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The long awaited ACC network will be launched tonight. The network, which includes a linear television channel and a digital streaming platform, will be owned by ESPN. Revenues and costs will be split between ESPN and CCA, but the details of this arrangement – who bears what costs and who gets what percentage of revenues – are unclear. In its press release, ESPN wrote:
Approximately 450 live competitions, including 40 regular season football games, 150 men's and women's basketball games, and 200 other regular season tournament competitions and matches for the 27 sports sponsored by the conference will be televised each year, to which 39, will add news and information programs, original programming. Together, ACCN and its digital platform, ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), will present 1,350 ACC events in its first year.
the News watcher wrote that the beginnings of the CAC network "will be a long-awaited arrival time that will help shape the future of the CAC and define the legacy of John Swofford, long-time Commissioner of the conference. who led the league for years of uncertainty. the New York Times writes that this "demonstrates the continuing relevance of television as the largest platform for mass sports consumption, recalling the dual benefit of subscription fees and advertising dollars – the combination that has led to the rise of 'ESPN – still great'
The VAC network also represents how the unrestrained financial activity of university sport is based on cheap labor and the willingness of schools to devote huge sums of money to production costs. Many VAC schools are already on the cusp of creating multi-million dollar studios from which they can transfer content to ESPN platforms. the News watcher wrote:
Each VAC school has already invested resources in the creation of campus-based studios to prepare the VAC network. However, the construction of the studios was mandatory, as McCollum, ESPN's executive, said, "it's up to them to choose what they spend." This might have been true in theory, although McCollum acknowledged that schools must have the necessary equipment to facilitate digital broadcasts.
Studios are not cheap, although some schools have reduced costs by renovating existing facilities. State N.C. did this and still spent about $ 6.6 million. UNC built a new studio, adjacent to the Smith Center, and spent $ 15 million. Both the UNC and the N State will have to repay this debt before making any profit from the network.
ESPN and ACC officials have been trying to turn campus studios into facilities that would benefit their communities on campus, instead of costly overheads that could take years to be profitable.
the News watcher also noted that the labor required to operate these studios will come from the student body:
"They will be used by student production groups, their student broadcasts, and so on," said Aaron Katzman, producer of ACC Network, about the studios. "So it improves everyone. Everyone wins. "
Another aspect of the studios on campus: they are likely, to varying degrees, to depend on the student workforce – paid workers or not, depending on their agreements with their schools. For games produced on campus, the network, said Katzman, "will support school production groups." The games will be the main offer of the ACC network, its main selling point.
ESPN would naturally try to use cheap, win-win student workers. S enriching student work is not really a new idea in college sport, but it's a short-term vision. Industry sources told Deadspin that the use of student workers is a dubious practice, which will likely result in lower-quality programming and will necessarily force professional cameramen and filmmakers into unemployment.
The arrangement between ESPN and the CAC is very similar to that put in place with the SEC network, launched in 2014. For many years, SEC network schools have embarked on an arms race to build campus-based studios. . SEC schools also depend on student work force.
If you are a student or professional involved in streaming or streaming SEC or ACC Network games and would like to talk about your experience, you can contact me at [email protected].
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