When CSTV and the Atlantic 10 Conference unveiled their new television rights deal in January 2006, it looked like an easy win for the A-10. Broadcasting its own games locally was costing the league more than a million dollars a year, and now CSTV was agreeing to pay a substantial fee for the rights to all A-10 games not covered by ESPN.

However, the arrangement had a rocky rookie season. Viewers in many conference markets saw fewer games than they were used to, leaving both fans and coaches to question the wisdom of the agreement. The most noise was heard in Philadelphia, home of three league schools--A-10 broadcasts in the city dropped by half and many of the broadcast slots once occupied by A-10 games were filled by other local college games.

Previously, the league operated its own television network and produced about 30 men's basketball games a year that were provided to local affiliates, usually for free. These games were chosen after ESPN picked the contests it wanted to televise nationally as part of its deal with the league. In addition, individual schools could sell the rights to home games that were not selected by either ESPN or the A-10 Network.

This year, CSTV developed a package of 32 games for syndication, which were selected after ESPN and CSTV chose games for its national broadcasts. Of the 32 syndicated games, 22 were picked up by outlets in the markets of both competing teams, while the rest were carried in one of the two markets, according to Tim Pernetti, Executive Vice President of Content for CSTV. But since CSTV controlled the rights to all conference games not picked by ESPN, there was no way for schools to arrange local broadcasts of games left off CSTV's national and syndication schedules.

Although the A-10 ended up with more national broadcasts through the CSTV deal, the reduction in local broadcasts resulted in a net loss of televised games in some markets. "I don't think anybody is happy that Atlantic 10 games weren't seen as often locally as they have been in the past," says Bill Bradshaw, Athletic Director at Temple University and Chair of the Atlantic 10 Television Committee. "We're all working together to get this resolved. It's certainly in both our interest and CSTV's to maximize the exposure that television brings."

Linda Bruno, Commissioner of the Atlantic 10, agrees. "In terms of finances, the CSTV deal was a no-brainer," she says. "But we're not all about money and we need our games to be on television."

As Bruno implies, for many schools, the question comes down to whether such a financial gain is worth a loss of exposure. "We have a diverse group of members and every school will have to determine that for itself," Bradshaw says. "For some, the amount of money is significant. For others, the exposure may be more important than the revenues. If we decide as a league that exposure is more important than revenue, we'll have to build things into the deal that are not there now."

Although most local affiliates were asked to pay a rights fee for the first time this year, Pernetti says problems getting A-10 games on their schedules were largely logistical, not financial. "We provided what I think the affiliates would tell you was a very fair deal for access to the games, but many of them had commitments to other leagues and other packages," he says.

In many cases, the schools themselves talked with local affiliates to get games carried. "That type of local support can really help," Pernetti says, "because the athletic department and local TV entities are part of the same community."

Pernetti says the network is already clearing games for the 2007-08 season and expects things to be much smoother the second time around. "We knew there would be some growing pains," Bruno says. "But CSTV has done a great job with the national games, and they're working with us to ensure that the problem with local clearances doesn't happen again next year."