Reports: ESPN to Pay UT $12M Per Year for Longhorn Network

Dayum. Also can we get an update from the Aggie posters insisting we got punked in the realignment process?

I hope you get more leverage than Auburn did, because being part of the ESPN contract is still no guarantee that your game won’t be blacked out on ESPN2.

Did the deal include a clause that assigns Pam Ward to call every game? She’s ballsy.

32 million vs. 18-20 million. Is that what the cut of this deal is? If so, the suits on the 40 did rather well…….Hope this isn’t like the initial reports on the Texas Rangers’ TV deal.

I read that Fox was offering 2 mill per and then ESPN rolled over and offered 6 time more? Can that be right? Que the Jones’ quote….

That like 25k per sideways pass call by Greg Davis……Nice.

Can we now buy GD a $1 million retirement house in the location of his choosing? An expression of gratitude for all he’s down for the program (but only if he retires immediately.)

What team sports will be covered by the Longhorn Network? Assuming football, then how many games?…given that other networks have contracts with Texas to broadcast football.

utexex:

It is assumed that at least one home game a year will be made available to the Longhorn Network (instead of pay-per-view). There will be several basketball games live on the network (those games are already covered by ESPN for regional distribution). And of course women’s basketball and baseball will have a lot of live coverage.

ESPN will offer a lot of expertise in the off-the-field inventory — such as classic games from the past or mini-documentaries that I assume can be produced right out of the UT facility in the north endzone.

I’m still trying to wrap my brain around how Tuesday night women’s volleyball matches against Centenary are worth $12 MM a year. Football and Men’s Basketball won’t be on this network, will it? Since A&M women’s sports programs are superior to UT-Austin’s, we should get $14 MM from someone, right?

You should concentrate on Equestrian.

Ag_in_Texas, put me in charge of women’s volleyball presentation (uniforms, behind the scenes stories, etc.), and I will absolutely provide a product that TV will pay millions for.

Your secondary teams may be better, but ours have uniforms that just say “Texas” on them with a Longhorn logo.

The odds just shot up that we’ll soon get another savory ‘Bill Byrne responds to a fan email.’ That side has to be glow in the dark green with envy right now.

Ag, can you warp (sic) your brain around this?

\m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/……

Holy. Fuck.

Ag – see Srr’s comment above yours. It seems like there should be quite a bit of Men’s basketball if you think about it. We are obviously a lock to be on ESPN when we play Kansas or some of our big name OOCs, but there are many times when we play decent in conference games that don’t make it to the main ESPN channel. Since we will be part of ESPN those games can get moved from ESPNU and ESPN3 and shown on BevoD. From last year, that would include games like: A&M, TTech, BU, and @ Mizzou.

TTR – so true, so true. You, sir, spent too many week nights at Gregory Gym.

Does this mean the end of Lapham calling UT games? Or did he somehow work himself in as part of a package deal.

ut-06 – I doubt if your network will have broadcast rights to away games.

Does this replace super-conferences as the new trend? I saw Bryan Fischer bemoaning USC for not jumping on the wagon during the last decade.

Good call on that. I just went through and quicly copied that short stretch of the schedule. Point stands though that we play quite a few games on ESPNU and ESPN3 that could get picked up.

Could the Burnt Orange Pravda article be a response to all the negative PR Texas has been getting lately? Walk of Legends…Frank The Tank claiming UT won’t be making the money they expect…UT basketball human seat warmers…overall poor performance of the football team…they’ve all put the UT prestige in a freefall. Nothing like an article claiming that UT will make 4X more than anyone anticipated.

Of course, Austin Chip also claimed Nebraska and Colorado would be forced to pay $40+ million to the B12 to get out which overshot the mark by $24+ million.

seattlehusker – scoreboard.

1-9

I understand that UT fans want some good news right now… NEED some good news right now but I’m not sure Austin Chip is very credible. That’s all I’m saying.

The Right Stuff references come to mind…

Sorry ags – No bucks, no buck rogers.

Light that freaking candle under GD’s ass and start building some quality viewing content.

F’n A bubba…

sh: UT’s prestige is in a freefall? Bitterness does not become you. But, for the heck of it… 20-13.

Frank the Tank doesn’t know anything more than the rest of us. He’s basing his opinion on the SBJ story.

Colby: Fox’s contract with the B12 is not affected by this deal, as best I can tell.

Bob in H: I’m not saying this is a longterm trend but you’d have to admit that UT has been taking quite a few punches recently. Look at any of the UT message boards for evidence. I highly suggest ShaggyBevo for comedy.

Why would ESPN pay UT$12 million a year?

Because they can

Gotta say I am blown away by that number.

Helps you make sense of UTs slamming the brakes on re-alignment for now.

When does NDs contract come up? Anybody think Bill Powers already knows that off the top of his head?

Need more sports for me to consider it. I am not plunking down $9.99 a month for women’s sports and baseball along with the men’s basketball opponents whose RPI ranges in the 300s.

Add men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse. Then, I will pay $9.99 for the package.

This seems like a huge first step towards independence.

Now that the money angle is settled, can someone please settle the &%#@ FOOTBALL TEAM?

I hope that the fact that it is with ESPN means I will be able to get the channel in Virginia.

Shirley ESPN would have a provision in the contract that have to fire Greg Davis.

I don’t think anyone should assume that means UT will net profits from the network anywhere close to 12mm a year. The production costs will be higher than they expect to produce a product folks will subscribe to.

BTW, srr50, appreciate you manning the teletypes on this issue. If not for you, this would be slipping through the slippery slope crack of information.

Is this enough money to hire Dave Lapham to cover ALL of our games??

Hahah, I’m not a huge fan of Dodds, but how many people are eating crow right now?

Dude just got FOX and ESPN into a bidding war and came out of this thing smelling like a rose.

ND’s money advantage never translated to wins. I hope ours does.

Does that include Chris Berman’s thought provoking catch phrases being prodcasted on the Jumbotron at key moments of the game to liven the DKR game enviroment followed by the Taco Bell gong?

I’m excited. This means that we can afford to give Greg Davis a big raise so he won’t leave to take that head coaching position at a big school that wants him….

Keep Greg happy offer the max so he has no other choice but return to Texas. Max out his contact! 5 years 10.5M should do I hear crocket has asked for his resume

ESPN now has a vested interest in the success of Texas sports. That’s never a bad thing.

“Look at any of the UT message boards for evidence.”

What’s wrong with that premise?

seattlehusker — Thanks!

It’s always great to be reminded that no matter how tough a year might feel, we are, after all is said and done, still TEXAS!!! So news like this is always a great thing, and certainly hard to improve upon, but I must admit that getting that sweet taste of envy and jealousy from wannabe rivals just makes it all the sweeter. Please come by and let us taste your tears more often. Even when we fail to thank you, we still enjoy it mightily.