Well, and very interestingly and important, Comcast hasn’t even picked up the ACC Network. And the conference networks (except for Texas individually?) didn’t come into play until we’ll after the last re-alignment. But the conference networks and ESPN are two different things, no?
ESPN.. they’ve always been the thorn in the side of cable companies (not that I know all the minutia, but I’ve worked for Comcast and Cox last 20 years and I’ve heard the numbers) for a long time, but their numbers aren’t particularly dictated by, say, ACC adding Syracuse because now it’s got the NY State market. And ESPN already a staple of every cable provider it doesn’t Comcast Atlanta differently because, Syracuse the example again, is in the ACC.
We seem to be having the same conversation across threads. I'll just stick in this one.
ESPN owns the ACC Network. ESPN owns the SEC Network. ESPN owned the Big12 Network and still carries their games. ESPN owns the Longhorn Network. The Big10 Network is owned by Fox. The Pac12 network is owned by the Pac12, but is pretty much irrelavent.
ESPN's revenue historically has been by a major part based on subscribers. Revenue from the SEC Network and the ACC Network are based mostly on subscribers. Adding Syracuse added much more revenue than additional ads for having more people watch Auburn would have added to the ACC's TV rights deals. If the business models were based on numbers of viewers and ad revenue, then more interesting teams/games would be important. When the business model is majorly based on how many people have a cable subscription close to a school, it doesn't really matter whether millions in that market watch a game, or only hundreds. ESPN's business model charges every single TV subscriber in the area, not only the ones who watch games.
Cable and satellite companies are losing subscribers, so ESPN's business model will have to change. However, at the current moment, if you want a big TV contract you have to have more TVs that can be charged More money. It doesn't matter if those TVs will watch games or watch sit-coms. They just have to be close enough to the conference in order to charge them subscriber fees.
EDIT: In relation to ESPN not billion Comcast Atlanta differently because Syracuse is in the conference, it wouldn't be Comcast Atlanta differently it would be Comcast in New York.(Once Comcast adds the ACC Network) For the SEC Network, Comcast in Atlanta pays more per subscriber because Atlanta is in the SEC area. SEC Network in NY is much less per subscriber than SEC Network in Atlanta. If the ACC were to add a team in Houston, then every company in Houston that provides the ACC Network will pay more per subscriber for the ACC Network. It won't change what subscribers in Atlanta pay, because they are already in the ACC area.
