ALBANY, N.Y. _ The outrage and disappointment fueled by the American Athletic Conference's new TV deal that would put hundreds of UConn games on the ESPN+ streaming service is still going strong a day after the announcement, but Geno Auriemma is trying to remain positive.
The deal _ which would require UConn fans to pay for a subscription to ESPN+ for $4.99 a month _ has been criticized by UConn President Susan Herbst and Athletic Director David Benedict because it could mean ending the program's relationship with SNY, which is where most fans watch UConn on a regular basis. The new agreement will increase UConn's TV revenue intake from $2.16 million to about $7 million according to a report from Sports Business Journal, but there are concerns regarding exposure of the Huskies teams.
"I don't have all of the details, obviously, but I know that it's probably a great deal for the league as a whole," Auriemma said. "I'm sure that was the intent _ to get a great deal for the entire league. I think any deal that keeps us off of the kind of television that we've come to understand and our fans have come to appreciate _ specifically SNY. Anything that keeps us from being able to do that is not such a great deal for UConn. Hopefully they can work something out."
