Swofford said the soon-to-launch ACC Network will give added exposure to Olympic sportsGETTY IMAGES
ACC Commissioner John Swofford said as he travels around the league, there is "a lot of excitement" about the upcoming ACC Network from fans. Swofford, appearing on SiriusXM yesterday, said questions he fields from fans are "predominantly about” the August launch of the channel. Swofford: “What it can do for the league, what it will look (like), what kind of programming that it will have and how they’ll be able to get games." Swofford: "It’s very pleasing to hear that." He added the network will give Olympic sports "superb exposure” and “our coaches realize that and understand that.” Swofford: “Our fans are probably going to get into sports that they don’t even know they like" (“ACC Radio,” SiriusXM, 3/4).
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: In Virginia, David Teel noted UVA last week, with its men's hoops game against Georgia Tech, became the 10th of 15 ACC schools to "produce a game for linear telecast." In August, schools will "produce scores of live events annually for the ACC Network in virtually every sport, football excepted." Control rooms equipped to ESPN’s linear specs will "serve as broadcast hubs on ACC campuses." The infrastructure and personnel upgrades "cost the schools millions," but the bet is network revenue will "easily trump the seed money." Digital telecasts for ACC Network Extra will "become more frequent, especially for Olympic sports." The ACC Network’s linear events "add another layer -- hence the need for more people and equipment." UVA Dir of Video Services Mike Szlamowicz: "For a digital game, it’s all done completely in-house by the school" (DAILYPRESS.com, 3/2).
