MVC Announces ESPN Package

[Bobby Parker]

Sorry, I have been a little out of touch on the board recently, but I'm back, at least for today.

The Valley announced its ESPN family of networks package of telecasts today, which includes three Bradley Basketball home games. All of the details can be found at BradleyBraves.com: http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArt...CLID=205705558

First step toward the overall broadcast package, with details to trickle out as they are determined.

[tornado]

good - hope this gets us and the Valley more exposure...
and I hope the local Hoops section is coming soon - we really need more preseason hype & chatter....there simply isn't much anywhere except here on the boards......
...and there's a whole lot of fans that need to start getting interested who haven't heard a thing yet about the upcoming season........

In my job I encounter dozens of people daily & I keep having people I come in contact with every day (who know I am a big Bradley basketball fan) ask me questions like "what are we gonna have this year" and "how are we gonna do" and "is it going to be another year like last year.."
But I definitely notice people are a bit more reserved, lower expectations, they just don't seem as interested or as anxious to see the season start as I have seen in past years...

[BUFanatic]

I'll be there as I have for 15 years!

[lefty]

good - hope this gets us and the Valley more exposure...
and I hope the local Hoops section is coming soon - we really need more preseason hype & chatter....there simply isn't much anywhere except here on the boards......
...and there's a whole lot of fans that need to start getting interested who haven't heard a thing yet about the upcoming season........

In my job I encounter dozens of people daily & I keep having people I come in contact with every day (who know I am a big Bradley basketball fan) ask me questions like "what are we gonna have this year" and "how are we gonna do" and "is it going to be another year like last year.."
But I definitely notice people are a bit more reserved, lower expectations, they just don't seem as interested or as anxious to see the season start as I have seen in past years...
I can also say I have encountered more folks than ever who are saying they aren't going to as many games or are going to back off on their ticket purchases, so, Bobby & Geno, you guys have a lot of work to do to win those fans back!! And it appears we aren't going to be setting records on ticket sales just yet.....

I'm guessing the local hoops section will come out the same time as it usually does.

So what do you tell them when those people ask you those questions?

Don't you think most people realize this year, while hopefully better, is still going to be a challenge? Next year is where we should see some significant change in success on the court. I haven't encountered any more or less enthusiasm this year than the last 3. I also think when the economy is tougher and people are dealing with more important things than basketball.

[tornado]

I tell them what I always tell them - answer specific questions they might ask to the best of my knowledge then urge them to be TRUE fans and keep coming to games and keep supporting BU basketball - just as I have done for more than 4 decades

But what else do you think fans see when they view Bradley basketball - the attendance numbers ought to have told you long ago that a lot of long time fans are NOT happy.
Some fans feel "left behind" - they feel BU is headed toward mediocrity - just 5-6 years past one of our best seasons ever - we have squabbling, mass exodus of Athletic Dept. personnel for various reasons, fan support dwindling, and record bad 30-40 point blowouts...
I hear a lot of pessimism from fans who used to always chat about optimism --
I suspect you also encounter customers who express similar feelings, right lefty?

[Gary the Gargoyle]

I think it's reasonable for the casual fan to be skeptical. However, I do think that the more sospiticated basketball fan (or sports fan in general) understands that it takes a lot of time to completely rebuild a basketball program.

[LittleBrave]

Bobby - do you (or anyone else) know if the Bradley streaming (NeuLion) basketball season package includes the games that will be on the ESPN Family of networks?
I'd hate to get the full package and not have these 3 games included! I get other ESPN networks, but I don't get ESPNU.

[lefty]

I suspect you also encounter customers who express similar feelings, right lefty?

I have run into a couple, I have talked to some that were ready for a change...but really have run into more people that just have other things going on in their life. I'm sure if we would start winning again people would move BU basketball up the priority line. And most think that year 3 should produce significantly better results....we'll see how it goes

[Bobby Parker]

MVC-TV package announced today by the league office. Bradley to appear Jan. 12 at UNI and Jan. 29 vs. ISU.

http://www.bradleybraves.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=3400&SPID=1498&SPSID=25965

LittleBrave: No, we cannot stream the games in the ESPN nor MVC-TV packages. Frustrating for us, too, but can't argue with the television exposure.

[Buesch N Chips]

Any progress on a local tv package?

[jasonpeoria911]

You may have missed it Buesch but Bobby said they had to wait for the details on the ESPN and MVC-TV networks 1st before they can finish the local TV packages. Now that both are out, i'm betting it will be sometime within the next 2 weeks we'll hear something.

Jason

[LittleBrave]

LittleBrave: No, we cannot stream the games in the ESPN nor MVC-TV packages. Frustrating for us, too, but can't argue with the television exposure.

I understand Bobby.
I am still going to get the full hoops streaming package for the 2012-'13 season. Some will argue, but I was pleased with the home game streaming for the most part last season. Hopefully the road games will not have as many issues like last season, but maybe there's not much you can do with that. Thanks for your efforts!