ESPNU and Comcast
Posted by Al DeFlorio
ESPNU and Comcast
Posted by: Al DeFlorio (---.hsd1.ma.comcast.net)
Date: August 25, 2008 05:30PM
Buried in this press release and conference call transcript announcing an ESPN agreement with the SEC [www.secsports.com] is the following discussion of negotiations between ESPN and Comcast to make ESPNU available via Comcast cable. We shall see if this is BS or what. [And, yes, that is former Cornell AD Mike Slive, now commissioner of the SEC.]
Q. We're seeing some reports that ESPN U is probably going to be more widely distributed than it is now, perhaps with a new deal with Comcast. Can you speak to that at all at this point?
BURKE MAGNUS: What I can tell you is that we're obviously in active conversations with Comcast. We have been for some time on ESPN U. I can't speak for them, but I believe they recognize the value in ESPN U, which is why conversations are happening. This will accelerate that process, we hope.
We have great things planned for ESPN U, as far as distribution in the SEC territory currently, through our agreements with Direct TV and Dish Network and Time Warner and Cox and Charter and several other smaller operators that serve as the SEC territory, we're off to a good start. We need to also get an agreement in place with Comcast. We're going to work hard to do that, and this is the first step in that direction.
Q. Commissioner, I want to make sure I heard you right. Under this agreement I can say that if you're a fan, every SEC home game will be somewhere in some format either on CBS or ESPN, one of the formats?
COMMISSIONER SLIVE: Yes, one of the various platforms, and that is a significant change. One of on our goals was to increase the exposure nationally about football that this allows us to do that.
Q. Tony asked if all the home games would be on some platform. For pay per view games is that still possible for schools if you're playing a non conference game?
COMMISSIONER SLIVE: Yeah, each school has an opportunity to do one pay per view game per year.
Q. Is that different than in the past?
COMMISSIONER SLIVE: Yes.
Q. Is it unlimited now or is there a certain number at this point?
COMMISSIONER SLIVE: I think in the past, if my memory serves me, games that weren't televised our institution could put on pay per view. But now the essence is that all of our games are televised, but each institution has an opportunity to do a pay per view game.
Q. Also, Burke or John, could you just tell us how widely distributed ESPN U is within the Southeast and perhaps nationally at this point and what your hopes are for?
BURKE MAGNUS: Nationally, we are at 22 million homes currently. We have agreements with 7 out of the top 10 distributors. Obviously, the one that we're working actively on would be critically important is Comcast as the number one distributor nationwide.
Q. We're seeing some reports that ESPN U is probably going to be more widely distributed than it is now, perhaps with a new deal with Comcast. Can you speak to that at all at this point?
BURKE MAGNUS: What I can tell you is that we're obviously in active conversations with Comcast. We have been for some time on ESPN U. I can't speak for them, but I believe they recognize the value in ESPN U, which is why conversations are happening. This will accelerate that process, we hope.
We have great things planned for ESPN U, as far as distribution in the SEC territory currently, through our agreements with Direct TV and Dish Network and Time Warner and Cox and Charter and several other smaller operators that serve as the SEC territory, we're off to a good start. We need to also get an agreement in place with Comcast. We're going to work hard to do that, and this is the first step in that direction.
Q. Commissioner, I want to make sure I heard you right. Under this agreement I can say that if you're a fan, every SEC home game will be somewhere in some format either on CBS or ESPN, one of the formats?
COMMISSIONER SLIVE: Yes, one of the various platforms, and that is a significant change. One of on our goals was to increase the exposure nationally about football that this allows us to do that.
Q. Tony asked if all the home games would be on some platform. For pay per view games is that still possible for schools if you're playing a non conference game?
COMMISSIONER SLIVE: Yeah, each school has an opportunity to do one pay per view game per year.
Q. Is that different than in the past?
COMMISSIONER SLIVE: Yes.
Q. Is it unlimited now or is there a certain number at this point?
COMMISSIONER SLIVE: I think in the past, if my memory serves me, games that weren't televised our institution could put on pay per view. But now the essence is that all of our games are televised, but each institution has an opportunity to do a pay per view game.
Q. Also, Burke or John, could you just tell us how widely distributed ESPN U is within the Southeast and perhaps nationally at this point and what your hopes are for?
BURKE MAGNUS: Nationally, we are at 22 million homes currently. We have agreements with 7 out of the top 10 distributors. Obviously, the one that we're working actively on would be critically important is Comcast as the number one distributor nationwide.
___________________________
Al DeFlorio '65
Al DeFlorio '65
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