First off, we all know the Longhorn Network presents some issues/challenges. No need to get into that here.
That out of the way, I do not believe the conference should go the traditional cable-channel-route, but I do believe it needs it's own channel.
Despite the population of Texas, the 4 remaining states in the conference footprint do not indicate to me that the population is there to demand a channel devoted to the conference such as the SEC Network, or whatever.
What I do think the conference should do is create an online network modeled after what Vince McMahon's WWE has done (no I have never subscribed, but I did check it out once during a free preview weekend).
Instead of a cable network that the conference would be forced to find carriers for and then negotiate a fee per household for, just do an online streaming channel where anyone anywhere - not just someone in Comcast or time warner's footprint - can subscribe to - like the WWE's online channel is doing.
Charge patrons $10 a month to subscribe. Negotiate with the schools individually to be allowed to show some of their tier 3 programming and miscellaneous sports, recruiting shows, coaches shows, nightly recap, draft specials, classic game replays, etc... filler-type programming and there you have a 24-hour a day, on-demand, streaming network like the WWE successfully runs. For some schools with rights agreements to companies such as IMG, it might take a little work.
They could even designate a football game of the week - which might be an Iowa State versus North Dakota State type of game,, or have a couple of games each week... maybe even hold a Thursday night game or something periodically. There are a lot of basketball and baseball games that could be streamed. They could do an all-day signing day special for national signing day in February.
During the spring, they could show spring games and have spring practice update shows on the Big 12's version of "sportscenter" for the conference.
Texas would even be a feature despite its longhorn network, because they would/could be featured when, for example, their volleyball team travels to WV. They do not have rights to their away games for the LHN.
The B12 footprint has about 37 million residents within its state boundaries. Obviously schools like Oklahoma and Texas have national followings, so subscribers would not be held to only areas in its footprint. Being stream over the internet, anyone with internet access and a credit card could subscribe. And schools like WVU that have lots of alumni or displaced natives in areas like North Carolina could subscribe because it is not tied into a cable carrier deal.
If the conference was smart, it would periodically have a matchup feature with say Iowa State versus Alabama, where for that month, thousands of Bama fans would subscribe in order to be able to watch that specific game. The majority would cancel following that game, but you still got a bump in your subscribers because the Bama fans paid to watch their team on the streaming B12 network. And then again, some might forget to cancel for a while and you ride that wave until they do.
You still put your marquee games on the networks, but you throw a nugget on their periodically to entice subscribers to tune in.
If my math is right... hey I grew up a hillbilly... if only 5% of the footprint (37 million) subscribes at $10 a month (1.85 million monthly subscribers X $10), you still end up with $222 million per year ($18.5 million per month X 12 months).
Lets say the conference keeps $22 million per year for operational expenses, you still have $200 million to distribute to the schools.
Even at 1% of the footprint, you still have $44 million per year brought in before expenses.
Anyway, just a thought. With Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime streaming services growing and cutting in on traditional cable programming methods, I think the streaming service is the way things will go in the future and the B12 would do well to be ahead of the game and start broadcasting sooner rather than later.
That out of the way, I do not believe the conference should go the traditional cable-channel-route, but I do believe it needs it's own channel.
Despite the population of Texas, the 4 remaining states in the conference footprint do not indicate to me that the population is there to demand a channel devoted to the conference such as the SEC Network, or whatever.
What I do think the conference should do is create an online network modeled after what Vince McMahon's WWE has done (no I have never subscribed, but I did check it out once during a free preview weekend).
Instead of a cable network that the conference would be forced to find carriers for and then negotiate a fee per household for, just do an online streaming channel where anyone anywhere - not just someone in Comcast or time warner's footprint - can subscribe to - like the WWE's online channel is doing.
Charge patrons $10 a month to subscribe. Negotiate with the schools individually to be allowed to show some of their tier 3 programming and miscellaneous sports, recruiting shows, coaches shows, nightly recap, draft specials, classic game replays, etc... filler-type programming and there you have a 24-hour a day, on-demand, streaming network like the WWE successfully runs. For some schools with rights agreements to companies such as IMG, it might take a little work.
They could even designate a football game of the week - which might be an Iowa State versus North Dakota State type of game,, or have a couple of games each week... maybe even hold a Thursday night game or something periodically. There are a lot of basketball and baseball games that could be streamed. They could do an all-day signing day special for national signing day in February.
During the spring, they could show spring games and have spring practice update shows on the Big 12's version of "sportscenter" for the conference.
Texas would even be a feature despite its longhorn network, because they would/could be featured when, for example, their volleyball team travels to WV. They do not have rights to their away games for the LHN.
The B12 footprint has about 37 million residents within its state boundaries. Obviously schools like Oklahoma and Texas have national followings, so subscribers would not be held to only areas in its footprint. Being stream over the internet, anyone with internet access and a credit card could subscribe. And schools like WVU that have lots of alumni or displaced natives in areas like North Carolina could subscribe because it is not tied into a cable carrier deal.
If the conference was smart, it would periodically have a matchup feature with say Iowa State versus Alabama, where for that month, thousands of Bama fans would subscribe in order to be able to watch that specific game. The majority would cancel following that game, but you still got a bump in your subscribers because the Bama fans paid to watch their team on the streaming B12 network. And then again, some might forget to cancel for a while and you ride that wave until they do.
You still put your marquee games on the networks, but you throw a nugget on their periodically to entice subscribers to tune in.
If my math is right... hey I grew up a hillbilly... if only 5% of the footprint (37 million) subscribes at $10 a month (1.85 million monthly subscribers X $10), you still end up with $222 million per year ($18.5 million per month X 12 months).
Lets say the conference keeps $22 million per year for operational expenses, you still have $200 million to distribute to the schools.
Even at 1% of the footprint, you still have $44 million per year brought in before expenses.
Anyway, just a thought. With Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime streaming services growing and cutting in on traditional cable programming methods, I think the streaming service is the way things will go in the future and the B12 would do well to be ahead of the game and start broadcasting sooner rather than later.
