Like many other sports fans in the south, I was very excited to welcome the SEC Network last night. For someone like me, SEC athletics available 24/7/365 is more of a possible vice than viewing option. It’s like having a fully stocked bar – if the good stuff is available, then why not drink it? Before long, you’ve succumbed to alcoholism. SEC football replays of classic games (Auburn-Alabama last year, LSU-Alabama, Florida-Ole Miss, and Tebow’s post-game presser), SEC basketball, SEC baseball, and other sports broadcast all the time. Information on the conference, whip-arounds to each campus, and other great programming options abound. I can easily see productivity and family time in the south suffering because of this. But that’s okay because we love our college sports down here.
The one thing that actually worries me, however, is the close relationship ESPN has brokered with the SEC by being the production platform for the SEC Network. ESPN is not the evil entity that some people make them out to be. They don’t dictate Heisman Trophy awards, they aren’t arranging playoff pair ups, and they generally strive to bring quality entertainment and sports programming to a national audience.
But, they are a company and they are about making money. A lot of money. Which means that while they might not dictate or arrange, they are influencing for their own benefit and interests. Generally, there is nothing wrong with trying to make a lot of money. In this case, though, one must wonder about the interests and benefits that ESPN is looking forward to with its partnership with the SEC. And what about the SEC? Are they handing to keys to the conference over to ESPN? Mike Slive is certainly not a fool, but what will the landscape look like in five or ten years?
The concern here isn’t about money. With the 50/50 after-expenses split, there will be plenty of money to go around. The business aspect is well documented and is as close to a sure-fire success as a start-up network can be in this information age. The concern revolves around the SEC’s control of its products and the interests of its member institutions.
As opposed to ESPN’s other college network venture, the Longhorn Network, the SEC Network is a broad partnership between the network and the 14 member institutions represented by the conference. ESPN has said all the right things so far with respect to fair (not equal, but fair) distribution of air time for different institutions and different sports. Once the network becomes ingrained, however, ESPN will have much more leverage over the conference. With the Pac-12 Network up and running, and the Big 10 Network (BTN) a staple, the SEC cannot – even at Day 2 – allow ESPN to walk away from this partnership. The repercussions to recruiting (exposure) and television money would be devastating to the conference. Particularly in the wake of the NCAA rules realignment and the O’Bannon ruling, no one knows what the future of intercollegiate athletics will look like, but it will most certainly be built upon television money.
The marriage was convenient. The SEC, with the best product in the collegiate game (not just in football, but SEC baseball, women’s basketball, swimming, gymnastics, and soccer could all make an argument for being the best conference in the NCAA), and ESPN with the most production and distribution supply chain. That certainly ensures a successful launch and start to the network, but the BTN is doing well and still growing and owns 49% of its production and distribution (Fox owns the other 51%). The Pac-12 Network, while still growing and much more regional, owns its product and its supply; in other words, they are in total control of their own network. The BTN is partly in control of their network. The SEC only controls the product, not the network. Like a lot of convenient marriages, however, there will be growing pains when the two partners don’t see eye-to-eye. Imagine a contentious issue between Mike Slive and John Skipper, two of the most powerful people in sports? Additionally, since ESPN is owned by ABC, the SEC is severely limited in its leverage when the 20-year agreement starts nearing.
Has the SEC, replete with cash and income, sacrificed short-term investment and production for long-term control of its product in order to immediately stand atop yet another competition? Probably not, as both ESPN and the SEC have the same end goal of making money. There’s just something a little uncomfortable, though, about ceding control of such a valuable commodity to such a powerful company. We like our college sports in the south, and we don’t want ESPN to mess up our favorite product.
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