UND/Midco 5 year contract

[82SiouxGuy]

If their project doesn't end with a channel on DirectTV, Dish, Comcast, etc., then it's a complete and utter failure.

For you perhaps. But not necessarily for everyone. If more people end up watching games than watched games in the past, then it will be a success. Remember, only a small percentage of people that potentially could watch on FCS actually did watch. If there are more eyeballs watching the games in 3-5 years than there were last year, plus UND gets a check each year, then it will be an overall win for UND.

[sprig]

For you perhaps. But not necessarily for everyone. If more people end up watching games than watched games in the past, then it will be a success. Remember, only a small percentage of people that potentially could watch on FCS actually did watch. If there are more eyeballs watching the games in 3-5 years than there were last year, plus UND gets a check each year, then it will be an overall win for UND.

Where did you come up with this crap. Midco covers portions of 3 states, great for you guys who get it, but how does everyone outside of that footprint watch. You are clueless as to how many Sioux fans are represented outside of that area. How, with the much smaller footprint, do more people watch than watched in the past? Without dish, directv, and any cableco other than midco getting the feed, this is a future loss for UND, big time.

Do you have any idea how many UND fans in the TC area alone (I'm not there), have installed FTA, or directtv, to watch, while others traveled to a Sensor's establishment to watch FTA. How long will it take for whatever cableco rules the TC, or directtv, to buy midco sportsnet. You apparently think midco now is powerful enough to force this.

For this year, it's lost TV for a huge number of us. If midco becomes Fox powerful and can sell their product to satellite TV and other cableco's in the future, good for Sioux sports. I'm not holding my breath.

[UND-1]

What makes me frustrated is that apparently Midco addressed the issue for hockey and the coaches show but not for football. I want to see the football games through DirecTV has I have in the past and now I cannot. Watching through the internet is not nearly as good.

[82SiouxGuy]

Where did you come up with this crap. Midco covers portions of 3 states, great for you guys who get it, but how does everyone outside of that footprint watch. You are clueless as to how many Sioux fans are represented outside of that area. How, with the much smaller footprint, do more people watch than watched in the past? Without dish, directv, and any cableco other than midco getting the feed, this is a future loss for UND, big time.

For this year, it's lost TV for a huge number of us. If midco becomes Fox powerful and can sell their product to satellite TV and other cableco's in the future, good for Sioux sports. I'm not holding my breath.

The games will not be limited to just Midco cable systems. As I said in an earlier post, Midco is trying to put the channel or the games on additional cable systems in the region. For instance, they are working on getting the games available on Twin Cities cable systems. That alone would add a lot of potential viewers since there are so many alumni in that area and many of them did not have FCS. They are negotiating with Cable One in Fargo. They are trying to reach as many potential viewers in the Dakotas, much of Minnesota and part of Wisconsin. In addition, they are negotiating with some national distribution formats, possibly similar to the way things worked with FCS. These talks are in early stages so nothing has been settled. And the list of places games will be available in future years will probably change in future years.

THE GAMES WILL NOT BE LIMITED TO THE MIDCO CABLE SYSTEMS. Where did you get that crap? That was never said by Midco. They have always said that they would look for other places to distribute the games. THE FINAL LIST OF WHERE GAMES WILL BE SHOWN IS NOT COMPLETE. There are many different ways to distribute the games and Midco is exploring a lot of different ways. Yes, not everyone that had access to games last year will have access this year. But it is possible that they will open access to others, like maybe a large group of alumni in the Twin Cities. How about we wait until the final list of where games are available is done? Things are changing, and that change might not end up being good for some individuals. But what is really important is what is good for UND in the long run. That is the criteria that UND had to use to make the decision, and I hope that's the criteria they did use.

[82SiouxGuy]

What makes me frustrated is that apparently Midco addressed the issue for hockey and the coaches show but not for football. I want to see the football games through DirecTV has I have in the past and now I cannot. Watching through the internet is not nearly as good.

It's possible that the Big Sky contract with Roots may have had something to do with that. I have no idea what the contract says or what limits it puts on individual schools, but they do have some national broadcasting rights for Big Sky games. The Montana game will be on Roots.

[sprig]

You obviously believe midco has much more power outside of their footprint than I do. In the meantime those of us that have watch UND sports on TV for years, will be unable to watch, maybe for a couple years, maybe for several years, maybe forever. I do not doubt they are trying to, and are hopeful to, negotiate deals with other cableco's, as well as satellite TV (whether satellite TV deals will ever happen is the real question).

Next year, what the Big Sky deal has done with Root Sports this year, the NCHC deal has done with CBSSports. This is the last year any UND sports will be on FCS, unless midco can make a deal to be a satellite sportsnetwork in itself. satellite TV will be a done deal for UND fans, except for a few hockey games on CBS, and few football games on ROOT.

Whether these deals are good for UND in the long run remains to be seen. Some of you believe it is, others of us are skeptical. Good luck to Midco, I hope to see the channel on satellite TV at some time in the future. In the mean time, many of us will have to go without.

At any rate, it's much easier to be supportive and optimistic about this new deal, as 82 is, if you get midco sports net by some means, while the rest of us are left to complain and help force a deal with our TV provider.

[Siouxperfan7]

You obviously believe midco has much more power outside of their footprint than I do. In the meantime those of us that have watch UND sports on TV for years, will be unable to watch, maybe for a couple years, maybe for several years, maybe forever. I do not doubt they are trying to, and are hopeful to, negotiate deals with other cableco's, as well as satellite TV (whether satellite TV deals will ever happen is the real question).

Next year, what the Big Sky deal has done with Root Sports this year, the NCHC deal has done with CBSSports. This is the last year any UND sports will be on FCS, unless midco can make a deal to be a satellite sportsnetwork in itself. satellite TV will be a done deal for UND fans, except for a few hockey games on CBS, and few football games on ROOT.

Whether these deals are good for UND in the long run remains to be seen. Some of you believe it is, others of us are skeptical. Good luck to Midco, I hope to see the channel on satellite TV at some time in the future. In the mean time, many of us will have to go without.

At any rate, it's much easier to be supportive and optimistic about this new deal, as 82 is, if you get midco sports net by some means, while the rest of us are left to complain and help force a deal with our TV provider.

How bout we all just wait until next year when all this goes down to freak out. A lot can change in a year. So right now we all need to just RELAX!!

[sprig]

How bout we all just wait until next year when all this goes down to freak out. A lot can change in a year. So right now we all need to just RELAX!!

I'm already without this year with no FTA, but I won't have a coronary over it. Angry Sioux fans can only help in midco's negotiations ouside the footprint, as the demand for the sportsnet by lots of fans can only help in midco's negotiations. I just object to being told I should be happy by those who are not without.

Here's a suggestion, I'll sit back and hope that UND Sports and the midcosportsnet returns in the future, while you sit back and consider your feelings if you were without UND sports TV for a year or more (TV that was available to all of us in some form for the last 10 years).

[82SiouxGuy]

I'm already without this year with no FTA, but I won't have a coronary over it. Angry Sioux fans can only help in midco's negotiations ouside the footprint, as the demand for the sportsnet by lots of fans can only help in midco's negotiations. I just object to being told I should be happy by those who are not without.

Here's a suggestion, I'll sit back and hope that UND Sports and the midcosportsnet returns in the future, while you sit back and consider your feelings if you were without UND sports TV for a year or more (TV that was available to all of us in some form for the last 10 years).

Two more points. One, I don't have cable TV, so Midco's deal doesn't hurt or help me. I am in Grand Forks and go to most of the games, that is my advantage. Two, if Midco is going to send the games to other systems isn't it possible that those games will still show up on FTA? They have to transmit the games in some way and I highly doubt that all the cable systems will have direct cable access. The person that someone contacted at Midco may or may not know that. They may not even know what FTA meant. Or they may not want to publicize that. But if I had FTA I would make some efforts to see if the games show up before I gave up on that method.

[sprig]

Two more points. One, I don't have cable TV, so Midco's deal doesn't hurt or help me. I am in Grand Forks and go to most of the games, that is my advantage. Two, if Midco is going to send the games to other systems isn't it possible that those games will still show up on FTA? They have to transmit the games in some way and I highly doubt that all the cable systems will have direct cable access. The person that someone contacted at Midco may or may not know that. They may not even know what FTA meant. Or they may not want to publicize that. But if I had FTA I would make some efforts to see if the games show up before I gave up on that method.

All true, it will be uplinked to satellite, but are currently believing the tweet from a midco rep that wrote it will not be available FTA. Don't worry, we'll all be scanning to try and find the feed.

[TheGreatSiouxNation]

I agree with Sprig on this one. This year I cannot watch in SD, my sister in WI, my Mom in CO and best friend in Texas. Right now my Dad in Lakota can't watch. So how does this Midco footprint help us THIS year? Fargo fans may be out also. But some how more people can watch? I hate to say it but Bison football will reach more homes. Until Midco allows people to receive like we did in the past they will LOSE more viewers this year than they gain? If I lived in the Midco footprint I frankly wouldn't care if others don't get the feed. But for those of us who will not receive Sioux sports on TV don't preach to us about it being a good thing? Remember when advertising was the way TV was paid? I guess it's not enough this year.

[southpaw]

Here's a suggestion, I'll sit back and hope that UND Sports and the midcosportsnet returns in the future, while you sit back and consider your feelings if you were without UND sports TV for a year or more (TV that was available to all of us in some form for the last 10 years).

And for the rest of us who are outside of the footprint, we actually put in effort to make sure we can see the games instead of just sitting back and hoping. I've signed up for UNDInsider and will also watch many more sporting events for FREE!!!! on the Big Sky website. Hook up a computer with HDMI out to your TV and it will be just like watching it in sd on FCS.

[Redneksioux]

And for the rest of us who are outside of the footprint, we actually put in effort to make sure we can see the games instead of just sitting back and hoping. I've signed up for UNDInsider and will also watch many more sporting events for FREE!!!! on the Big Sky website. Hook up a computer with HDMI out to your TV and it will be just like watching it in sd on FCS.

This is an option for you. But many of us are rural, have no access to midco or any cable for that matter, and don't have access to high speed internet without paying through the teeth for enough data to stream.

[UNDvince97-01]

Count me in as one who's frustrated by the current TV arrangement as it seems to be laid out. We are less than one week away from the start of the season and they still don't know what our options will be?

They could have avoided a huge headache by having this figured out ahead of time so that people weren't pissed.

I have Direct TV out in lakes country and do not have an option for cable, so I'm SOL as of right now.

I will be SEVERELY disappointed if this holds true for this year. Guess I'm being selfish.

[WeAreNorthDakota]

If the sky is really falling and a huge chunk of people who have been able to watch in the past will now be without, CALL YOUR CABLE OR SATELLITE PROVIDER. If the number is significant enough, the provider will see demand and may provide Midco Sports Net. If it's just 10 people on a message board who are upset, then UND will be getting a significant check every year and will have a much higher quality of broadcast. The TV deals with the NCHC and ROOT may have forced UND's hand with regards to FCS. It is now on us to create the demand and force cable and satellite companies to pick up Midco and show our games.

[bincitysioux]

It's possible that the Big Sky contract with Roots may have had something to do with that. I have no idea what the contract says or what limits it puts on individual schools, but they do have some national broadcasting rights for Big Sky games. The Montana game will be on Roots.

I was told by the associate commissioner of the Big Sky that the contract with Root Sports would have no effect on UND's deal with FCS, except that FCS would not be allowed to carry a game that Root decided to carry. I don't know why the football games (and basketball, and volleyball, and women's hockey) will not be on FCS this year. Either because FCS did not want them anymore, or Midco would not allow them to be on anymore. Kudos to UND/Midco for getting the hockey on at least.



How bout we all just wait until next year when all this goes down to freak out. A lot can change in a year. So right now we all need to just RELAX!!

The one thing we do know about next year is that not even hockey will be on FCS, due to the exclusiveness of the CBS deal. That was the NCHC that gave us that gem, but I would have thought UND could have thrown they weight around a little bit on that issue. Both UND and Denver will have far fewer games televised than they did in the past.

[TheGreatSiouxNation]

If the sky is really falling and a huge chunk of people who have been able to watch in the past will now be without, CALL YOUR CABLE OR SATELLITE PROVIDER. If the number is significant enough, the provider will see demand and may provide Midco Sports Net. If it's just 10 people on a message board who are upset, then UND will be getting a significant check every year and will have a much higher quality of broadcast. The TV deals with the NCHC and ROOT may have forced UND's hand with regards to FCS. It is now on us to create the demand and force cable and satellite companies to pick up Midco and show our games.

Or midco could keep the same viewing options as last year and we would not have this thread. Calling a provider does no good unless money is involved from cable company to cable company. This is why cable companies are trying to ban dishes so their monopolies will rule. But I do agree with the wait and see attitude.

[sprig]

And for the rest of us who are outside of the footprint, we actually put in effort to make sure we can see the games instead of just sitting back and hoping. I've signed up for UNDInsider and will also watch many more sporting events for FREE!!!! on the Big Sky website. Hook up a computer with HDMI out to your TV and it will be just like watching it in sd on FCS.

We'll do that, more than likely, but, although a web stream for someone with the bandwidth may compare to the compressed directtv and dish sd feeds, it simply does not compare to first generation uncompressed feeds available fta. If you get local HD ota, you'll have seen the difference in quality.

Also, I've seen a legion of Sioux fans actually destroy the bandwidth for streams for road games, and am wondering if the insider servers can withstand a huge increase in users. For some, depending on their location on the internet pipeline, the stream works fine, for others, it rebuffers constantly, making it unwatchable.

[82SiouxGuy]

I was told by the associate commissioner of the Big Sky that the contract with Root Sports would have no effect on UND's deal with FCS, except that FCS would not be allowed to carry a game that Root decided to carry. I don't know why the football games (and basketball, and volleyball, and women's hockey) will not be on FCS this year. Either because FCS did not want them anymore, or Midco would not allow them to be on anymore. Kudos to UND/Midco for getting the hockey on at least.

The one thing we do know about next year is that not even hockey will be on FCS, due to the exclusiveness of the CBS deal. That was the NCHC that gave us that gem, but I would have thought UND could have thrown they weight around a little bit on that issue. Both UND and Denver will have far fewer games televised than they did in the past.

Midco is trying to get the games out in as many places as possible. It only makes sense for them to put the games on as many TVs as they can for advertising purposes. Having games on FCS wouldn't hurt Midco viewership in any way. So I'm sure that Midco didn't just refuse to allow the games. My guess is that either they couldn't work out some kind of deal or FCS didn't have as much interest in those games.

Midco is looking into putting non-conference hockey games on FCS or another outlet in future years. The NCHC contract only controls league games. So outside games could possibly be available in future years.

[82SiouxGuy]

I was told by the associate commissioner of the Big Sky that the contract with Root Sports would have no effect on UND's deal with FCS, except that FCS would not be allowed to carry a game that Root decided to carry. I don't know why the football games (and basketball, and volleyball, and women's hockey) will not be on FCS this year. Either because FCS did not want them anymore, or Midco would not allow them to be on anymore. Kudos to UND/Midco for getting the hockey on at least.

http://forum.siouxsports.com/topic/17183-undmidco-5-year-contract/#entry566706 This post and the tweet it quotes are from when the Midco deal was announced. It says that Midco will make all games available to FCS this year. FCS would choose which games they wanted to broadcast. That would make me believe that FCS is the one choosing not to broadcast all of the UND football games.

[sprig]

http://forum.siouxsp...ct/#entry566706 This post and the tweet it quotes are from when the Midco deal was announced. It says that Midco will make all games available to FCS this year. FCS would choose which games they wanted to broadcast. That would make me believe that FCS is the one choosing not to broadcast all of the UND football games.

It should be surprising to no one that sports powerhouse fox would be less than cooperative to someone else's sportsnetwork getting any kind of foothold in the sports tv market. I'm surprised that they agreed to show anything from another network trying to make a splash like midco is.

Reminds me a bit of a sports network wannabe (was it called victory 1 or similar) trying to make a splash into sports network broadcasting by buying the espn regional hockey tourney sydication out from under the Fox Sports Networks to try to get on cable networks and others. Although the new network offered up the regional broadcast for free, some cable co's didn't point their antennas to get it, so many of us didn't see the Denver's grab and tackle 1-0 win over the Sioux (I could almost thank victory for not having to watch that). At any rate, Victory failed miserably in gaining a foothold in the sports networking market, and was down the tubes within months. While midco is not going away as a cable tv provider, I hope they have better luck invading the national market with their sportsnet but trying to gain a spot amongst the giants Fox Sports, NBC Sports, CBS Sports and ESPN (ABC Sports) doesn't seem too easy to do.

[82SiouxGuy]

It should be surprising to no one that sports powerhouse fox would be less than cooperative to someone else's sportsnetwork getting any kind of foothold in the sports tv market. I'm surprised that they agreed to show anything from another network trying to make a splash like midco is.

It sounds like they took 20+ hockey games and the UND Sports shows. That's the bulk of what they broadcast before. They may be less interested in college football and basketball, they probably have plenty of options for those, and things like volleyball or women's hockey. I don't think that Fox is going to be too concerned with a newer sports network that shows high school and college sports from the Dakotas. They are more concerned with finding inventory that is different and might have some appeal. My guess is that FCS ratings and total viewership probably rank well below the established sports networks, including most of the regional Fox sports networks.

[UNDColorado]

Out here in Colorado I am pretty much stuck with online streaming, which I don't have a problem with if the quality is decent. Problem is that the quality has been inconsistent over the years. So in mid August I decided to send Jason H a PM asking about the quality upgrades (which they have mentioned in the past) and here is what he said:

• Members
  
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  Sent 16 August 2012 - 09:15 AM

  Yes, there are definitely upgrades in the works, and I'll elaborate to the entire board in the next day or two. I had wanted to address these questions already, but I haven't been able to make a big enough dent in my to-do list yet

  Your support, and patience, is great appreciated!

[82SiouxGuy]

Victory was an attempt by the Minnesota Twins to start their own cable network. They weren't satisfied with the fees paid by FSN, so they tried to make more money with their own network. They were following the example set by the New York Yankees and a few other pro sports teams. They were having trouble getting cable systems to pay for their programming. They bought the hockey tournament rights as an added incentive for the various regional cable systems. But the consensus was that they wanted too much per subscriber, so they didn't get very many cable systems to buy the Victory programming. FSN caved and offered a pretty significant increase in rights fees, so the Twins scrapped the Victory project.

An interesting side note is that regional television rights for pro baseball have taken a huge jump recently in several markets, which again leaves the Twins near the bottom. Teams like Texas and the Angels have gotten 5 to 10 times increases in rights fees. The Twins get somewhere in the $12-15,000,000 range annually from FSN if my memory is correct. The Rangers, Angels and some other teams have signed deals that will get them $150-180,000,000 per year. Makes it a little easier to sign huge contracts for the star players. But it doesn't guarantee success.

[sprig]

Victory was an attempt by the Minnesota Twins to start their own cable network. They weren't satisfied with the fees paid by FSN, so they tried to make more money with their own network. They were following the example set by the New York Yankees and a few other pro sports teams. They were having trouble getting cable systems to pay for their programming. They bought the hockey tournament rights as an added incentive for the various regional cable systems. But the consensus was that they wanted too much per subscriber, so they didn't get very many cable systems to buy the Victory programming. FSN caved and offered a pretty significant increase in rights fees, so the Twins scrapped the Victory project.

Didn't know the whole story, but the result is the same. While I hope midco sportsnet will become a national sportsnetwork, I'm mostly resigned to the fact that the best it will do is remain a regional cable network, unavailable amongst the major players (including directtv and dish). Wish they would stay FTA while they try to increase their viewership (like the Ohio News Network did when they picked up all Miami home hockey), but I fear the end result will be the same, a regional sports cable network only. Maybe then they'll offer us a pay for smart card to watch the channel.

Without any pro sports, midco can't get to that level anyway.