, but Skipper said the way the current TV rights deal is structured, the Seminoles would have to pay a $120 million exit fee. And even after that, because the current TV deal runs through 2037, FSU wouldn’t be able to make any additional TV revenue by bolting for another conference.
