Pitt's first 3 games

[Sean Miller Fan]

The first 2 were internet-only. The 3rd is on an "alternate channel" that nobody will find unlesd they are a true diehard Pitt fan.

The casual yinzer won't even get to see Pitt on TV until October. Im the year 2015, with several hundred channels and a few dozen committed to sports-only, that's unacceptable.

I know this isnt Pitt's fault but for a program starving for fans, its sure hard for that "on the fence" fan or 12 year old future recruit to watch us.

The ACC better get its act togethet with this network thing. I never thought it would make the league a lot of money, at least initially, but its badly needed for exposure. I can watch any Big Ten team play a HS team but Pitt's not on TV locally. WVU's first 2 games against middle school teams were televised by Root.

Come on Swofford, get it done.

 

[ratking17]

in this day in age I completely agree. Moreover, I would think these networks could make i killing with PPV. why not offer the espn 3 broadcast of akron for 9.99. Or the Iowa game? Makes no sense if cameras are there that we can't buy certain games to view, even if your cable provider doesn't offer the games. seems like a way to make free money for the channels and cable companies to me..

 

[Pittx9]

The whole Root Sports thing is odd to me. From what I understand, or at least it seems like, I believe WVU has a contract to have a couple of their games televised (the ones against cupcakes that no other TV channel would touch.)
Pitt for some reason then, has a contract to show replays of these ESPN3 games on Root. Pitt conflicted with Pirates Saturday, but why is Pitt not signing an actual deal with Root like WVU and then our game could've been on Root in the earlier time spot.
And unfortunately we're only the local team for Pittsburgh not Western PA in everyone else's mind (which makes no sense at all to me.) I mean in all seriousness look at what we're dealing with television wise right now, and we all just say wow this sucks can we fix this.
Could you imagine Penn State fans that happen to live in Western PA suburbs and couldn't watch PSU because Pitt was on instead. They would claim ESPN has some witch hunt out against them and start flipping and burning their trucks.

Seriously, we all know that last statement is true.

 

[torbee]

I'm confused - I thought all the big satellite and cable carriers out east carried the Big 10 Network now. Or are they showing that pillow fight between PSU and Rutgers out there instead of an actually compelling game between two good programs in Pitt and Iowa?

 

[Pittx9]

Yes BTN is showing the pillow fight. Unfortunately, the Lingerie Football League won't even be showed at half time. The Pitt game will be on a Big Ten Alternate Network this Saturday.

 

[torbee]

Yes BTN is showing the pillow fight. Unfortunately, the Lingerie Football League won't even be showed at half time. The Pitt game will be on a Big Ten Alternate Network this Saturday.

Ugh, I feel bad for you guys. PSU vs. Rutgers is the Big 10 east's version of Purdue vs. Illiniois.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

On the WVU thing. They sold their "3rd tier rights" which include 1 football game, 5 basketball games, radio broadcasts, coach's shows, ticketing, advertising, signage, etc to IMG. IMG is the middle man and went out and sold their football and bball games to Root. WVU makes very little money off of this, if any, but at least they are on TV locally. Root is the regional sports network for the state of West Virginia.

More than that though, the Big 12 has a wonderful TV deal for exposure. Since they split with Fox, any game that ESPN doesn't want finds its way onto FS1, a network dying for live sports. ESPN has so much content, they can throw ACC games on ESPN3. FS1 needs content which is why they paid above market for Big East basketball.

Every WVU game, including every game this season, will be televised locally since they joined the Big 12. Swofford better get that network up and running because the lack of Pitt coverage on TV is bad.

ESPN owns the right to every live ACC event so Pitt cannot go out and sign separate deals or put them on PPV, though you could buy ESPN Gameplan PPV. Root gets the replays because they buy them off of ESPN for dirt cheap.

 

[WNYPanther]

ESPN gameplan no longer exists, now they have ESPN College Xtra (which is free on Fios, not sure about other carriers). While many of the ESPN 3 games were televised on it last week Pitt-Akron was not among them (though they had a ton of FCS & D2 games on).

 

[melwood]

The first 2 were internet-only. The 3rd is on an "alternate channel" that nobody will find unlesd they are a true diehard Pitt fan.

The casual yinzer won't even get to see Pitt on TV until October. Im the year 2015, with several hundred channels and a few dozen committed to sports-only, that's unacceptable.

I know this isnt Pitt's fault but for a program starving for fans, its sure hard for that "on the fence" fan or 12 year old future recruit to watch us.

The ACC better get its act togethet with this network thing. I never thought it would make the league a lot of money, at least initially, but its badly needed for exposure. I can watch any Big Ten team play a HS team but Pitt's not on TV locally. WVU's first 2 games against middle school teams were televised by Root.

Come on Swofford, get it done.

Yep. I had the option to watch East Friggin' Stroudsburg in beautiful HD last Saturday night instead of my alma mater who, last I checked, played in a P5 conference. What's wrong with this picture???

 

[Pittx9]

Thanks Sean, wasn't sure the exact details, just knew we've been really getting screwed TV wise since joining in the ACC.

 

[deepelemblues]

Thanks Sean, wasn't sure the exact details, just knew we've been really getting screwed TV wise since joining in the ACC.

Like everything in life it's a tradeoff.

A decent chunk of Pitt's ACC money comes from ESPN's deal with the ACC. So Pitt gets money and ESPN decides what channel, if any, Pitt's games are shown on.

The solution is the same as the solution to everything else we don't like: win. Get back in the Top 25 on a consistent basis and this ESPN888 THE TRIPLE OCHO crap will stop.

 

[The Loaded Italian]

The first 2 were internet-only. The 3rd is on an "alternate channel" that nobody will find unlesd they are a true diehard Pitt fan.

The casual yinzer won't even get to see Pitt on TV until October. Im the year 2015, with several hundred channels and a few dozen committed to sports-only, that's unacceptable.

I know this isnt Pitt's fault but for a program starving for fans, its sure hard for that "on the fence" fan or 12 year old future recruit to watch us.

The ACC better get its act togethet with this network thing. I never thought it would make the league a lot of money, at least initially, but its badly needed for exposure. I can watch any Big Ten team play a HS team but Pitt's not on TV locally. WVU's first 2 games against middle school teams were televised by Root.

Come on Swofford, get it done.

I can see your point... but honestly... for me. I live far away, and I have seen EVERY game on ESPN3 or some channel the last 3 or 4 years. I think I only missed 2? So, I am actually very pleased.

 

[Pghfan]

The first 2 were internet-only. The 3rd is on an "alternate channel" that nobody will find unlesd they are a true diehard Pitt fan.

The casual yinzer won't even get to see Pitt on TV until October. Im the year 2015, with several hundred channels and a few dozen committed to sports-only, that's unacceptable.

I know this isnt Pitt's fault but for a program starving for fans, its sure hard for that "on the fence" fan or 12 year old future recruit to watch us.

The ACC better get its act togethet with this network thing. I never thought it would make the league a lot of money, at least initially, but its badly needed for exposure. I can watch any Big Ten team play a HS team but Pitt's not on TV locally. WVU's first 2 games against middle school teams were televised by Root.

Come on Swofford, get it done.

Physically impossible for me to "LIKE" this post by SMF anymore. Well said my good man..

 

[vegasgreed]

Screw that! We need to take matters into our own hands, not rely on the ACC commish. We need to start winning some football games that matter and the TV games will come, trust me.

The first 2 were internet-only. The 3rd is on an "alternate channel" that nobody will find unlesd they are a true diehard Pitt fan.

The casual yinzer won't even get to see Pitt on TV until October. Im the year 2015, with several hundred channels and a few dozen committed to sports-only, that's unacceptable.

I know this isnt Pitt's fault but for a program starving for fans, its sure hard for that "on the fence" fan or 12 year old future recruit to watch us.

The ACC better get its act togethet with this network thing. I never thought it would make the league a lot of money, at least initially, but its badly needed for exposure. I can watch any Big Ten team play a HS team but Pitt's not on TV locally. WVU's first 2 games against middle school teams were televised by Root.

Come on Swofford, get it done.

Has anyone else been as pleasantly surprised with Challingsworth as me? Hasn't gotten involved a ton but I think he's starting to separate himself as the #2 WR. Looks like he knows what he's doing at least and his hands look pretty solid. Can't ask for much more.