The Southeastern Conference and ESPN finalized a 10-year agreement in Dec. 2020.
The agreement grants ABC and ESPN exclusive broadcast rights to premier SEC football and basketball events beginning in 2024-25 and continuing through 2033-34.
The Southeastern Conference and ESPN have finalized a milestone 10-year agreement that grants ABC and ESPN exclusive broadcast rights to premier SEC football and basketball events beginning in 2024-25 and continuing through 2033-34, as announced today by Greg Sankey, SEC Commissioner, and Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content.
The landmark deal, which represents a significant expansion of the conference’s current partnership with ESPN, will establish ABC as the new broadcast network home for Saturday afternoon SEC football games, as well as selected Saturday primetime football games and the annual SEC Football Championship Game, which has grown into one of the most popular sporting events of the year. In addition, approximately eight incremental marquee men’s basketball games will be featured across ABC or ESPN.
The new First Tier rights agreement puts all SEC media rights under The Walt Disney Company umbrella, giving the SEC exposure on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network and SEC Network+. The exclusive partnership with ESPN comes with significant scheduling flexibility that will produce an array of benefits for member schools, student-athletes and college football fans. Under the new agreement, a number of game times and broadcast windows will be announced in advance of the season, giving fans an ability to plan more seamlessly.
Saturday’s SEC championship game between Alabama and Georgia is the final “SEC on CBS” football contest.
Vols Wire looks at social media reaction to the “SEC on CBS” ending. Social media reaction is listed below.