Okie State to launch Network

[JUKEBOX]

Oklahoma State University to launch online video network
Oklahoma State University officials plan to launch an online video network in the fall. The network will host a combination of academic and athletic content.

BY SILAS ALLEN [email protected]
Published: December 9, 2011

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State University will soon join the list of Big 12 Conference schools that are launching video networks.

OSU officials plan to launch an online video network next year. The network will stream some athletic events, as well as other content, such as performances and classroom activities.

University officials are excited about the possibilities the as-yet-unnamed network will bring, said Gary Shutt, OSU's director of communications.

Shutt, who is heading up the project, said OSU has contracts with the Big 12 that dictate how coverage of football and basketball games are handled. But other sports, such as baseball, soccer and wrestling, could be available for streaming, he said.

The site could also include other content surrounding football and basketball games, such as postgame interviews, he said. The university's athletics department already has some online video on its website, but the new site would include considerably more content, Shutt said.

On the academic side, Shutt said, the site could include coverage of campus concerts and plays, as well as prominent campus visits such as a recent one by former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair.

At some point, he said, the university also could stream classroom lectures by OSU faculty members. That kind of content could be used in elementary and secondary school classrooms, Shutt said.

“There's just a whole host of things from the academic standpoint,â€￾ he said.

OSU is the latest in a series of Big 12 schools to announce and launch a video network. Earlier this month, the University of Missouri launched a similar site, called MizzouNetwork.com, and Kansas State University launched KStateHD.tv in August.

In August, the University of Texas and ESPN launched Longhorn Network, a cable television station that exclusively carries content related to UT athletics. That content also is available online to anyone with a cable package that carries the Longhorn Network. The University of Oklahoma has expressed interest in establishing a similar network.

Shutt said a cable-based venture like the Longhorn Network wouldn't have worked for OSU.

Part of the reason for the web-based model is portability, Shutt said. By using a web-based platform, the university makes the content available to anyone via smart phones, laptops, tablet computers and desktop computers, he said.

Furthermore, he said, a cable network is expensive to operate. OSU would need to generate enough content to fill all hours of the day and night. A web-based model doesn't bring that demand with it, he said.

Boost online presence
“This is a more economical way to begin to get content,â€￾ he said. “You don't have to fill 24 hours a day.â€￾

University officials hope to begin to produce video content for the website over the summer and launch the website in the fall. At the moment, Shutt said, university officials are looking for a vendor who would provide a Web platform for the site.

Last week, OSU officials got clearance from the OSU/A&M Board of Regents to spend up to $1 million each year to develop the network. During the meeting, OSU President Burns Hargis told the board the network is a part of an effort to boost the university's online presence.

More online content would allow the university to improve its visibility while bringing its instructional content to a wider audience, Hargis said. Providing educational material to the public at large would represent an expansion of the university's land-grant mission, he said.

OSU to Launch Network! | OrangePower.com


K-State - Online Network
Okie State - Online Network
Texas - TV Network
Oklahoma - TV Network (I think?)

 

[huntt26]

Time to expand CloneZone

 

[twojman]

I still don't understand why the other schools don't band together and form a Big 12 Network.

 

[aauummm]

None of these articles ever mention that Iowa State has it's own video network and has had for quite some time. They mention MU and KSU but not us.

 

[CyFan61]

I still don't understand why the other schools don't band together and form a Big 12 Network.

How much distribution power is there in a Big 12 Network composed of Tech, Baylor, KU, K-State, Okie State, and Iowa State? Hell, toss in TCU and West Virginia and now tell me. (Answer: None)

 

[crash_zone]

How much distribution power is there in a Big 12 Network composed of Tech, Baylor, KU, K-State, Okie State, and Iowa State? Hell, toss in TCU and West Virginia and now tell me. (Answer: None)

There is some. I'd pay for a network of those teams. So would the cable companies in IA, KS, OK, and maybe a few more esp. if it is ran like the LH network with content

 

[CyFan61]

There is some. I'd pay for a network of those teams. So would the cable companies in IA, KS, OK, and maybe a few more esp. if it is ran like the LH network with content

I would too, but unfortunately with packaged/tiered cable content, very few would pay for it on a specialty tier. Wouldn't be worth it, I would expect, at the expense of limited content for all the participating schools.

 

[crash_zone]

I would too, but unfortunately with packaged/tiered cable content, very few would pay for it on a specialty tier. Wouldn't be worth it, I would expect, at the expense of limited content for all the participating schools.

Well, the ISU vs Iowa football game would be ONLY on it every other yr. It would be on the tier one in IA.

 

[MLawrence]

I wonder if that means they are hiring.

 

[JUKEBOX]

Time to expand CloneZone

We should keep CloneZone with the same layout/website IMO. Just increase the quality of the future events and content available.

Eventually, I think it would be cool if we did something like this.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woVBrXV3o1Y]THE GRIDIRON - KANSAS vs IOWA STATE - YouTube[/ame]

Another thing that will be essential is making all of the new content available in High Definition.

 

[Wesley]

None of these articles ever mention that Iowa State has it's own video network and has had for quite some time. They mention MU and KSU but not us.

You ready? WE ARE ISU.:swoon:

 

[Flynn4Heisman]

We should keep CloneZone with the same layout/website IMO. Just increase the quality of the future events and content available.

Eventually, I think it would be cool if we did something like this.
THE GRIDIRON - KANSAS vs IOWA STATE - YouTube

Another thing that will be essential is making all of the new content available in High Definition.

Okay, now that was awesome.

 

[IStateFisherman]

Okay, now that was awesome.

That video just reminds me of how crappy we played that game. Even if you factor in the Jayhawk slant of the video.

That would be sweet if we had content like that.

 

[Judoka]

There is some. I'd pay for a network of those teams. So would the cable companies in IA, KS, OK, and maybe a few more esp. if it is ran like the LH network with content

That's the problem though - even if it was on every cable provider on those three states and was able to command the same per subscriber fee that the Big 10 network does it still wouldn't make a whole lot of money. Just not enough people.

 

[CycloneJames]

That's the problem though - even if it was on every cable provider on those three states and was able to command the same per subscriber fee that the Big 10 network does it still wouldn't make a whole lot of money. Just not enough people.

But does it need to make a truck load of money? As long as it isn't in the red it would be worth it to have the access to the teams that we don't have now. I can tell you I would watch just about every volleyball match on there. And I think we can all agree something like this would be better than Mediacom for the crappy non conference games.

 

[Clonehomer]

That's the problem though - even if it was on every cable provider on those three states and was able to command the same per subscriber fee that the Big 10 network does it still wouldn't make a whole lot of money. Just not enough people.

But does it need to make a truck load of money? As long as it isn't in the red it would be worth it to have the access to the teams that we don't have now. I can tell you I would watch just about every volleyball match on there. And I think we can all agree something like this would be better than Mediacom for the crappy non conference games.

Considering we already get several million from learfield, I think someone may miss that money. If a network were to happen it needs to at least make up what we are getting from mediacom and CTN for basketball. Who knows if that's possible.

 

[Mizzoulander]

But does it need to make a truck load of money? As long as it isn't in the red it would be worth it to have the access to the teams that we don't have now. I can tell you I would watch just about every volleyball match on there. And I think we can all agree something like this would be better than Mediacom for the crappy non conference games.

It needs to make a truckload of money just to break even. I think we all underestimate the amount of money, expertise, and talent that is needed to put on a watchable product.

Folks who regularly post on message boards are NOT representative of the wider TV audience. We'll watch Clone Zone even when the audio is out of sync with the video. That just won't fly for a dedicated sports channel on cable designed to appeal beyond a couple-thousand message board die-hards.

Mediacom already has the distribution network, ample space for content, engineers and production facilities. And it STILL puts out a subpar product. If you want to look like the BTN, you'd have to partner with Fox, ESPN, etc. to build your network. And they won't sign up unless there's a LOT more money to be made beyond what OK, KS, and parts of IA bring to the table.

 

[twojman]

It needs to make a truckload of money just to break even. I think we all underestimate the amount of money, expertise, and talent that is needed to put on a watchable product.

Folks who regularly post on message boards are NOT representative of the wider TV audience. We'll watch Clone Zone even when the audio is out of sync with the video. That just won't fly for a dedicated sports channel on cable designed to appeal beyond a couple-thousand message board die-hards.

Mediacom already has the distribution network, ample space for content, engineers and production facilities. And it STILL puts out a subpar product. If you want to look like the BTN, you'd have to partner with Fox, ESPN, etc. to build your network. And they won't sign up unless there's a LOT more money to be made beyond what OK, KS, and parts of IA bring to the table.

You are forgetting Texas (Tech, Baylor and TCU. Many people will want to see the road games for Texas baseball, basketball, volleyball and the like since those would not be on the LHN) Oh yeah, West Virginia. The state is not huge but they have a large following in DC. Those are just footprint states. You would still distribute the network to non-footprint states and charge something like $.05 or $.10/subscriber. Whatever you get from that is essentially gravy. A network can succeed.

 

[jaretac]

It needs to make a truckload of money just to break even. I think we all underestimate the amount of money, expertise, and talent that is needed to put on a watchable product.

Folks who regularly post on message boards are NOT representative of the wider TV audience. We'll watch Clone Zone even when the audio is out of sync with the video. That just won't fly for a dedicated sports channel on cable designed to appeal beyond a couple-thousand message board die-hards.

Mediacom already has the distribution network, ample space for content, engineers and production facilities. And it STILL puts out a subpar product. If you want to look like the BTN, you'd have to partner with Fox, ESPN, etc. to build your network. And they won't sign up unless there's a LOT more money to be made beyond what OK, KS, and parts of IA bring to the table.

You really don't think that we can make a network work out of Tech, TCU and Baylor in Texas, the states of Oklahoma, Kansas and West Virginia and ISU in Iowa? The MWC has the Mtn with a lot less to market too in a area that isn't as big in college football. The biggest problem is again getting the Big12 egos to come together on this, not the revenue.

BYU has there own network- I'm sure that 9 schools of about equal size can manage together.

 

[Mizzoulander]

You are forgetting Texas (Tech, Baylor and TCU. Many people will want to see the road games for Texas baseball, basketball, volleyball and the like since those would not be on the LHN) Oh yeah, West Virginia. The state is not huge but they have a large following in DC. Those are just footprint states. You would still distribute the network to non-footprint states and charge something like $.05 or $.10/subscriber. Whatever you get from that is essentially gravy. A network can succeed.

The most likely scenario is that those away games will be sold by Tech, TCU, etc. to the LHN for distribution. (KU did the same thing for its home FB game with UT) A check from the LHN is worth more than the hassle of trying to start up a competing network.

A network like the BTN makes the bulk of its money from the footprint states - charging 10-20X what they would per subscriber outside of its conference market. Typcially they LOSE money on the non-footprint states - content is usually relegated to a premium sports tier.

Lots of teams have "followings" outside of their home market. ISU in Kansas City, Iowa in Chicago, WVU in D.C., etc. But in terms of network coverage, it doesn't matter. The determining factor is, "Can you sell a cable package this city/region/state that DOESN'T include games from Team X?" If you can, than you don't pay for the network. There are lots of Cyclone fans in KC. But no cable package in KC is going to charge all of its subscribers more just to have access to ISU games.

If the LHN can't get wide distribution in Texas right now, how could a package of teams with lower interest? There's no business case that supports 2 competing TV networks of teams from the same conference...especially a conference that doesn't have a large TV footprint to begin with.