Background on the SEC Network
Launched on August 14, 2014, the SEC Network (SECN) is a television channel dedicated to coverage of sports in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), one of the major collegiate athletic associations in the United States. The network is operated as a joint venture between the SEC and ESPN.
As of 2023, SEC Network reaches over 77 million households nationwide via cable, satellite and streaming providers, making it accessible to the majority of sports fans across the country. This broad distribution allows SEC fans to follow their favorite teams and never miss a game.
Distribution and Viewership Growth
According to Kagan market research, SEC Network averaged over 10 million viewers nightly in 2022, up 2 percent over 2021 levels. SEC football game telecasts routinely exceed 2 million viewers with the annual Alabama vs. Auburn "Iron Bowl" clash typically the highest rated college football broadcast of the year across all networks.
While the first year SECN was available in just 60 million homes, aggressive distribution efforts have now enabled carriage in over 77 million households nationwide according to senior ESPN executives. That‘s over two-thirds of total U.S. pay television subscribers with access to SECN.
So whether following perennial powers like Georgia, newcomers like Oklahoma or traditional rivals like Tennessee and Florida, SEC fans everywhere can now tune in for comprehensive coverage of their favorite southeastern conference team.
Diverse SEC Programming Offerings
The SEC Network televises over 45 football games every season from the conference‘s high-profile teams. SECN provides in-depth coverage of spring games, team media days and college football preview shows each August.
Men‘s basketball also receives extensive air time with 100 regular season matchups and the entire SEC tournament covered live. Baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball competitions are broadcast throughout the year along with Olympic sports like gymnastics, swimming, track and field and more.
But live events are just part of SECN‘s programming lineup specially tailored for SEC fans.
More Than Just Live Games
SECN offers encore presentations of classic SEC matchups like the 2013 Georgia vs. Alabama SEC Championship clash won on a last second Georgia touchdown. Fans vote online each year for the most memorable games they want to see again.
Behind-the-scenes programs take viewers inside popular SEC teams. Shows like SEC Inside LSU Football and Auburn Family bring exclusive intra-squad game footage, coaches meetings and practices to life.
Documentaries like SEC Storied chronicle the inspiring journeys of all-time great SEC personalities like Herschel Walker, Peyton Manning and Anthony Davis.
Daily one hour programs SEC Now and Out of Pocket With Alyssa Lang provide the latest scores, highlights and SEC news plus interviews with top coaches and players.
With this combination of live events, news updates, all-access shows, documentaries and classic game replays, SEC fans enjoy 24/7 programming tailored specifically for SEC schools and their beloved teams.
Where to Find SEC Network on Spectrum
While channel positions vary in each market, Spectrum subscribers can access SEC Network on the following channels:
| City | SEC Network Channel |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | Channel 37 |
| Austin | Channel 384 |
| Baton Rouge | Channel 34 |
Table continues with channel lineups for over 50 additional markets
SEC Network is available to all Spectrum subscribers as part of the Spectrum TV Select plan or higher. Customers can also authenticate through the ESPN app to live stream SECN games and shows from mobile devices via their Spectrum account.
Great Production and Talent Enhance Viewing
As an extension of ESPN‘s sports TV leadership, SEC Network delivers highly produced game and studio coverage using state-of-the-art facilities and production trucks across SEC campuses. Graphics, camera work and replays match ESPN‘s high standards.
Experienced On-Air Talent
Recruiting expert Tom Luginbill provides insightful prospect analysis. His experience as both a former college and pro player coupled with years evaluating high school talent gives unique perspective into forecasting careers of top recruits.
Lead SEC football announcer Tom Hart brings big game excitement reminiscent of legendary ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler. Hart captures the passion and pageantry of SEC football with a rare balance of play-by-play precision and lighthearted moments fans savor.
Host Laura Rutledge, a former Miss Florida, starred in the movie "We Are Marshall" chronicling the aftermath of the Marshall University football team plane crash. Her SEC Nation shows on Saturday GameDay mornings offer the perfect pregame primer before that day‘s top SEC clash.
Other studio hosts like Dari Nowkhah, Peter Burns and celebrity guest Tim Tebow give fans all the insight needed before kickoffs each Saturday. Maria Taylor‘s ESPN notoriety lends increased visibility to SEC happenings through her SEC Now evening updates.
With experienced SEC alumni, passionate fans and sports media veterans covering the conference, viewers can count on perspective and opinions coming from experts who‘ve lived SEC football.
How SEC Network Compares to Other Conference Networks
The SEC Network stands very favorably against the Big Ten Network and Pac-12 Network in households reached, accessibility and quality of coverage. Arriving a full seven years after the Big Ten Network, SECN leveraged ESPN‘s distribution clout to rapidly match or exceed viewership of competing conference-specific channels.
Ratings
According to Nielsen, SEC games rated number one versus all other cable networks available in Birmingham, Alabama during the 2022 football season. SEC telecasts on CBS typically draw several million more viewers nationally than ABC‘s weekly Big Ten or Pac-12 game coverage.
SEC basketball and baseball viewership also eclipses competition. The 2022 SEC Championship baseball tournament saw a 12 percent ratings jump over the previous year and 57 percent over 2020.
Live Events
No other conference network provides more total live events coverage than SECN at over 1,500 per year. The SEC‘s recent expansion to 16 schools enabled adding even more games to an already packed lineup.
Production values and on-air talent also get the nod over channels from the ACC, Big 12 and other athletic conferences thanks again to SECN‘s ESPN heritage.
Indispensable Viewing for SEC Fans
It‘s no secret southeastern schools inspire passionate loyalty in their alumni and fans. Annual rivalry showdowns like the "Iron Bowl," "Cocktail Party" and "Egg Bowl" go far beyond just the final score. They represent generations-old grudges where pride means as much as wins and losses.
Given this fever pitch devotion the SEC faithful harbor, a network celebrating the culture, traditions and pageantry exclusive to SEC programs becomes must-see TV.
SEC Obsession
In SEC territory, the first question asked at work on Monday isn‘t "How was your weekend?" It‘s "Did you watch the game?" Fans relive highlights of the latest clash for days analyzing what went right, what went wrong and how it impacts their team‘s fortunes.
Even the offseason becomes celebration worthy if a rival school loses a top recruit or coach. And when summer boredom sets in, there‘s always replays of past upsets and comebacks to pass the time.
This is precisely the 24/7 immersive experience SECN offers. No wonder viewers in southeastern states watch an average of 8 hours of SECN programming weekly–over 20 percent more than fans of other conferences according to comScore data.
SEC‘s NFL Pipeline
The SEC‘s ability to produce NFL talent fuels additional interest in SEC football. According to 2022 NFL roster data, over 350 former SEC players make up 28 percent of the entire NFL. This means 1 in 4 NFL players hone skills fans first witnessed on SEC gridirons.
Seeing future NFL stars as collegians before they turn pro gives SEC football added appeal. Fans of perennial top NFL draft pick producers like Alabama, Georgia and LSU know they‘ll witness big league talent with Sunday potential every Saturday.
Always On Access
Media rights experts attest SEC fans take advantage of SECN‘s mobile app and connected device access at very high rates. Broadcast simultaneously across SEC territory, fans traveling outside their home state can still catch the Alabama vs Tennessee thriller from a hotel room in Hawaii.
Grandparents streaming via Roku devices or Apple TV stay current on college experiences of young relatives at schools like Ole Miss. Seeing the joy when South Carolina upsets a Top 10 team resonates strongly despite distance or generational gaps.
Thanks to authenticated online access enabling out of home viewing combined with the SEC pride binding fans to schools often hallowed as family traditions, today‘s SEC Network retains an indispensable role promoting cultural identity across the southeast.
It‘s this winning formula blending perfect programming with ultimate portability that will keep SEC Network locked atop southern small screens for decades to come.
