Think we haven't seen Directv yet because they were planning on the merger with At&t. Looks like that merger will go through so Directv will be bundled into that contract. I like the tactic the SEC is using by scheduling at least one game for every team on SECN during the 1st month of the season. Now all fans will pressure their providers to hurry up and get signed up. These things usually happen last minute.
First order of business is getting demand high do that all of the carriers have to have it. Then hope that the SEC fans get addicted to it and can't live without it. Then charge the carriers so much that the consumers have to pay extra for it.
These cable networks are dependent on being on as many service providers as possible. They may take a hard line in public while negotiations are ongoing, but they will do what they have to do to get on the air. Remember the Viacom "scare" last month. For all the posturing about "a dozen of your favorite stations are about to be yanked off the air", the deadline passed, negotiations continued and were finally completed 48 hours after the deadline, without a second of service disruption. Watch for this to go down to the wire as well....the wire, actually, being July 31, when ESPN's contract with many of the cable providers around the country expires.
Oh, I imagine everyone will be able to get it soon enough, but I bet I'm going to have to pay more for something I don't want. I am quite happy with sec coverage I get outside of the sec footprint. So I am against the sec network, but I will still get it.
"Speaking With The Enemy"....nola.com reporting former LSU star Marcus Spears will be part of the SEC Network's Saturday morning studio show. He'll be sharing the desk with Paul Finebaum and Tim Tebow, as well as Joe Tessitore.
COX now on board with SECN. "The package includes programming available in regular and HD capable broadcasts and will be offered in the Louisiana markets as part of Cox's digital essential tier, which is available for $69.99 a month." http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2014/07/cox_cable_jumps_on_the_sec_net.html
DirecTV has a month before I switch to ATT. I've been with DirecTV for 16 years, but they still do not plan to add the SEC Network.
They plan too but fighting like usual to keep the price down. They will get it. Directv has to fight to have simialr contract to that of AT&T since the merger announcement so there are no gaps in coverage.
