The Sooner Network: Coming To A TV Near You

Good thing FS probably won’t air much of it…Thank God

FS Houston*

STLaw: we are talking about an average of 3-4 hours a day — I expect Houston will pick up a bunch of it if nothing else than for off hour replay.

I’m guessing I will never see this programming in Virginia, although Comcast Sports occassionally picks up some of the FSSW games, I doubt they pick up anything else.

srr -

Thanks for passing along. I’m not trying to flame here, but how did the $300 million figure come to be? It just seems to me that ESPN wildly overpaid (no other college media outlet would be close to this price). It just seems odd, but I also get that they are using UT as their pet project for this realm of media.

As for OU, I guess this makes sense. Frankly, I don’t know how any university can fill more than a few hours of content per day save a game or two. Only so many people like watching content centered on the goal line in practice facility.

Interesting times, to be sure.

But … But … Fox Sports is a conference TV partner! What’s to keep Fox from just declining a game that would otherwise be tier 2 in order to get it on the Sooner network, which would take money directly out of our pocket! The sooners are killing this conference!

ColoAg, I of course have no idea what possessed ESPN to pay what they paid. Maybe it was one of those auction-type bidding wars where they’d had a couple of drinks and got carried away. Maybe Dodds is a better negotiator than even we Longhorn fans give him credit for. Or, and this is really the only thing that makes semi-sense in my head, they overpaid in order to get rights to bid on tier 1 and tier 2 content, when/if those rights get re-negotiated.

<em <I’m not trying to flame here, but how did the $300 million figure come to be? It just seems to me that ESPN wildly overpaid (no other college media outlet would be close to this price)

ColoradoAg - as I have posted before, $300 million is a lot of jack to you, me and just about everyone else, but spread out over 20 years, it is pocket change to ESPN. They are such a money making machine that they can afford to experiment for the future.

I really believe that ESPN is looking at the LHN as a template for what may be available in the future — and it is probably the live streaming and “TV Everywhere” parts of this that they are really interested in. The obviously believe that regional channels of favorite programs are a way to keep the sports fans dollars coming in.

People are slowly “pulling the plug” on their cable TV contracts, in part because of the economy right now, but also because their bills are big, and they cover a lot of channels they never watch.

These kind of niche channels may be a way to still attract an audience willing to pay a monthly fee.

ESPN right now also seems hell bent on using the LHN as a stalking horse in terms of holding the line on what they want to charge the carriers for a monthly subscription fee.

Interesting times.

Ou still sucks.

I get that $300m is a small percentage of ESPN’s expenditures, but I also am trying to figure out the market value of their decision. Who were they bidding against? It just seems like an odd price because I don’t think anyone - example being a Fox Sports SW - would be anywhere near that neighborhood.

If $300m is the price, what is their comparable? Would a tOSU or Michigan or whoever come close to this price point?

Thanks again.

There was no competitor — it was simply ESPN spending like a drunken sailor on leave in San Diego.

1000 hours minimum isnt chicken feed, thats half a work year for those who work 40 hours a week. Hello recruiting. Compare that to the folks that can see the LHN. Try going into a south dallas home and find anything more than rabbit ears or basic cable. In the end you are reaching for recruits, Oklahoma gets it. Texas over shot the recruit.

The seriousness of the discourse here—in the wake of the words “Sooner” and “Network” being put together—is a testament to self-control.

expected to include a broadband site that would feature live streaming and other on-demand content.

Well, praise be to Jebus that LHN got there first.

Good for those bastards. If Austin gets the sooner channel before LHN I will shit my pants and send them to Deloss.

Ok, I’m not quite sure how we are to react. We whine, cry and storm off to another conference with sand packed in our vaginas, right? /turns sarcasm off/

300m was the price they paid to keep us out of the Pac 16, postponing true superconferences/consolidation/playoffs, and giving them who knows how many more years of bowl revenue. It achieved that purpose, and I assume it is making them > 300m.

Not a surprise. We’ve heard Castiglione previously make mention of OU working on a 3rd tier network.

55f100tx got it absolutely right above. OU sees this as a tool for increasing visiblity to potential fans and especially recruits. DeLoss and Texas see the LHN as a means of further lining their already bulging pockets. We’ll continue to get richer in our bank account and OU will conintue to get richer in the W/L column. Thanks DeLoss. How much money you have really means Jack S**t to me when I can’t see the product that’s making you rich and it does nothing to bring me what I really want….more championships.

There was no competitor — it was simply ESPN spending like a drunken sailor on leave in San Diego.

Srr, correct me if I’m wrong, but did the 300 million have anything to do with ESPN’s desire to avoid super conferences? In other words, was it an incentive to UT to stay in the Big 12? I think its pretty obvious by now that the only thing holding the Big 12 together is the LHN and UT’s desire to see it succeed.

Granted, ATM and UNL used it as an excuse to leave, but UT is the one conference member the Big 12 absolutely cannot lose and remain viable.

We’ll continue to get richer in our bank account and OU will conintue to get richer in the W/L column. Thanks DeLoss. How much money you have really means Jack S**t to me when I can’t see the product that’s making you rich and it does nothing to bring me what I really want….more championships.

What championships are you speaking about? I’m just gonna go out on a limb here and guess that the Okies are none to pleased with Bob Stoops for pissing away Landry Jones, Ryan Broyles, Travis Lewis et al. I’m also guessing that conference championships would be cold comfort to you if it was Mack Brown that hadn’t won an MNC for a decade. If I was an OU fan I might be slightly worried that OSU actually has more momentum, a better coach, and a better short term future.

Besides, the SEC thinks money wins championships.

Makes sense. Fox Sports regional networks are the trailer parks of sports television.

Will the Sooner network show hi8gh school games or conference games?

Just wondering.

Fucking greedy Sooners. I blame them for breaking up The Beatles and plate-tectonics.

Did any body notice the aggie commercials during the bowl games on Monday. I am guessing they were spots paid for by the collies to try to decrease the amount of negative publicity around their program right now. The commercial went something like this.

We are excited that our new family the $ec will get to share and experience the aggie tradition and pride. It is such and exciting time at atm and we are sooo excited. it ends with five girls walking arm in arm and rounding a corner so you could see the backs of their shirts which each had a letter on them and together it spelled HOWDY. I almost vomited it was so cheesey.

I don’t think I have ever seen a school pay to advertise their university.It appears they feel like the wheels are coming off and they are trying to do damage control. Pretty crazy for a program that is already in the red to be out paying for commercials.

What Longhorn13 said. I for one am glad that we didn’t get a network tied to the shitty Fox Regional distribution. Trailer park is the perfect metaphor for those channels.

I agree with Jinx.. Fox sports southwest looks like Wayne and Garth broadcasting from their basement. If all the recruits have is rabbit ears they won’t be able to get Fox South West either. I am going to be pissed though if their channels airs before I can see the LHN.

any guess as to which high school game will be the first for that network? i’m pulling for a&m consolidated against anybody.

Did any body notice the aggie commercials during the bowl games on Monday. I am guessing they were spots paid for by the collies to try to decrease the amount of negative publicity around their program right now.

That would have been the time allotted to the SEC. I doubt A&M paid for it. It makes sense that the SEC would promote a new member.

Dan Patrick is outraged. OUTRAGED, I say. This might cut into his stranglehold of daytime programming on Fox Sports. Surely, he will defect to NBC Sports with a vengeance.

You will feel the wrath of Dan Patrick, Sooners!

Unless…

Could David Boren be his mentor?

In that case, Patrick will court NBC Sports for two weeks during which he speaks glowingly (three times per day) about the company and its executives to reporters from Tulsa and Oklahoma City. NBC Sports executives shall meet and decide to politely decline Patrick’s advances.

The next day, a face saving press conference will be held to announce Patrick has refused NBC Sports’ generous offer to join and will continue in his current position in order to save his beloved Fox Sports. Furthermore, he has no idea why there has been speculation over the past two weeks about his preference of organizations. He’ll go on to regale the press with stories about his tie clip.

Yeah, I guess it could have been space for the $ec but they still had the little promos on the teams that were playing in the game and I thought it even played once during a game that did not involve an $ec team. Regardless, it was still a joke watching the chain of girls parading around with HOWDY on their backs. Another dreamt up tradition of proud atm, HOWDY!

Bevocal,

I didn’t see the ad you’re talking about, but schools pay for advertising all the time. The “We’re Texas” commercials spring to mind. Just about every school has a TV ad on during their bowl game with hot coeds and pastoral views of the quad, students reading under the gold and red hues of fall. It’s almost a cliche.

The "We’re Texas" commercials spring to mind

agy need a commercial featuring the Robert Earl Keen Rodeo Career - which he said was fifteen seconds: five bulls at three seconds each. First time I heard him tell that, I turned to my partner and said something like “Shit fire, Leroy, his was thirty times longer than mine: one bull, half a second… them boys pulled the gate, the bull left and I didn’t… had about a two-and-a-half backflip and landed hat-first in wunna the biggest, freshest damn bull-patties you ever saw. Apparently there’s a reason mosta the bull riders are a foot shorter than me and have arms bigger around than my thigh.” And there’s the theme for the ad: Be an agy, and getcha summa that LEVERAGE!

Roach- I think Nun Yo is refering to the 7 OU BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS to 2 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS for TEXAS. There is no hidding that disgusting number unless you are Deloss and only care about bringing in $. Are we the only fan base that basis success on athletic budget and revenue? Disgusting

Mysterious,

I know what he was referring to.

Holding up OU as some sort of golden calf after this past year—ESPN named them the most disappointing team in the country—is flat out funny to me.

roach -

These were games in which Aggy was not participating. They did one during every game in which an SEC team played. Was pretty forced and out of place. So I guess you could say they nailed it.

“That would have been the time allotted to the SEC. I doubt A&M paid for it. It makes sense that the SEC would promote a new member.”

If this is true, it’s kind of funny that Mizzou didn’t even get mentioned in any commercials.

Roach,

Though the conference championships were part of what I was referring to, just as big an aspect of what I meant was the way we consistently outrecruit OU, year after year. Nonetheless, Stoops beats us much more often than not and with alarming regularity throws in a 10 gallon sized ass whippin’. Give OU a recruiting edge in Texas now with a 3rd tier network most everyone will get while DeLoss’s cash cow can’t be seen by anyone and how much more wil Stoops kick our ass.

Mysterious Package got it right with this statement.

Are we the only fan base that basis success on athletic budget and revenue? Disgusting

If this is true, it’s kind of funny that Mizzou didn’t even get mentioned in any commercials.

One way or another, I imagine Mizzou was not prepared. They moved later. If they’d had a commercial ready, I’m sure we would have seen it.

Somebody made a point on another thread that bears repeating. ESPN may be all for single-school networks, and thus throwing money behind LHN to establish it as the trend setter. But think about the cable provider’s perspective: already flooded with niche-market channels, they DON’T want a glut of new channels. It would force a move towards a la carte programming that providers do NOT want to go to, because it limits profits.

Good for the Sooners for taking this step. It forces others to reevaluate, and, assuming the contract with FSSW isn’t prohibitively long, it allows them to discover what the market among CONSUMERS actually is for this content at no risk. If its a huge success, they can always renegotiate with Fox to do a 24/7 LHN style network. Not bad for a bunch of half wits from Mobilehome-a.

Texas A&M paid for a 30 second spot during every SEC bowl game this football season. You will see this commercial during the MNC game as well. The commercial is at the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU5SvMzMEHQ

I thought it seemed strange that it was during games they were not participating in and as already mentioned they never showed anything for Missouri. I guess the deficit for ags will continue to grow. They must feel like they have taken a hard hit on the PR front for them to be doing this. Several of my ag friends are very upset about how Sherman was fired and the choice for the new head coach. It is not often the ag fans turn sour on themselves but there seems to be a lot disenchanted ags right now. Looks like damage control may be in full force.

Not at all. A&M is in the process of increasing our national exposure. Of course - you can perceive it however you like. A&M is not terribly concerned about what schools in other conferences think of us.

No one (well, no one that matters) gives a hill of beans how Sherman was handled. The actual notification was unfortunate, but the fact he was canned was not. We’re in the SEC now - win or get the hell out. Coaches will now only have a short time to prove they can get it done in our new league.

I am glad that yall are not concerned with what schools from other conferences think about you since it is not very good. I guess when you say no one that matters you mean the average fan (graduates in this case). Wow, I wonder how far that approach will get you.

I guess desparate times call for desparate measures. If you want a little feedback, I don’t think that comercial was the kind of national exposure you want. That was really bad! HOWDY!

I appreciate you responding even though you don’t care and by the way, why are you on this sight if we are so irrelevant to the ags now days?

“Coaches will now only have a short time to prove they can get it done in our new league”.

Wow that is a totally different approach compared to what yall have done in the past. I bet Francione and Sherman would be surprised that you have taken this whole new hard line stance now that you are in your “new conference”. Only problem you can’t seem to find one that can win. Scanlon ( big name coach from UH) or whatever his name is is next.

“site”

Big Picture: ESPN, Fox, and the Schools That Count want a separate competition/programming tier for both of their revenue sports, one that has its own recruiting rules, scholarship benefits, and TV negotiating rights. In other words, all 3 of those business models have a similar and compelling interest right now - shedding basketball of 270 and football of 50 have-nots, with both numbers starting to explode. Every one of those schools is a market inefficiency.

The Land of Big State U seems to be settling into 5 conferences: SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, and ACC. The Big East will try to prove they can bring value to that tier and deserve inclusion, but WVU, Syracuse and Pitt already voted.

Texas and Notre Dame could have scrambled that progression in several, serious ways. Notre Dame has no better options right now than its current gig. Texas did, and yes, ESPN paid them to stand pat and hold the B12 together until the dust settles on the larger issues.

“A&M is in the process of increasing our national exposure.”

Too bad your admin dweebs couldn’t man up and “increase your exposure” while in the Big 12, instead of tucking tail and running.

“A&M is not terribly concerned about what schools in other conferences think of us.”

You’re apparently concerned enough to come to a blog about a school in another conference to set the record straight about an Aggy commercial. That smells like TERRIBLY concerned.

Love your usual contributions, but that was pure Aggy logic fail.

" A&M is in the process of increasing our national exposure"

Had you guys won the B12 on anything approaching a regular basis, or won bowl games more than once a decade, you would have had all the national exposure your could have wanted.

This whole “we increase in value by changing conferences” sounds like the guy who thinks he will screw lingerie models regularly by wearing Axe. No, you will still wind up with the cashier at Walmart, because YOU didn’t change.

Oklahoma couldn’t carry a network like the LHN. This move makes perfect sense for us, and is a nice counterpoint to the LHN. It’ll be interesting to see how the two play out over the next few years.

roach,

OSU’s 2012 will look a lot like UT’s 2010. The entire offense graduates, and it’s going to be a long fall to reality.