Taking a look at the SEC press release on its new 15 year contract with ESPN, it appears that the Alleged Worldwide Leader got the better of the deal than CBS. Some highlights, first football:
- ESPN gets the rights to all of the SEC home football games, except those aired by CBS.
- ESPN/ESPN2 will air at least 20 football games either on Thursday or Saturday nights.
- ESPNU which increases its reach into the Southeast under an impending deal with Comcast gets at least 13 games a season.
- ESPN Regional Television takes over the syndication contract for Raycom.
For Basketball:
- ESPN/ESPN2 will expand SEC airings from one to three nights.
- ABC will air the semifinals and finals of the SEC Tournament, taking the rights away from CBS.
- ESPN Regional Television will syndicate 37 games throughout the region.
Those are just some of the benefits of the contract that ESPN takes away.
Christopher Byrne of the Eye on Sports Media blog says the big loser in all this is Raycom.
Tim Lemke of the Washington Times says ESPN is paying up big time to keep the SEC.
Brett Dawson of the Louisville Courier-Journal says all SEC programming will be branded by ESPN.
Alan Schmadtke of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the CBS and ESPN agreements with the SEC ends all speculation over an SEC Network and also ends Raycom’s relationship with the conference.
Ian R. Rapoport of the Birmingham News calls the cash ESPN is throwing at the SEC, crazy money.
In case you want to see it for yourself, here are the key details of the new agreement:
Football
ESPN has acquired rights to every SEC home football game (excluding those on the network broadcast package) and will serve as the exclusive national cable home and the syndication rightsholder for the conference.
ESPN and ESPN2: The networks will increase coverage by combining to televise a minimum of 20 SEC games annually, including Saturday night and two primetime Thursday matchups.
ESPNU: The 24-hour college sports network, which launched in March 2005, will present a package of SEC football for the first time, with a Saturday game-of-the-week (generally in primetime and a minimum of 13 games annually).
ESPN Regional Television (ERT): The nation’s largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, becomes the official over-the-air syndication home for the SEC and will feature a game-of-the-week package (generally at 12:30 p.m. ET), with a minimum of 13 games each season throughout the SEC footprint and beyond. In addition, ERT will produce and distribute a studio show.
ESPN360.com: Simulcasts of SEC game telecasts will be offered on the broadband network.
ESPN Mobile TV: Live games will be simulcast on mobile phones.
ESPN International: The agreement includes global rights to present live games and encore presentations.
ESPN Deportes: ESPN has acquired domestic Spanish-language rights for SEC football on the 24-hour, U.S.-based network.
ESPN GamePlan: The out-of-market college football pay-per-view service, will offer SEC action.
ESPN Classic: The network may telecast select SEC live games as well as historic and immediate encore presentations.
ESPN.com: Extensive SEC content, including highlights, will be presented online.
Men’s Basketball
As the exclusive national cable home and syndication rightsholder, an ESPN outlet will offer every SEC intra-conference game (excluding those on the network broadcast package) and numerous inter-conference matchups.
ESPN and ESPN2: The networks will triple the offerings by featuring SEC action three nights per week through a minimum of 24 intra-conference games plus an additional six inter-conference matchups involving the SEC each season. Highlighting the increased schedule will be the return of the SEC to ESPN’s Super Tuesday and the addition of SEC slots on Thursday and Saturday (ESPN or ESPN2). The SEC will also continue to participate in an annual inter-conference basketball challenge event (e.g. – SEC/Big East Challenge).
ESPNU: The network will televise exclusively a minimum of seven intra-conference and five non-conference games.
ESPN on ABC: A minimum of two regular-season games each season plus the addition of a national telecast of the SEC Tournament Semifinals and Championship Game, giving ABC its first entry into the annual Championship Week.
ESPN Regional Television (ERT): Similar to football, ERT takes over the rights to SEC syndication and will produce and syndicate a minimum of 37 intra-conference games each season throughout SEC territories and beyond. Highlights will include weekly doubleheaders on Saturdays, Wednesday night games, a studio show and the first two rounds of the SEC Tournament.
ESPN360.com: Simulcasts of SEC game telecasts will be offered on the broadband network.
ESPN Mobile TV: Live games will be simulcast on mobile phones.
ESPN International: The agreement includes global rights to present live games and encore presentations.
ESPN Deportes: ESPN has acquired domestic Spanish-language rights for SEC basketball on the 24-hour, U.S.-based network.
ESPN FULL COURT: The out-of-market college basketball pay-per-view service, will offer SEC action.
ESPN Classic: The network may telecast select SEC live games as well as historic and immediate encore presentations.
ESPN.com: Extensive SEC content, including highlights, will be presented online.
Women’s Basketball
ESPN and ESPN2: SEC teams will make a minimum of 16 appearances on ESPN or ESPN2 and one of the networks will also televise the conference tournament championship game.
ESPNU: The network will also feature a minimum of 16 appearances by SEC teams, in addition to the women’s conference tournament semifinals.
ESPN Regional Television: ERT will syndicate a game-of-the-week during the regular season as well as the early rounds of the women’s conference tournament.
Olympic Sports
ESPN and ESPN2: A minimum of three regular-season baseball or softball games will be offered on ESPN or ESPN2 as well as three regular-season gymnastics matches. In addition, the conference championships in gymnastics, softball and baseball will be televised.
ESPNU: A minimum of 25 regular-season events annually will be televised, including baseball, softball, volleyball, gymnastics, soccer, swimming and diving, track and field and others. ESPNU will cover all SEC Conference events not on ESPN or ESPN2, including swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and women’s soccer.
For good measure, here is the SEC press release announcing its 15 year pact with CBS from earlier this month. Thanks to the two deals, the SEC becomes one of the richer conferences in
college sports.
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