Tweet
I just had a conversation with a buddy who is in broadcast production with a top-tier cable network in LA who explained some and was about to write a post on it when I saw that m4t4d0r on CB had posted almost exactly what I was going to write.
Here are his comments:
----------------------------------------------
First off - I was one of the most vociferous on CB about how BYUTV could not be used as a commercial sports channel while staying within their contract with the Digital Satellite folks. I am very glad that there appears to be a new network dedicated to BYU sports as I think that is a much more elegant solution than trying to re-purpose BYUTV (and will require MUCH less paperwork from an FCC and distribution channel perspective)
I spoke with a friend who does a lot of sports production work (X-Games stuff in the West) and talked to him about what BYU's HD production facilities would mean to a network like ESPN. He said that it would be a HUGE factor. From his perspective it could really make the complete difference to ESPN regarding profitability on BYU football games.
When ESPN pays for an HD production (like at the Winter resorts for X-Games) they have to pay to get that truck there by the mile (huge distances to cover in the West - far away from ESPN's core markets on the E. Coast) and then they have to calculate the opportunity cost of not having that production equipment somewhere else. The ESPN folks, while remaining independent have all gotten a pretty strict B-School education from their Disney masters about running a tight ship. And so, the double-whammy of paying for the long-distance trek of a high-value asset PLUS the loss of the ability to use the equipment in the high-revenue opportunity timeframe of football season results in a premium having to be paid (whether to an independent HD production crew or to a corporate-owned crew).
So, if BYU can provide all of the HD facilities for production and just require an ESPN satellite node for re-broadcast - this drops production costs to the point where ESPN has pretty huge margins and can pay BYU some better fees for the programming.
Now for this to work for road games in the west, BYU will have to have their own HD production truck. Does anybody know if such a project is underway with the new broadcasting initiative @ BYU? If that's the case, the BYU can become the ND of the West - as long as there is self-sufficiency for HD productions. I would think that if BYU is investing to the level they are in a brick-and-mortar facility, then building a mobile capability would be within their budget and strategy. But, I have no insight into that.
As a side note - my friend said that if BYU pulls this off, they will become the most prestigious feeder institution in the field of sports broadcasting. They would attract great talent as instructors and be able to place their students in some of the premier sports network production slots.
If ESPN ponies up the $$, then this is a great deal for BYU.
Here are his comments:
----------------------------------------------
First off - I was one of the most vociferous on CB about how BYUTV could not be used as a commercial sports channel while staying within their contract with the Digital Satellite folks. I am very glad that there appears to be a new network dedicated to BYU sports as I think that is a much more elegant solution than trying to re-purpose BYUTV (and will require MUCH less paperwork from an FCC and distribution channel perspective)
I spoke with a friend who does a lot of sports production work (X-Games stuff in the West) and talked to him about what BYU's HD production facilities would mean to a network like ESPN. He said that it would be a HUGE factor. From his perspective it could really make the complete difference to ESPN regarding profitability on BYU football games.
When ESPN pays for an HD production (like at the Winter resorts for X-Games) they have to pay to get that truck there by the mile (huge distances to cover in the West - far away from ESPN's core markets on the E. Coast) and then they have to calculate the opportunity cost of not having that production equipment somewhere else. The ESPN folks, while remaining independent have all gotten a pretty strict B-School education from their Disney masters about running a tight ship. And so, the double-whammy of paying for the long-distance trek of a high-value asset PLUS the loss of the ability to use the equipment in the high-revenue opportunity timeframe of football season results in a premium having to be paid (whether to an independent HD production crew or to a corporate-owned crew).
So, if BYU can provide all of the HD facilities for production and just require an ESPN satellite node for re-broadcast - this drops production costs to the point where ESPN has pretty huge margins and can pay BYU some better fees for the programming.
Now for this to work for road games in the west, BYU will have to have their own HD production truck. Does anybody know if such a project is underway with the new broadcasting initiative @ BYU? If that's the case, the BYU can become the ND of the West - as long as there is self-sufficiency for HD productions. I would think that if BYU is investing to the level they are in a brick-and-mortar facility, then building a mobile capability would be within their budget and strategy. But, I have no insight into that.
As a side note - my friend said that if BYU pulls this off, they will become the most prestigious feeder institution in the field of sports broadcasting. They would attract great talent as instructors and be able to place their students in some of the premier sports network production slots.
If ESPN ponies up the $$, then this is a great deal for BYU.
Comment