Who Benefits Most From the SEC Network?

The answer to this question seems simple, doesn’t it? But the answer may be a little bit more complicated, or unexpected, than most would think. The SEC Network launches in one week across many TV Service Providers. With this new channel, the SEC will have one of the most expansive footprints as far as viewership is concerned. Today, Charter Communications signed up to take the SEC Network which makes it possible for over 90 million households to receive the SEC Network. With the arrival of the SEC Network, each school is responsible for some of the programming to be featured on the new channel. Mississippi State is one of the leaders in this sense as they have just finished our own studio with a direct link to Bristol. This studio is located in the Leo Seal Football Complex and will give the coaching staff a chance to be interviewed by ESPN at any time while on campus.

Now back to the question at hand of who benefits the most from the creation of the SEC Network. The answer: non-revenue generating sports. These sports include the likes of Track and Field, Tennis, Golf, and Softball. These programs benefit from the 24-hour sports coverage and the ability of schools to broadcast the games/events online using the SEC Network + platform (think ESPN3.com but only for the SEC). MSU already had the facilities pretty much set for this type of capability thanks to HailStateTV. With SEC Network +, we will bring in our own talent to call some of the smaller sports in a studio at the location.

With this increase in coverage for the smaller non-revenue generating sports, it will also show the nation how we are upgrading our facilities. Plans are already in place to upgrade the Softball and Tennis complex. When this upgrade is completed, we will have one of the best Softball and Tennis facilities in the Conference. Plans are in place that once the Softball and Tennis complex is upgraded, the SEC Softball Tournament will be hosted in Starkville as soon as possible. My prediction for when the upgrade will happen? Soon after the Davis Wade Expansion is completed, I’d look for the softball and tennis complex to get underway.

Concerning programming on the SEC Network, it wouldn’t surprise me for there to be a baseball-only show that is similar to their weekly college football show. With the popularity of baseball in SEC country, the ratings should be fairly high for a show such as that. If I were running the SEC Network, I would say that you start the show about 2 or 3 weeks before baseball begins and run it until about a week or so after the College World Series in Omaha.