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ACC QUESTION of the WEEK : What programming do you want on the ACC Network?
This is a question I love answering, because in my next life, I would want to be a programming director for a sports network.
We have seen the deterioration of ESPN. We have seen Fox Sports 1 fail to become a good alternative to ESPN, especially in the college football/college sports space.
Those of us old enough to remember the glory days of ESPN from the 1990s know what a fun, interesting menu of sports programming looks like.
What was great about ESPN at its peak? Show us the games. Show us the highlights. Show us the action. Since a conference network is not nearly the same as an all-service sports network, games aren’t always able to be shown — not 12 months a year. July and August are barren. The period of April through June covers baseball, softball and lacrosse. What about all the other hours of inventory?
Don’t overthink this.
Show games. Show classic ACC games — mostly basketball, since this is a basketball conference — but also football.
Borrow from MLB Network’s use of showing great baseball games, but having Bob Costas and/or Tom Verducci interview a handful of players from those classic games in a studio as they watch the replay. Have ACC Network talent interview a few key figures from epic games, such as the 1974 ACC Tournament final between Maryland and North Carolina State, or the 1981 Final Four semifinal between North Carolina and Virginia.
Fans love that stuff. I love that stuff. Seriously — don’t overthink this.
The SEC Network has the “SEC Storied” documentary franchise. Use that for the ACC — I’m confident ESPN will get this part right. Tell stories old and new and everywhere in between, educating viewers on the history and legacy of the ACC and the people who built the conference.
Big Ten Network’s “The Journey” took viewers inside the ropes in an “all-access” format, giving fans a closer look at the daily rhythms of big-time collegiate sports for the athletes involved. Incorporate that concept into a portion of regular programming.
Live games. Highlights. No First Take-style shows. Classic games, with and without interviews. Documentaries and all-access shows.
Don’t overthink this.
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