Interesting note re: ESPN and SECN: your access on cable TV.

Hopefully SuddenLink will have this in their channel selection, but I won't hold my breath. Sounds like it'll help get more SEC games televised though which is great if you're a sports fan.

 

Strictly a guess here.

The time slot that I can see this having an effect on is the late game. The network that may not carry as many SEC games is ESPN2. But, I'm not real comfortable with that last guess.

We won't be seeing any more regular season SEC games on FOX...something I won't miss.

 

U-Verse here is saying it will only be available on their U450 package.

 

I seriously have doubts that the customer service reps for U-verse know what package it's going to be offered on at this point. I heard this from a reporter who works in Birmingham and was working on research on the network.

I have a hard time believing BTN would be on their 300 package and SECN would not be.

Do you know if their programming differs from state to state? I don't. I have 300 here in South Carolina which includes BTN.

 

any word if Direct Tv will carry it?

 

None announced. I don't see how it wouldn't though.

On another note that's related ESPN has announced it has purchased the rights to the US Open from CBS. I'm sure you recall Saturday's early in the season where there would be a good ball game, ideal of the afternoon slot, but CBS chose to show tennis instead.

With ESPN taking that role in 2015 it undoubtedly means CBS will begin broadcasting SEC football from week one. Now, what does it mean for ESPN? As a guess I'd say it depends on which channel they chose to dedicate to tennis. In a nutshell, it's a small change in programming/channels.

 

All I know is that a sells rep knocked on my door trying to get me to switch to uverse. My first question was about the SEC network. She called her supervisor and handed me the phone. He said he thought it would be on the u300 package but woupd have to check. What he checked I dont know, but he said he was wrong and that it would only be offered on the u450 package.

 

Jon Solomon, B-ham News, was told by the SEC offices they wanted it part of the basic (likely expanded basic which in this case U300) cable packages. Out of curiosity I called ATT and asked them and they said at this time they don't know.

Jon said the area the SEC had in mind, like I mentioned earlier, was basic in the SEC footprint. Outside of that you're looking at larger packages.

I would still find it hard to believe they'd offer BTN here and not offer the SECN in the same package. BUT, we are talking about ATT here.

 

I hope your source is right. About getting BTN and not SEC that wouldn't surprise me at all. For years the biggest cable carrier in La, COX has given us in Louisiana Fox Sports Southwest while not making Fox Sports Southeast available. I can watch Big 12 shit all day, but get no SEC coverage AND I LIVE IN BATON ROUGE!

 

The major issue I can see is how much ESPN is going to charge the cable providers for the network. Right now, ESPN cost your cable company the most of the non-premium channels. In 2012 it was just over $5.13 per subscriber. Now, most of the channels are under a dollar per household (CNN just over .55, Fox News just under .90, and so on.)

The biggest issue is going to be what ESPN decides to charge each cable company. The media watchdog groups say it's going to be more expensive than BTN. The BTN has been looking to get as much as $1.10 per subscriber. I don't believe they've reached that level. (when it launched in 2007 it was a dime so an increase to $1.10 seems unlikely to me.)

Given all of that there are two things I see. One, if we are fortunate enough to get it with the basic cable package we'll see at least $1 more on our cable bill. And two, states that are inside of the SEC footprint and those fans won't object to that small of a price increase.

I won't.