Greg Sankey details why the new ABC-ESPN TV deal is a big win for the SEC

In 2024, the SEC starts a new media rights agreement and will move its 3:30 p.m. ET game to ABC. Add in the fact that Oklahoma and Texas are now joining the league that year, and the conference is in a good spot.

But Greg Sankey said the deal is a huge win for the SEC for more than just monetary reasons.

Sankey said the reach of ESPN and ABC is huge for the conference. It also opens up the door to put multiple games on the networks in one day, therefore getting the league in front of more eyes. That means the league will not only make a reported $300 million as part of the deal, but it will also have a larger presence across the country.

“What that does, and it’s something about which I’ve spoken but gets lost, is when we move to the ABC-ESPN group, we have access to more broadcast TV opportunities than perhaps we’ve ever had, certainly in recent decades,” Sankey said on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Friday. “In other words, 130-plus million households with access to broadcast TV, we could literally program an ABC game at noon Eastern, 3:30 Eastern and then, that primetime window on particular Saturdays. Now, ABC and ESPN have other contractual commitments. But that’s an illustration of the breadth of reach that we are about to experience.

“And we respect and appreciate our relationship with CBS, but our move to work under the Disney heading was about more than just revenue. It was about reach, so reach through broadcast TV, reach through cable and satellite, which obviously is a changing environment.”

Greg Sankey: The digital aspect of the ESPN-ABC deal is important to the SEC

In addition to ABC and ESPN’s reach, Sankey said the digital side of Disney is important for the SEC. Having a presence on ESPN+ will also have a major impact on the league, especially since it will be at 16 teams by the time the deal takes effect.

“What Disney’s done in the digital world is unlike any other of the traditional legacy media entities, the infrastructure they have that supports Disney+ and ESPN+, is an important reach element for us,” Sankey said. “Those provide really meaning opportunities and they sync up very well with this now expansion to 16, and we’re excited about that element of our future.

“We’re working on what those broadcasts might look like, we’re thinking about how we do schedule and the opportunities for even greater attention on our programs in the future.”