ESPN extends contract deal through 2036…ACC dodges the bullet!
ESPN has agreed to pick up its option to continue broadcasting ACC sports through 2036, the network and conference announced Thursday.
The agreement is a critical step toward securing stability for the conference. With the television deal settled, the ACC is now working toward a settlement with Clemson and Florida State that could end those schools’ ongoing lawsuits against the conference.
ESPN had until Feb. 1 to pick up the option on a 20-year contract signed in 2016 that helped launch the ACC Network. Had ESPN declined, the partnership would have ended after the 2027 season.
Meanwhile…back at the ranch. Negotiations continue to placate Clemson and Florida State!
The talks between Clemson, Florida State and the ACC have ramped up in recent weeks, according to (ESPN) sources, on a proposal that would allot a greater share of revenue to schools based on brand valuation and television ratings, as well as potentially alter the expiration of the league’s grant of rights — which currently runs through 2036 — in exchange for the Tigers and Seminoles dropping their lawsuits against the conference.
While these developments are promising and temporarily plug the leaks in the ACC’s dike. Such pronouncements of 1 to 2 the proposed reroutes of revenue sharing are not a guarantee of future cohesion within the conference. There will continue to be a widening gap between the ACC schools and the B1G & SEC.
Top ACC performers will make limited gains while the rest of the conference will see even larger disparities in income. The new revenue sharing models may temporarily placate the top 3-4 teams but the remaining 14-15 face even graver revenue futures. Most AD’s within the conference are not in favor of the proposed plan(s). This past season SMU, Clemson, & Miami rose to the top. Ten years is a long time and the hole will continue to get deeper for the average ACC school. Revenues will notably fall for Notre Dame and mid-tier teams like NC State, GT, Duke, VT, perhaps even Miami & the Tarheels. That can’t be a good sign.
One question is whether the proposals for revised revenue sharing will benefit Clemson & FSU enough to placate them into dropping their lawsuits? Will the uptick in their revenues through both the proposed “brand distribution fund’ & the “success initiatives” be enough to appease them, even though they will still have a significant gap/lag in pay compared to their elite rivals in the B1G & SEC? There are still major hurdles to be addressed in the resumed negotiations.
https://theacc.com/standings.aspx?path=football
We await the future negotiations outcome with held breath.
Bluenotes 