Swofford reveals potential ACC Network programming
Link
http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-...story.html
from the ACC Kickoff/Media Days:
Next year’s launch of the ACC Network figures to change those scheduling norms. Commissioner John Swofford revealed those programming details, and more, during a one-on-one interview Wednesday afternoon. Swofford also addressed ACC Network distribution, financial projections and the revenue gap his member schools are fighting against their Power Five peers.
Swofford cemented Wednesday that the ACC will stage multiple league games to start next football season. He didn’t reveal matchups, but based on non-conference contracts already in place, the
most likely candidates are Virginia Tech at Boston College, Georgia Tech at Clemson and Pittsburgh versus Syracuse or Virginia.
Most notably, Swofford said the ACC is seriously considering playing seven conference men’s basketball games, spread over multiple days, to start the 2019-20 season. One of the league’s 15 teams would have a bye, perhaps Duke — which, along with Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State, competes in November’s annual Champions Classic.
“This is our approach to closing that gap,” Swofford said. “The SEC Network was probably an anomaly in the sense it got to its max very quickly, unlike the Big Ten Network and certainly unlike the Pac-12 Networks. And we’ve based our (revenue) projections very realistically and conservatively.”
Naturally, Swofford declines to share projections.
“Obviously the sooner the better,” he said of closing the gap, “and that’s based on distribution. Distribution’s often based on content, so we need to have the best content generally speaking that we can have on the ACC channel. And that’s how both ESPN and the ACC maximize the business proposition.”
Like the SEC, the ACC will have the power of ESPN’s parent company, Disney, to leverage cable providers into carrying its network. If a cable outfit balks at the ACC Network, Disney can withhold Disney Junior.
“I don’t think anybody can (leverage) better than Disney and ESPN,” Swofford said. “That’s a tough world … and a lot of times things go right down to the midnight hour, and it did even with the SEC Network.”