news-record.com

GREENSBORO -- Today's Wake Forest-Duke football game will not be seen on ESPN or syndicated by Raycom-Lincoln Financial or any other outfit commonly known to the sports fan. Its carrier is ACC Select, a live video Internet service that sounds far removed from accessible media.

In truth, however, ACC Select is the mainstream. Or at least the main stream.

The service, available at http://www.accselect.com, expects to offer live streaming video of 700 to 750 ACC events during the current school year, a figure that dwarfs the broadcast total of that old-school thing known as cable TV. Almost all of its events are lesser-viewed sports such as field hockey and soccer, which explains its anonymity in its second year of existence.

"We know it's a niche audience, but it's a pretty passionate audience," said Colin Smith, the Raycom Sports executive in Charlotte who oversees the programming.

Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting System, which provides servers for video streams, declined to specify the number of subscribers, who pay $4.99 per event, $9.99 a month or $69.99 for an academic year. Raycom reports 500,000 unique page views to the registration site in 2006-07 and says interest has greatly exceeded expectations.

A page on the site lists minimum computer requirements for enjoyment of the video. The quality can vary according to Internet provider, but it has generally earned positive reviews.

Today's football game is the fourth of the season on ACC Select, but the first between two ACC members. Duke's home game against Connecticut, Army at Wake Forest and William & Mary at Virginia Tech also were shown.

The preponderance of cable networks in an age of digital tiers and satellite systems apparently will satisfy the demand for college football, in which there aren't that many games. In basketball, however, ACC Select offered 144 games involving ACC men's teams and 103 women's games last season. Virtually the only uncovered games are nonconference road affairs against programs from mid- and low-major conferences.

ACC Select is virtually the only option for those -- particularly parents -- who want to see volleyball or lacrosse, for example. One Friday this past spring, the service simultaneously provided 13 live events.

"The reason this works," Smith said, "is we can produce events for $700 to $1,000. If you roll in a production truck, you can't do anything for less than $9,000 or $10,000. And that's before you pay any of the crew."

The hardware for ACC Select productions can fit into two large cases. Cameras capture the video and send it via regular Internet to Atlanta. Turner's facility then streams it to subscribers.

For those cost reasons, live streaming of college games is expected to grow. The Big Ten Network, which is televising 400 events in its first academic year of operation, expects to put basketball on its Web site this season and expand Internet streaming in the coming years.

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com