By permittting these type of deals, the NCAA is giving the super-conferences an even larger recruiting advantage. So much for the emergence of the mid-majors:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/sports/stories/2008/08/25/espn_sec_football_contract.html
ESPN, SEC agree to $2.25 billion TV deal
Multimedia giant purchases all TV rights not held by CBS for next 15 years
By TONY BARNHART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, August 25, 2008
For the second time in 11 days, the SEC made television history on Monday by signing a 15-year deal with ESPN for a wide range of television rights for football, basketball and Olympic sports.
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive would not reveal the financial numbers, but a published report in the SportsBusiness Journal said that the ESPN deal would pay the league $2.25 billion, or about $150 million per year.
Combined with the 15-year deal with CBS, which will reportedly pay the SEC $55 million per season, the SEC can be expected to earn over $200 million per year from television rights alone.
“We anticipate that these agreements will provide financial security for our members for a very long time to come,” Slive said.
The deal was finalized last week during the SEC athletics directors meetings in Orlando.
“It’s monumental,” Georgia athletics director Damon Evans said. “It just shows you the strength of our conference. We are all very excited.”
The deal is a financial windfall for the conference, but how will it affect the consumer of SEC sports, particularly football?
Here is what you need to know about the new SEC television deals with CBS and ESPN, which start with the 2009 college football season:
• Will there still be a SEC Television network? No. This deal effectively kills that idea for the next 15 years. This was an option the SEC was considering to get wider distribution of its sports and, yes, generate more revenue. But the SEC doesn’t have to do it now because ESPN will essentially do it for them by putting all of that programming on one of its vast array of platforms.
• Will there be more SEC football games on television? Decidedly more. In fact, every conference game will be televised either on CBS or one of the various ESPN platforms. Last season nine conference games and 41 games total did not make it on the air. Schools will get the opportunity to broadcast one non-conference home game per season on a pay-per-view basis.
• What happens to the 12:30 p.m. games on Raycom? If there is a big loser in this deal it is Raycom, which does the syndicated game of the week. After CBS made its deal for the first pick of games, ESPN stepped up to the plate and bought the rest of the rights and squeezed out Raycom. But the consumer will win with this one. ESPN will use its regional networks to provide games on free TV beyond the nine-state footprint of the SEC. “The syndication of these games will be larger than before,” Slive said.
• So what is the TV pecking order now?
CBS: Will continue to receive the first pick of games and broadcast the SEC game of the week at 3:30 p.m. It will have one prime time game per season.
ESPN, ESPN2: Will televise a minimum of 20 SEC games annually, including Saturday prime time and two Thursday primetime games per season. They will take the No. 2 and No. 3 games.
ESPNU: Will add a package of at least 13 SEC games per season, most of which will be in prime time. Later this year ESPNU is expected to announce an agreement with Comcast Cable to add the channel to its system to serve as many as 14 million homes in the SEC footprint. ESPNU is now in 22 million homes nationwide. The goal is to get that number to 40 million, using this SEC football package as a driving force.
ESPN Regional Television (ERT): Will take the place of Raycom as the over the air syndication provider for SEC football (12:30 p.m. game). ERT will broadcast a minimum of 13 games per season throughout the SEC footprint and beyond. ERT will also produce and distribute a studio show dedicated to SEC football. “Basically ERT will go back to the same stations that will carry the Raycom games this year,” said Chuck Gerber, who served as a consultant to the SEC for this deal. “So that part will not change for the fans.”
• What about basketball? Men’s and women’s basketball are huge winners in this deal. ESPN will triple the number of men’s basketball games it shows while the women’s basketball games will double. ABC will televise the semifinals and the finals of the SEC Men’s Tournament.
• Any other goodies for the SEC besides the money? All national programming on ESPN will be branded as the “SEC on ESPN.” Why is that important? Recruiting, my friend. No other conference will be so branded on television.
All SEC championship games except for football (which is on CBS) will be shown on either ABC or one of the ESPN platforms.
The SEC will use technology provided by ESPN360.com to great an online SEC Academic Network.
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/sports/stories/2008/08/25/espn_sec_football_contract.html
ESPN, SEC agree to $2.25 billion TV deal
Multimedia giant purchases all TV rights not held by CBS for next 15 years
By TONY BARNHART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, August 25, 2008
For the second time in 11 days, the SEC made television history on Monday by signing a 15-year deal with ESPN for a wide range of television rights for football, basketball and Olympic sports.
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive would not reveal the financial numbers, but a published report in the SportsBusiness Journal said that the ESPN deal would pay the league $2.25 billion, or about $150 million per year.
Combined with the 15-year deal with CBS, which will reportedly pay the SEC $55 million per season, the SEC can be expected to earn over $200 million per year from television rights alone.
“We anticipate that these agreements will provide financial security for our members for a very long time to come,” Slive said.
The deal was finalized last week during the SEC athletics directors meetings in Orlando.
“It’s monumental,” Georgia athletics director Damon Evans said. “It just shows you the strength of our conference. We are all very excited.”
The deal is a financial windfall for the conference, but how will it affect the consumer of SEC sports, particularly football?
Here is what you need to know about the new SEC television deals with CBS and ESPN, which start with the 2009 college football season:
• Will there still be a SEC Television network? No. This deal effectively kills that idea for the next 15 years. This was an option the SEC was considering to get wider distribution of its sports and, yes, generate more revenue. But the SEC doesn’t have to do it now because ESPN will essentially do it for them by putting all of that programming on one of its vast array of platforms.
• Will there be more SEC football games on television? Decidedly more. In fact, every conference game will be televised either on CBS or one of the various ESPN platforms. Last season nine conference games and 41 games total did not make it on the air. Schools will get the opportunity to broadcast one non-conference home game per season on a pay-per-view basis.
• What happens to the 12:30 p.m. games on Raycom? If there is a big loser in this deal it is Raycom, which does the syndicated game of the week. After CBS made its deal for the first pick of games, ESPN stepped up to the plate and bought the rest of the rights and squeezed out Raycom. But the consumer will win with this one. ESPN will use its regional networks to provide games on free TV beyond the nine-state footprint of the SEC. “The syndication of these games will be larger than before,” Slive said.
• So what is the TV pecking order now?
CBS: Will continue to receive the first pick of games and broadcast the SEC game of the week at 3:30 p.m. It will have one prime time game per season.
ESPN, ESPN2: Will televise a minimum of 20 SEC games annually, including Saturday prime time and two Thursday primetime games per season. They will take the No. 2 and No. 3 games.
ESPNU: Will add a package of at least 13 SEC games per season, most of which will be in prime time. Later this year ESPNU is expected to announce an agreement with Comcast Cable to add the channel to its system to serve as many as 14 million homes in the SEC footprint. ESPNU is now in 22 million homes nationwide. The goal is to get that number to 40 million, using this SEC football package as a driving force.
ESPN Regional Television (ERT): Will take the place of Raycom as the over the air syndication provider for SEC football (12:30 p.m. game). ERT will broadcast a minimum of 13 games per season throughout the SEC footprint and beyond. ERT will also produce and distribute a studio show dedicated to SEC football. “Basically ERT will go back to the same stations that will carry the Raycom games this year,” said Chuck Gerber, who served as a consultant to the SEC for this deal. “So that part will not change for the fans.”
• What about basketball? Men’s and women’s basketball are huge winners in this deal. ESPN will triple the number of men’s basketball games it shows while the women’s basketball games will double. ABC will televise the semifinals and the finals of the SEC Men’s Tournament.
• Any other goodies for the SEC besides the money? All national programming on ESPN will be branded as the “SEC on ESPN.” Why is that important? Recruiting, my friend. No other conference will be so branded on television.
All SEC championship games except for football (which is on CBS) will be shown on either ABC or one of the ESPN platforms.
The SEC will use technology provided by ESPN360.com to great an online SEC Academic Network.
They are the worst in basketball, and although I don't follow NCAA hockey I'm willing to bet they're one of the worst conferences in that too. They are the top football conference. Not exactly owning sports.
I'd also be willing to bet the National Champion doesn't come out of the SEC this year.
I'd also be willing to bet the National Champion doesn't come out of the SEC this year.
Why would any one be mad? (outside of embarrassed OSU fans)
May be you should ask that auburn squad that missed out on national championship game because they were in the SEC...LMAO
How many times a year do you hear an SEC coach crying about having to play a conference championship while USC just waltzes into bowl after bowl?
May be you should ask that auburn squad that missed out on national championship game because they were in the SEC...LMAO
How many times a year do you hear an SEC coach crying about having to play a conference championship while USC just waltzes into bowl after bowl?
I hope would the SEC is great in sports. If I had to go school in such shitholes Knoxville, Lexington, Starkville, Oxford, Columbia.
What are the options in these towns, play football or consider suicide.
One list you will never hear the SEC on top of is top academic schools. With the exception of Vandy, are the rest of the schools even accredited?
What are the options in these towns, play football or consider suicide.
One list you will never hear the SEC on top of is top academic schools. With the exception of Vandy, are the rest of the schools even accredited?
.....SEC.......esp fla rules
SEC sits on top of rich southeast oil field recruit talent. That these football coaches and Univ presidents don't wear football sheik turbans and headgear is deceptive and funny. Midwest schools run spread Off tapping into city speed but can't match on D. Comical describes the media dodge that foots and hoops are simply and obviously racially black. Slow-ass big ten has been an obvious causality (Why would Univ South Florida be an obvious pick over Bo Schembechler's storied history Wolverines in any future year? Answer- Florida). I genuinely respect the 'ten' and given a rewind of years, might have applied to Madison for acceptance, but lets get real; the game changed and SEC sheiks look down from atop their recruiting wells.
