This is from Jeff Howe of 247....
Jeff Howe 42777 posts 2 hours ago
What Clay Travis doesn't mention is how the Longhorn Network has allowed ESPN to make its most profitable venture, the X Games, even more of one.
By having the X Games in Austin, ESPN doesn't have to bring in outside camera/production crews to work the event. ESPN owns the X Games and pays no rights fees for it, and by having Longhorn Network's operation in Austin they can turn a goldmine into even more of one by eliminating the costs it takes to bring all of necessary production people on the road.
That's one of many examples I can point to as to how LHN isn't the albatross he makes it out to be. The gamble ESPN was taking was the ability to have high school football on the network featuring Longhorn recruits, which would have forced more schools to get into bed with ESPN with money and the foresight to jump onboard with what Texas was able to to expand the brand.
It didn't work out, and LHN took entirely too long to get national distribution, but last I checked Texas is still the only school with its own programming on its own network on an ESPN platform. If Texas had won the Big 12 last year and been in the playoff nobody would give a damn about subscription numbers and wouldn't care if the LHN was a failure or success.
Also, I wasn't a math major, but the numbers he cites seem low compared with the SEC Network numbers considering LHN is available on DISH, DirecTV and in Texas on TWC and multiple cable providers.
But let's not allow facts to get in the way of a good story.
Jeff Howe 42777 posts 2 hours ago
What Clay Travis doesn't mention is how the Longhorn Network has allowed ESPN to make its most profitable venture, the X Games, even more of one.
By having the X Games in Austin, ESPN doesn't have to bring in outside camera/production crews to work the event. ESPN owns the X Games and pays no rights fees for it, and by having Longhorn Network's operation in Austin they can turn a goldmine into even more of one by eliminating the costs it takes to bring all of necessary production people on the road.
That's one of many examples I can point to as to how LHN isn't the albatross he makes it out to be. The gamble ESPN was taking was the ability to have high school football on the network featuring Longhorn recruits, which would have forced more schools to get into bed with ESPN with money and the foresight to jump onboard with what Texas was able to to expand the brand.
It didn't work out, and LHN took entirely too long to get national distribution, but last I checked Texas is still the only school with its own programming on its own network on an ESPN platform. If Texas had won the Big 12 last year and been in the playoff nobody would give a damn about subscription numbers and wouldn't care if the LHN was a failure or success.
Also, I wasn't a math major, but the numbers he cites seem low compared with the SEC Network numbers considering LHN is available on DISH, DirecTV and in Texas on TWC and multiple cable providers.
But let's not allow facts to get in the way of a good story.
