No More Raycom

[AUChizad]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3553033

http://The Southeastern Conference has signed a 15-year deal with ESPN reportedly worth more than $2 billion to televise sporting events, including football and men's and women's basketball.

The agreement announced Monday is the longest ESPN has ever signed and matches the length of the powerhouse league's deal with CBS earlier in August.

"This agreement makes the SEC the most widely distributed conference in the country," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. He declined to disclose financial terms.

"The bottom line here is that fans of SEC football will have more access to games and better distribution than they ever have in the past," Slive added.

The deal begins with the 2009-10 season and ends the league's look into starting a network to carry its sporting events.

ESPN will have rights to every SEC home football game not on the network package and all league matchups will be shown on some outlet, including at least 20 a year on ESPN or ESPN2. That includes two primetime Thursday night matchups and Saturday night games.

"We're thrilled with the historic nature of this deal," ESPN executive vice president John Skipper said, adding that college sports have been "part of our DNA" for nearly 30 years. "It's not hard to figure why we'd want to be involved with it, given the quality of SEC sports, for 15 more years."

Alabama coach Nick Saban said the league's exposure nationally helps in recruiting and image.

"One of the reasons that this league has developed into one of the top leagues in the country is because we have tremendous exposure," Saban said. "I think we had the best exposure from a TV standpoint in our last contract and this one is only going to enhance it more."

The new deal will also add a second and third night of SEC basketball coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 each week. ABC will add two nationally televised regular-season hoops games and broadcast the SEC tournament semifinals and championship game.

ESPN's various outlets will carry more than 5,500 SEC events over the 15-year period, including league championships in women's basketball, baseball, softball and gymnastics.

The deal will end the SEC's affiliation with Raycom Sports, which has aired basketball since 1986 and SEC football since 1992.

So my understanding is that the games usually carried by Raycom will now be carried by ESPNU. If this is the case, I'm gonna have to break down and get the U.

[Aubie16]

It actually will go like this now:

1. CBS
2. ESPN Night
3. ESPNU Late Afternoon
4. ESPN Regional (Probably the same station the Raycom games are currently on at the same time)

Cable companies are probably going to have to add ESPNU to their main cable offerings. I don't think you'll have to buy anything separate.

[Tiger Wench]

Cable companies are probably going to have to add ESPNU to their main cable offerings. I don't think you'll have to buy anything separate.

That is correct - I already read that ESPNU gets added to Comcast's line-up - not sure about cable nazis in other areas, but I am sure it's all part of the same deal.

[Ranger12]

Yeah, I already get ESPN U with Charter. I wonder if that will be offered in HD by the 2009-10 season?

[Thrilla]

Any word on the U being offered from Satellite providers?  Can't remember if I get it on DirecTV or not.

[Buzz Killington]

Any word on the U being offered from Satellite providers?  Can't remember if I get it on DirecTV or not.

It's not currently standard on DirecTV, but it damn well better be by 2009 or they will lose my business.

[AWK]

Yeah, I already get ESPN U with Charter. I wonder if that will be offered in HD by the 2009-10 season?

I thought it was already in HD?

[Thrilla]

It's not currently standard on DirecTV, but it damn well better be by 2009 or they will lose my business.

Make that two of us.

[AUChizad]

Make that two of us.

Tres.
The only way you can get the U now is with either the highest tier package which comes with 15 shit channels I will never ever watch + ESPNU (I have the second to highest tier), or get the $100something super sports package, which not being much of a pro sports guy, I would still only watch the U. Here's hoping they add it to one of the lower tiers.

[Ranger12]

I thought it was already in HD?

It might be broadcast in HD by ESPN and other providers offer it, but it is not offered in HD by Charter in my area. Charter's offering of HD channels is pitiful. They added a few within the last couple of weeks, but not really anything I watch except for Discovery HD. I can at least finally watch Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs in HD. I admit that I have become spoiled and it is hard for me to watch a show that is not in hi-def.

[AWK]

It might be broadcast in HD by ESPN and other providers offer it, but it is not offered in HD by Charter in my area. Charter's offering of HD channels is pitiful. They added a few within the last couple of weeks, but not really anything I watch except for Discovery HD. I can at least finally watch Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs in HD. I admit that I have become spoiled and it is hard for me to watch a show that is not in hi-def.

Wait until next year, I bet by then it will be in HD...I mean it better be, damn charter. 

[Ranger12]

Wait until next year, I bet by then it will be in HD...I mean it better be, damn charter. 

What I have been told by their customer service reps is that when all the analog channels are dropped in February, that is going to free up a lot more bandwidth for them to start carrying more HD channels. They are my only broadband internet option, or I would have already went back to DirecTV. If I don't see an improvement in their HD offering by next March, I think I am just going to change over to satellite anyway.

[Pell City Tiger]

Tres.
The only way you can get the U now is with either the highest tier package which comes with 15 shit channels I will never ever watch + ESPNU (I have the second to highest tier), or get the $100something super sports package, which not being much of a pro sports guy, I would still only watch the U. Here's hoping they add it to one of the lower tiers.

Dish Network, bitches! I've got it without paying for the premium stuff.