TV Info for new conferences

KoldBeer · April 2, 2013

C-USA: Welcoming schools from the WAC, Sun Belt, FCS (Old Dominion is considered part of the TV package this year, even though they are a transitioning school)...its a melting pot. FOX Sports is the primary C-USA television partner, with games expected to air on FOX Sports 1 and FSN. I know that FSN isn't in every market, particularly those Old Dominion fans, so keep an eye out on that and hope that most C-USA games air on FOX Sports 1. CBS Sports Network also has a contract with the conference for at least 15 football games. There are also some regional games airing on CSS, Comcast SportsNet Houston and probably some other cable based RSNs in the conference's footprint.

If previous seasons are an indicator, some kickoff times will be set before the season starts. CBS Sports Network and the regional partners were usually firm in setting their times in advance, while FOX Sports was more flexible with their Saturday times as they were scheduling games around Big 12 and Pac-12 games.

Full story:

http://mattsarzsports.blogspot.com/2013/04/realigning-your-tv-now-that-your-school.html

Arkstfan · April 2, 2013

It occurred to me today that the Fox deal which looks awful from my viewpoint is a great deal for UNT.

I'm not impressed by the CBS Sports channel, it if had significant reach CBS would have used it rather than Tru TV for the NCAA Tournament overflow.

If I live in the DFW area Fox SW under the Fox Dallas label offers the Rangers, the Mavericks, the Stars, some Big XII, and even FC Dallas.

In Arkansas we are Fox SW.

They have the Rangers and while interest in the Rangers has grown thanks to winning, most of Arkansas is hard-core Cardinals country and we don't get the Cardinals on Fox SW. What happens is local cable companies cut a deal with the Cardinals and Fox Midwest to stick the Cardinals on some unused channel that usually runs some basic graphic.

We have few Mavericks fans. Most people don't care about he NBA except for the Celtics and Lakers (and now Heat) and now there is some Grizzlies interest in eastern part of the state and the Grizz aren't on Fox SW, they go to an alternate channel. In Northwestern Arkansas there is some interest in the Thunder and those people do get the Thunder on SW.

The handful of hockey fans I know tend to be Blues fans with a few Red Wings and Blackhawk fans. We are generally blacked out of all three except for some Blues games in a few parts of the state where they are on an alternate channel. The Stars don't have much of a following.

The MLS's data says the MLS soccer fans in Arkansas follow Kansas City, Galaxy, Sounders, Timbers, FC Dallas in that order.

Other than the occasional SEC game they buy from ESPN, there is rarely anything on Fox SW that has someone in Arkansas tuning into the channel.

The Fox deal works for UNT because it is a must have channel for a sport fan in your region while in Arkansas they could take Fox SW off the channel line-up and very few people would notice because there is so little relevant content.