ESPNU HD on DirecTV?
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A “ton” of SEC games on ESPNU?
Not quite. In fact, the only game involving an SEC team currently on the ESPNU schedule is Kentucky vs. Miami (OH) on September 5th at 12 noon ET.
For the moment at least there are no "SEC games" per se on the ESPN schedule.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3901962
(And has there been an announcement that all ESPNU games will even be in HD this year? That would add a lot of expense for a decidedly third-tier schedule (games like Akron-Temple and a host of non-BCS conference games) and almost all of them on at the same time ESPN, ESPN2, FSN, ABC, Big Ten Network, CBS and/or even NBC are broadcasting games with higher profile teams.)
Not quite. In fact, the only game involving an SEC team currently on the ESPNU schedule is Kentucky vs. Miami (OH) on September 5th at 12 noon ET.
For the moment at least there are no "SEC games" per se on the ESPN schedule.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3901962
(And has there been an announcement that all ESPNU games will even be in HD this year? That would add a lot of expense for a decidedly third-tier schedule (games like Akron-Temple and a host of non-BCS conference games) and almost all of them on at the same time ESPN, ESPN2, FSN, ABC, Big Ten Network, CBS and/or even NBC are broadcasting games with higher profile teams.)
As part of the SEC's new deal with the ESPN, ESPNU will air at least 13 SEC games every season. ESPN was hoping to have what the original poster wants as well with this move. The line of thinking is that adding higher profile conferences like the SEC will force more cable/satelite companies to either add the HD channel or carry the network in the first place.
The Kentucky game is technically an "SEC game" as far as television is concerned. Non conference games fall under the television deal for the home conference. In this instance that means this game is being televised as part of the SEC package.
The fact that there are no games in the ESPN schedule right now is largely because of the way conference television deals work. It varies from conference to conference, but typically the first 2-3 weeks of the season are released in the summer. Beyond that games are released on a week to two week basis so that the major networks in the deal have the right to the preferably better game.
As part of the SEC's new deal with the ESPN, ESPNU will air at least 13 SEC games every season. ESPN was hoping to have what the original poster wants as well with this move. The line of thinking is that adding higher profile conferences like the SEC will force more cable/satelite companies to either add the HD channel or carry the network in the first place.
The Kentucky game is technically an "SEC game" as far as television is concerned. Non conference games fall under the television deal for the home conference. In this instance that means this game is being televised as part of the SEC package.
The fact that there are no games in the ESPN schedule right now is largely because of the way conference television deals work. It varies from conference to conference, but typically the first 2-3 weeks of the season are released in the summer. Beyond that games are released on a week to two week basis so that the major networks in the deal have the right to the preferably better game.
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I totally understand how the network deals work, with the 8- and 12-day selection windows for many games. And I guess I should have been more specific: at the moment there are no SEC vs. SEC games on the ESPNU schedule.
But the original post about "a ton" of SEC games on ESPNU seemed to contain at least a little hyperbole. As the SEC says ityself about its various TV contracts: "ESPN, ESPN2 - the SEC's national cable provider, may televise up to 18 regular season games each year, with a minimum of nine on ESPN through the season." You will notice there was no mention at all of ESPNU, even though the SEC site lists the Kentucky game on its schedule.
The various Fox RSNs in the South are also getting cut into the SEC football pie with a handful of games.
I would be willing to bet however, that few viewers outside the SEC region would miss the vast majority of games which may wind up on ESPNU.
But the original post about "a ton" of SEC games on ESPNU seemed to contain at least a little hyperbole. As the SEC says ityself about its various TV contracts: "ESPN, ESPN2 - the SEC's national cable provider, may televise up to 18 regular season games each year, with a minimum of nine on ESPN through the season." You will notice there was no mention at all of ESPNU, even though the SEC site lists the Kentucky game on its schedule.
The various Fox RSNs in the South are also getting cut into the SEC football pie with a handful of games.
I would be willing to bet however, that few viewers outside the SEC region would miss the vast majority of games which may wind up on ESPNU.
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An article I read earlier in the week said that every SEC conference football game will be televised on some channel and also every non-conference football game hosted by an SEC school.
With 12 SEC schools, that's a lot of games.
With 12 SEC schools, that's a lot of games.
ESPNU doesn't have the "cream of the crop" lineup of CFB games. But, they always have a loaded lineup of games every Saturday - many of which involve BCS conference games. Even though I am a season ticket holder for my alma mater (NC State), I'm also a CFB junkie and find myself flipping to ESPNU HD often when I am at home on a CFB Saturday. Now that I have had ESPNU HD for a year, I just can't consider a provider that doesn't carry it (as much as I might want to). I hope Dish and Direct TV will add it so they will be viable alternatives for me in the future.
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Yup, I'd expect to see the SEC website updated and a lot more clarity on the various TV schedules after SEC Media Days this week. I'm really interested to see what % of games will end up in HD, should be everything that doesn't get relegated to the 1 PPV game allowed per team, and I'm hopeful that nothing aside from the matches against I-AA teams will end up on ESPN360.
I would imagine it will be added on 3/31/10, one day before their deadline of end of Q1 '10. If they could have added it sooner, they wouldn't have picked a deadline date that was something like 9 months from the announcement date. I believe this was said in the same press release that said ESPNU would be carried by Comcast.
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