Bradley completely shut out of MVC television package

[tornado]

First - I wonder what kind of revenue figure are we talking about for a mid-major getting a deal for their games on TV (multiple games like we have seen other schools announcing)
Such figures are available for football and, of course, the revenue runs into the $ millions, even for smaller schools.
But for basketball deals I suspect smaller schools get deals that are significantly smaller revenue.
Still we saw the mad scramble for conference realignment - and even midmajor schools dumping long time conference affiliation and long time natural rivals just to get into leagues that give them even better TV deals.

But it's more than just the loss of direct revenue from TV - if your team isn't on TV then it will certainly result in less interest in the community - obviously less ticket sales, less attendance, but also less ability to market the team/program and draw advertising revenue.

I've seen excuses, alibis, and babble on this topic - but spin it any way you want, Bradley basketball has always had a solid TV audience in Central Illinois but now we don't have a decent TV package year after year...

[lefty]

If it was always a solid TV audience and profitable then you would have something done every year pretty easily??¦.that's not the case??¦

I know that ads have never been inexpensive and the viewership is very limited. Advertisers usually put ads on to support the university, not to get a good return on their investment in the ad. In today's market and business climate it's not nearly as easy to throw that money around??¦

Now with that said the transition to Nelligan's hasn't been smooth and with the season starting earlier made it even tougher. At least now all the folks are in place so we'll see how it goes from here.

[Da Coach]

Now with that said the transition to Nelligan's hasn't been smooth and with the season starting earlier made it even tougher. At least now all the folks are in place so we'll see how it goes from here.

So you are saying they didn't have time or forgot to do the TV deal? Or they just dropped the ball?


Bradley has always had a local TV package, and I have spoken to people connected to local media who say there is a market, and that there are TV stations even now that are interested in televising games. There are more local stations now than ever when you include all the "side channels", and even the BU women's team has had some games televised in the past. ISU had a number of their games on Comcast, and Bradley has had a similar deal in the past. But Bradley has nothing so far?
I just don't buy that it can't be done, and it is hurting Bradley's fan support. Anyone who has been to a game this year can't help but notice the dwindling attendance, lower than we have ever seen. Plus even among the season ticket holders in the lower bowl there are far more no-shows than I've ever seen before. It is just a bad time to be cutting out TV presence.

[lefty]

So you are saying they didn't have time or forgot to do the TV deal? Or they just dropped the ball?


Bradley has always had a local TV package, and I have spoken to people connected to local media who say there is a market, and that there are TV stations even now that are interested in televising games. There are more local stations now than ever when you include all the "side channels", and even the BU women's team has had some games televised in the past. ISU had a number of their games on Comcast, and Bradley has had a similar deal in the past. But Bradley has nothing so far?
I just don't buy that it can't be done, and it is hurting Bradley's fan support. Anyone who has been to a game this year can't help but notice the dwindling attendance, lower than we have ever seen. Plus even among the season ticket holders in the lower bowl there are far more no-shows than I've ever seen before. It is just a bad time to be cutting out TV presence.

I never said it couldn't done...it's just not as easy as some think...

[wizard1]

radley completely shut out of MVC TV

Our Ath. Dept. hasn't been able to put together a decent TV package for years. Either they don't care, are incompetent, or have some other agenda. In any event, this is terrible for BU. Attendance is declining rapidly and having no good local TV of games affects this. Creating fans especially among young people isn't happening and lack of TV in Central Illinois hurts recruiting. What in Gods name is wrong with our AD? Doesn't he see this. And where is our President....For all of her "cheerleading" and involvement in everything at BU, she appears to have done nothing regarding our lack of TV coverage. Does she care?
Wiz

[tornado]

I can't dispute some of the bragging points on Dr. Cross' resume....
in his tenure (11 years) at Princeton their athletic teams won twenty four National Championships and 153 Ivy League titles!

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=205412697

Then upon his arrival here about 4 years ago - he made the promise that Bradley would be competing regularly for championships...
LINK, LINK, LINK
I don't say it's all his fault but we're certainly no closer to the goal now than before - and in some ways - our premier sport is as far down as it has ever been...a four-year stretch. Other sports aren't much better, except for soccer.

All I can say is that BU fans are very patient but I don't think we have any Championships or even league titles yet...except in the one sport that was already winning them regularly all the way back to the 90's (soccer).

I guess I am stumped - if fans want success, want what was promised, want what every school strives for - championships - then why are the fans who ask for this level of success either ignored or attacked?

[Old Coach]

I know that WEEK quit broadcasting the games when they quit making money.

[bu fan 9]

Cross was not hired to be a great AD he was to be Glassers yes man.

[kds]

cross was not hired to be a great ad he was to be glassers yes man.

+1000

[battlebasset]

In lieu of a robust TV package, perhaps BU should go all out to support a streaming platform (this year's upgrades are a great start) that includes mobile devices and set top boxes? This would have a much stronger potential of reaching younger people, as this is the way they consume their media now. They do not sit in front of a TV set anymore on a schedule dictated to them by a network. Of course, it would need to be free, at least to start, but the hope is that winning would eventually allow them to charge for it/add advertising revenue.

We may just need to get used to the fact that the marque leagues, and other entertainment content, will command the TV time, and find a way around it, as right or wrong as that may be. Obviously the current path of hoping for TV time and not getting it isn't working.

Oh, and did I mention that none of this matters if we aren't winning?

[Old Coach]

In lieu of a robust TV package, perhaps BU should go all out to support a streaming platform (this year's upgrades are a great start) that includes mobile devices and set top boxes? This would have a much stronger potential of reaching younger people, as this is the way they consume their media now. They do not sit in front of a TV set anymore on a schedule dictated to them by a network. Of course, it would need to be free, at least to start, but the hope is that winning would eventually allow them to charge for it/add advertising revenue.

You nailed it.

None of my 3 kids watch much TV in traditional the sense. MACs, iPads, and iPhones is how they consume a majority of their media and entertainment.

[battlebasset]

You nailed it.

None of my 3 kids watch much TV in traditional the sense. MACs, iPads, and iPhones is how they consume a majority of their media and entertainment.

My daughter just started college this year (not BU). She doesn't even have a TV. Only one in the dorm hooked up to cable is in the common room on the main floor. She does, however, have a laptop and an iPhone.

Oh, another thing - with the free BU BBall internet feed, let every bar know that they are welcome to show it, and give them easy to follow instructions as to how to do it. Give away some free set top boxes (less than $40 a piece) and hook them up on their biggest projection and/or flat screen, and help them advertise it. You can run messages during the time outs of how to watch/follow BU on your tablet or smart phone to expose further potential live game attendees, and convert them into paying fans.

Got to start trying something new!

[Old Coach]

My daughter just started college this year (not BU). She doesn't even have a TV. Only one in the dorm hooked up to cable is in the common room on the main floor. She does, however, have a laptop and an iPhone.

Oh, another thing - with the free BU BBall internet feed, let every bar know that they are welcome to show it, and give them easy to follow instructions as to how to do it. Give away some free set top boxes (less than $40 a piece) and hook them up on their biggest projection and/or flat screen, and help them advertise it. You can run messages during the time outs of how to watch/follow BU on your tablet or smart phone to expose further potential live game attendees, and convert them into paying fans.

Got to start trying something new!

My college age son (also not BU) has a 32" TV in his room but it's only hooked to his Xbox.

[tornado]

battlebasset - I have no problem with going gaga over all the digital stuff and getting the young people involved - but as I had noted in other threads...
I interact with dozens and dozens of the older folks and lifelong Bradley fans and the thing I hear over, and over, and over...
is that the older folks feel totally left out - even to the point of being insulted..

Now you have to remember - these are largely the people who have been season ticket holders for decades and long time financial supporters of Bradley...

but many feel their season tickets were grabbed and taken from them even tho they have faithfully paid exactly what was perennially asked of them in costs, maintainence, and many even gave well above that - yet they were told their seats were being taken away and sold to someone else who, it appears, bid a bit higher for those nice seats...

These same long time fans used to love those early season events - the Itoo Supper, tailgates, open practices, etc., they used to love getting the nice glossy media guide telling them all about the players, the upcoming season and the games..they felt like they were special to the program because they really saw that their allegiance was valued and was coveted...
but then when games get shifted to the RC and it is unfamiliar territory and weekend & Saturday night games have largely disappeared & the few we have are obscure, unfamiliar opponents - then it's a no-brainer that many just take a pass.
I have even heard numerous complaints that nobody has yet seen a simple pocket schedule that folks can tuck into a wallet or pin to bulletin board so they know when the games are ...

If you want to know why the arena is way less than half filled, when it used to packed to the rafters, then go ask a few of the people who have simply given up..

[battlebasset]

...If you want to know why the arena is way less than half filled, when it used to packed to the rafters, then go ask a few of the people who have simply given up..

Tornado - Hear you loud and clear. I was not fortunate enough to spend any time in Peoria beyond my college years, but I can imagine if I had spent as much time following Braves BBall as much as some of the older fans have, I would feel slighted if I thought I was being ignored or pushed aside.

BU needs to address that, but at the same time, we need to figure out ways to engage additional/new/younger fans, who don't seem to be invested in this team at all. I'm just trying to add my two cents on how to reach them, and the current old-school method of hoping for TV time when you are a mid-major team that has not been to the big dance since 2006 just isn't getting it done. I've still got at least 10 years before I can retire, but (and my wife thinks I'm nuts) when I look for places in Florida, one of the requirements is that it be near one of the cities that has direct flights to Peoria, so I can go see as many games in person as possible. But there still needs to be a team playing in 10, 20, and 30 years. The only way that happens is to continue to grow the fan base, young, old, and everything in between. And for new fans to know about it, we have to make it easy for them to find it.