2012 SEC BaSEB all M Edia Guid E - Southeastern Conference

SEC Television agreements
ESPN
ESPN and the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) have reached a milestone 15-year agreement
beginning in 2009-10 and continuing
through 2023-24, it was announced by George
Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC
Sports, and Mike Slive, SEC Commissioner. The
landmark deal – the longest national rights agreement
in ESPN history – will result in ESPN entities (ESPN, ESPN
on ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN360.
com, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FULL COURT,
ESPN International, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic) carrying more
than 5,500 SEC events – including football, men’s and women’s
basketball, Olympic sports and SEC Championships.
ESPN has televised the SEC since 1982. All national programming
will fall under the branding “SEC on ESPN.” As part of the
agreement:
• ESPN and ESPN2 will continue to offer premier SEC games,
including Saturday night and two primetime Thursday football
games, triple the basketball offerings with three nights (two new)
of men’s basketball and present SEC Championships in women’s
basketball, baseball, softball and gymnastics.
• ESPN Regional Television will become the new over-the-air
syndication home for SEC football and basketball games. In addition,
ESPN and the SEC will work together to offer multi-sport
packages (including football, men’s and women’s basketball,
Olympic sports and conference championships) of SEC content
for regional cable syndication.
• ESPNU will now offer exclusive SEC telecasts, including football
and basketball and selected conference championships. In addition,
the network will present a weekly, hour-long program on
SEC sports throughout the academic year as well as sport-bysport
previews, reviews and specials.
• The semifinals and championship of the SEC Men’s Basketball
Tournament will be televised nationally for the first time on
ESPN on ABC.
• All SEC championship games except football will be aired on
either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN on ABC, ESPNU or ESPN Classic.
• The agreement will also showcase the academic successes of SEC
student-athletes by including twice-annual programs dedicated
to academic accomplishments of SEC student-athletes; an annual
Campus Connection (students take part in the production) telecast
at each SEC institution; a weekly segment on an SEC show
featuring academics; and an online SEC Academic Network utilizing
ESPN360.com technology.
• Extensive coverage of women’s basketball and Olympic sports
will be offered nationally through ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU
and regionally through ESPN Regional Television, including
both regular-season and conference championships.
• Comprehensive multimedia rights are also an integral part of the
agreement as live SEC action, including football and basketball,
will be offered via simulcasts on ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile
TV and extensive content rights have been granted to ESPN.
com.
• ESPN International, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FULL COURT,
ESPN Classic and ESPN Deportes will also feature the SEC.
• Each SEC institution retains the right to continue a local multimedia
rights package.
COMCAST/CHARTER SPORTS SOUTHEAST
On May 21, 2009, Comcast / Charter Sports Southeast (CSS),
the regional sports channel focusing on college sports in the southeast,
announced it has reached a five-year agreement with ESPN
to televise live Southeastern Conference (SEC) content including
a minimum of six football games, twenty men’s basketball games,
and sixteen women’s basketball games as well as fifty SEC Olympic
sports each year. The agreement will begin with the 2009-10 academic
year. Events and times will be announced as determined.
Olympic Sports/Baseball
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.
FOX SPORTS NET
FOX Sports Net (FSN), the nation’s leader in local sports,
today announced a new multi-year television rights agreement
with ESPN that expands its long-time partnership with the
Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Beginning with the 2009-10 academic year, FSN’s three regional
sports networks serving the SEC territory – FOX Sports South,
Sun Sports and FOX Sports Southwest – will be the outlets for a
minimum of 91 SEC athletic events each year. Events will include
seven live, exclusive football games, 20 men’s basketball games, 24
women’s basketball games (16 regular season, eight tournament),
16 baseball games (10 regular season, six tournament) and 24 additional
Olympic sporting events (softball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics).
FSN will distribute these events to more than 24 million cable
and satellite households across the SEC coverage area.
18
Southeastern Conference • Sec • Southeastern Conference • Sec