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Future Viewing Options

Anyone who suggests having games on national television is somehow detrimental to a program is whacked.

No disrespect.

And as I've pointed out repeatedly, anyone who has dropped cable and then complains about not being able to easily view something broadcast on -- you know-- cable, is hilarious.
EverettGriz,

I respect you and follow your posts. I have no disrespect towards you.

Let's look at the big picture:

For out-of staters and those outside say a 100 mile radius of Missoula or Bozeman, For this audience the viewing and listening audience is limited to what it can hear and view.

Background: Many years ago the only access to Griz football I had was via the Missoulian. There wasn't viewings or radio audience to me, an out-of stater. So I read the paper. It was always 3-4 days late.

Then the Griz went to Pluto (for streaming). It gave a poor representation of Griz football. So I listened to any radio station I could get access to.

Then GoGriz went to pay-per-view. I remember payings about $10+/- per game to view a game. When the games weren't viewable say on ESPN2 I paid other EGriz fan for access to the games through their network. This worked for about 2 yrs until that EGrizer was threatened with lawsuits.

Now we have ESPN+ for most of our games. I applaud the BSC for making this decision. It is the most significant decision for viewing in my lifetime.

Let's look at the current picture:

We have ESPN+ for most of our games. For national games we have ESPN2 or other platforms. For post season games - games are in the air. Nobody knows who will carry the game.

Many EGriz fans don't have access to the many platforms that host these odd games that happen during a season such as ESPN2 or ESPN3, ABC, NBC, etc.

My suggested solution:

To me there are 3 problems: Affordability, Access and Exposure.

Affordibility - Many fans like me can't afford to pay for all these different plantforms even for singular games. Just because you can't afford to see/listen to a platform doesn't make a person less of a fan. ESPN+ can make arrangements with these other platforms and attach the cost to ESPN+. In that way a fan can watch a entire season of FB without going to another platform. Most fans like me would pay the additional increase in fees for this to happen.

Access - I believe the UM should highlight itself as the one go to site to view/hear any FB game and/or sports event.

Exposure - Many out-of staters and prospective recruits can view the Griz when watching all the Griz games. Griz/Cat fans could watch all the national games impactings these teams.

In summary I would suggest the BSC request the ESPN+ coverage of the BSC to include all games not carried on ESPN+ to be included in its subscription, raise it's subscription price to cover this cost and have the UM website be the go-to site to get this service.

To me this impacts about 20% of both the Griz and Cat's fan bases. It may not be important to those that have the financial resources but it does to those that don't.
 
EverettGriz,

I respect you and follow your posts. I have no disrespect towards you.

Let's look at the big picture:

For out-of staters and those outside say a 100 mile radius of Missoula or Bozeman, For this audience the viewing and listening audience is limited to what it can hear and view.

Background: Many years ago the only access to Griz football I had was via the Missoulian. There wasn't viewings or radio audience to me, an out-of stater. So I read the paper. It was always 3-4 days late.

Then the Griz went to Pluto (for streaming). It gave a poor representation of Griz football. So I listened to any radio station I could get access to.

Then GoGriz went to pay-per-view. I remember payings about $10+/- per game to view a game. When the games weren't viewable say on ESPN2 I paid other EGriz fan for access to the games through their network. This worked for about 2 yrs until that EGrizer was threatened with lawsuits.

Now we have ESPN+ for most of our games. I applaud the BSC for making this decision. It is the most significant decision for viewing in my lifetime.

Let's look at the current picture:

We have ESPN+ for most of our games. For national games we have ESPN2 or other platforms. For post season games - games are in the air. Nobody knows who will carry the game.

Many EGriz fans don't have access to the many platforms that host these odd games that happen during a season such as ESPN2 or ESPN3, ABC, NBC, etc.

My suggested solution:

To me there are 3 problems: Affordability, Access and Exposure.

Affordibility - Many fans like me can't afford to pay for all these different plantforms even for singular games. Just because you can't afford to see/listen to a platform doesn't make a person less of a fan. ESPN+ can make arrangements with these other platforms and attach the cost to ESPN+. In that way a fan can watch a entire season of FB without going to another platform. Most fans like me would pay the additional increase in fees for this to happen.

Access - I believe the UM should highlight itself as the one go to site to view/hear any FB game and/or sports event.

Exposure - Many out-of staters and prospective recruits can view the Griz when watching all the Griz games. Griz/Cat fans could watch all the national games impactings these teams.

In summary I would suggest the BSC request the ESPN+ coverage of the BSC to include all games not carried on ESPN+ to be included in its subscription, raise it's subscription price to cover this cost and have the UM website be the go-to site to get this service.

To me this impacts about 20% of both the Griz and Cat's fan bases. It may not be important to those that have the financial resources but it does to those that don't.
I feel your pain here, but the Big Sky does not have the sway to make that happen.

If a game for any school with an ESPN+ contract is on a major network (like every time the SEC teams are on NBC, or ABC, or ESPN) the game is not covered on ESPN+.

Our conference can pitch them all they want, but that is not going to change.

And so if it comes down to "should the Griz decline a major network game so that the game can be on ESPN+?" I think the answer is obvious and should always be a resounding "no". The added exposure is always going to be worth not having ESPN+ coverage for our school for one or two games per year.

If you can't afford to get the cable coverage to see those games, methstreams is always free. lol
 
Old days I would have friend/family point a webcam at their TV in Missoula to steam games.
Overall ESPN+ has been awesome.
Last years Bison-Griz game was on + and cable ESPN. 2023 Idaho game was ESPN2, and I think I watched a reply review on + while I was there in person. This year seemed to go back to not on + like years past.
 
Surfer, I'm clearly an out of town (state) viewer as well. I understand, as I too struggled for years with satellite coordinates and then the spinning dial of the joke that was Pluto. I too love espn+

But here's the thing: College football is carried on cable channels (espn, abc, cbs, etc) because it's popular and profitable for the CABLE company. If you want to watch it, all you need to do is pay for it. I get that may be inconvenient or difficult for some. But don't blame the cable companies if you cut cable and then can't watch what they televise.

It's like, I'd love to be a member at the most exclusive country club on Maui. But because I'm not willing pony up the cash to do so, I can't bitch when I'm not invited to the holiday party they host.
 
But here's the thing: College football is carried on cable channels (espn, abc, cbs, etc) because it's popular and profitable for the CABLE company. If you want to watch it, all you need to do is pay for it.
Interesting that you think cable is available everywhere in MT. LOL
 
I can see this is not a popular topic.

I feel it needs to be brought up and discussed.
Its not a popular topic because you are asking for shit that is unrealistic of a football program at UM's level. Frankly, we have it pretty good with ESPN+, both from a product and affordability standpoint.

Continually telling people "they don't get it" when they offer you simple solutions to your issues means that YOU don't get it. I'm not sure if your some tech challenged boomer or what, but accessing Griz football has NEVER been easier. I like you, live a thousand miles from Missoula, yet I am able to watch every game live or after the fact as well as listen to the radio broadcast (for free).

I think you think UM/The Big Sky Conference has a lot more pull than they actually do, when in reality, a lot of FBS programs don't have the consistency of access that UM does. Look at any top 25 FBS program, they have games across every network (ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2) as well as their conference networks like B1G Network, SEC Network, etc. Frankly, unless you have 2-3 streaming packages, you are not going to have access to watch teams like Ohio State on a week to week basis. And here you are complaining about UM being on ESPN2 maybe one game every year. Get outta here with this elitist crap.
 
Sorry, I’m having to LOL at this whole thread, because the primary point has been completely missed.

MORE THAN HALF THE COUNTRY HAS CUT THE CORD.

The trend continues in this direction, too.

It’s my way of saying that those who still have the cord should cherish it for the next few years until it’s gone, because it will go. Not that anyone in media is really successful at the moment, just that a way or five will be figured out… which, by the way, also means to brace yourself because one-stop shopping will likely also be out of reach.
 
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