Some information was just released on ESPN’s work to get the ACC Network into distribution… Blog contributor @JamesIV1978 brought this to my attention.
@TalkinACCSports @hokiesmash_ASD here comes the run to see if the ACC Network will be profitable. This is the first salvo https://t.co/gNfEbNUOwl
— James Cunningham (@JamesIV1978) December 26, 2018
Already there are some confusion by the mis-informed that this means the ACC Network is trouble. If you remember the SEC Network, the Big 10 Network, and Pac 12 fight distribution deals with cable companies during every negotiation phases.
Remember this one from the SEC Network a month before the launch?
The Big 10 fought Comcast just this year.
The Pac 12 is still fighting distribution deals.
It’s standard procedure folks. The good news is that it is already apparent for the ACC Network that ESPN is bundling the ACC Network with their other properties. Cable Companies might not like it, but even in the cord cutting era the entire ESPN family of network is still a powerful negotiating tool. That’s good news for ACC fans.
I think you’ll see ESPN win more of these than they lose. In fact, for the conference networks only the Pac 12 network has really struggled with distribution.
Certainly ESPN will need to emphasize their digital platform in this cord cutting era, but ESPN is well aware of that.
