SEC signs deal with ESPN
Multiple media outlets are reporting today that the SEC athletic conference has signed a 15 year, $2.25 billion (yes, BILLION) dollar deal that gives ESPN the rights to basically everything that CBS can’t televise for the next 15 years.
What does this mean to you? Honestly, we don’t know. It could mean that you’ll be able to see a whole lot more SEC games (both football and basketball) since ESPN has many outlets besides just their flagship broadcast. Or it might mean that you see less games depending on the availability of those outlets in your area.
One thing is for sure, though, and that is that the crappiest network in the history of crappy networks will have to go sell their crappy broadcasts with crappy equipment and crappy graphics to some other (crappier) conference.
Later, Raycom! …or Lincoln Financial Network, or whatever other name you might have next year.
From the Birmingham News,
Combined with a 15-year, $55 million a year agreement with CBS, the SEC will bring in an average of $250 million annually in media rights from 2009-10 through 2025, according to the SportsBusiness Journal. That nearly triples the SEC’s current amount of $70 million per year.Each school received about $5.3 million in 2007-08 from TV revenue. The new deal is projected to increase the number to as much as $15 million per school. ESPN’s package includes the SEC basketball tournament championship, which was previously shown on CBS, and is expected to have more regular-season basketball games.
This kinda ended the whole “SEC Network” talk that had been going around, and even though it’s kind of sad for little old Raycom, jeez dudes, get your crap together. You’ve been associated with the largest college athletic conference for the last 20 + years. Get a decent camera. Maybe pay a decent announcer. Something. Or don’t.
To be fair, Raycom did announce a move towards HD programming a couple of months ago but as Brandon Marcello put it over at Slophouse, “Too little too late in the SEC’s eyes, I guess.”
What will the rest of the country say when they know ESPN’s allegiance to the SEC? Will this steer their objectivity towards us in the South? Only time will tell. At least in the meantime, we won’t be stuck with a grainy picture.
[Via Slophouse]
Comments
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sg
August 25, 2008
Pleeeeease, oh please air more games in KC. That, or Arkansas can join the Big 12. Either one. Not really, though. Just the first one.
Kornedog
August 25, 2008
Hells yes! If it means that instead of watching the University of Maine Black Bears take on the Iona Geals, I can get even one extra Hog game televised up north, I am all for it. GO BLACK BEARS!!! … I mean HOGS!!!
JTrain
August 25, 2008
Thank. God.
jones
August 25, 2008
This along with the pay-per-view thing means we’ll see all kinds of games on TV this year. All SEC matchups will be shown on some ESPN network, with at least 20 on ESPN or ESPN. This especially rules for out of town peeps.
Angel Lust
August 25, 2008
You are not going to be happy with this.
ESPN will RUN the SEC now. You may get to see Arkansas vs South Carolina on TV but because it conflicts with a game betwen two higher ranked teams, it will move the kickoff to 10:00 AM (goodbye tailgating). Southwest Missouri State had to start a home basketball game at 1:00 am a couple of years ago because ESPN said so.
The one good thing about my Big Ten Network is that we actually get to see sports. Wouldn’t you rather watch minor sports between SEC schools on an SEC network than watch to talking head reruns of “Parden The Interruption” like you’ll get on ESPN?
Oh, and I hope you are going to like the ESPN logo on all of your Razorback fan gear.
The SEC has signed on with Satan’s sports programmer. You are not going to like this at all.
jones
August 26, 2008
I meant next year, this doesn’t start till next year. We should see more games on TV next year, whatever time they may start.
aquachong
August 26, 2008
Hail Satan (as long as he brings me more Razorbacks on TV…I don’t care what time the games are!)
Angel Lust
August 27, 2008
I keep forgetting I’m writing to Razorback fans, not sports fans. And I know you don’t care but who does the scheduling makes a BIG difference in the quality of what you see.
An SEC network modeled on the format of BTN would have shown you MUCH more Razorback sports. Now you will only get revenue generating sports, repeated ad nauseum and discussed ad nauseum by non-local “sportscasters” who were promoted off the wether channel and only know about Arkansas what they read off the teleprompter. A conference network gives you local commentators who know the teams, and non-revenue sports so you can be a fan of the schools whole athletic program. Hell, last week they were showing my teams thursday afternoon practice on the BTN.
I guess you won’t miss what you don’t know you could have had.
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