With the clock ticking down on the SEC Network’s launch on Aug. 14, Charter Communications reached an agreement with ESPN to carry the network.
With the recent additions of DirecTV, Suddenlink Communications, WOW! and Cable One, pretty much all of the dominos have fallen for SEC Network carriage agreements with the exception of Verizon FiOS.
Charter’s footprint includes SEC Conference colleges in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. With the addition of Charter, the SEC Network will be available to more than 91 million households nationwide.
Charter’s authenticated subscribers now have access to the SEC Network’s digital platforms – including WatchESPN and SECNetwork.com – with the ability to watch SEC Network live and on-demand content anytime, anywhere on their television, computer, tablet or mobile device.
“We are excited to be bringing the SEC Network to Charter customers,” said Allan Singer, senior vice president of programming for Charter Communications. “We know that there are many SEC fans and grads in our footprint who are ready to cheer on their team and we are glad that the SEC Network will be available to them when it launches on August 14th.”
According to a story by Sports Illustrated, cable operators are paying $1.40 per moth per subscriber in the 11 states that comprise the SEC Conference, and $0.25 per month in all other states.
The SEC Network will air more than 1,000 live events in its first year, including at least 45 exclusive SEC football games, more than 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, 50 softball games and events across all of the SEC’s 21 sports. The network will be an all-access pass to nationally competitive events, news and information, expert analysis, classic games and in-depth features.
“With the addition of Charter, SEC Network is currently slated to be available to eight of the top ten distributors nationwide at launch, covering 90 percent of all U.S. cable homes,” added Sean Breen, Disney and ESPN Media Networks senior vice president, affiliate sales. “We look forward to serving Charter customers nationwide, including many SEC markets.”
Last year The Southeastern Conference and ESPN announced a 20-year agreement to operate the SEC Network.
