Unless his appeal is successful, he will spend a minimum of 3 actual years in prison without being paroled.

Given his age, it is very possible he will die in prison, especially not being used to living under such circumstances. (If he were a hardened criminal, prison would be somewhat familiar, and his chances of survival would be higher.)

Interestingly, a one-line outburst in court was partially responsible for his sentencing length. At one point the prosecutor asked for no bail because Cosby is rich and has a private plane. Cosby stood up and yelled, "He doesn't have a plane, you asshole!", referring to himself in third person. The judge later cited this outburst as an "extraordinary display of disrespect", and that it was evidence of "who this convicted criminal defendant actually is."

Here's a short article explaining the full details of his sentencing, and what comes next: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/m...925-story.html