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38-557: The network's coverage serves as the successor to an eponymous syndication package (later renamed SEC TV ), which was produced by its syndication arm ESPN Regional Television . SEC Network is operated out of ESPN facilities in Charlotte , North Carolina , shared with ESPN Events , some operations for the ACC Network , and formerly ESPNU . While Charlotte is not an SEC market itself, it is in close proximity to universities that are members of

76-632: A sports format . WJOX-FM is owned by Cumulus Media (the parent of radio network Westwood One ). The station was assigned the WJOX-FM call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on February 8, 2010. The station has studios in Homewood and its transmitter is in West Birmingham along the west ridge of Red Mountain. The station is an affiliate of Infinity Sports Network , and

114-471: A college football analyst for the SEC Network on a multi-year contract. In August 2016, former Vanderbilt University quarterback Jordan Rodgers (brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ) was hired as a college football analyst. AT&T U-verse was announced as the first television provider to agree to carry SEC Network. On January 13, 2014, Sports Business Journal reported that ESPN

152-582: A long-term, 20-year agreement lasting through 2034, ESPN would launch SEC Network, a network devoted to the conference and an accompanying digital platform, in August 2014. The network would aim to provide "unparalleled content from one of the most competitive conferences in the country with the highest quality, most innovative production partner in the sports industry", and joins the Big Ten Network and Pac-12 Network as cable television networks devoted entirely to

190-434: A multi-year deal with ESPN to serve as a college football analyst. Tebow also will make appearances on SEC Nation . On March 12, 2014, ESPN named Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer as lead game announcers for SEC Network's football telecasts. As a result, Musburger was no longer assigned to Saturday Night Football or post-season bowl games. He remained a commentator for Big 12 basketball games aired on ESPN, and made

228-402: A one-off return to call the 2014 Iron Bowl game. Musburger left ESPN in 2017 to pursue his new Las Vegas-based sports betting network VSiN , and was replaced on the flagship SEC Saturday Night by the new team of Tom Hart , Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic . On March 24, 2014, it was announced that former University of Alabama and New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy was hired as

266-477: A single college athletics conference. During the announcement of the SEC's football schedule for the 2014 season, Michael Slive officially announced that SEC Network would launch on August 14, 2014. Its first live regular season football games aired on August 28, 2014, between Texas A&M and South Carolina , and Temple and Vanderbilt . SEC Network officially launched on August 14, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. ET with

304-466: A wider carriage deal with Disney–ABC Television Group for its ABC owned-and-operated stations and cable television networks. On April 30, 2014, Google Fiber was added as a carrier. In June 2014, network head Justin Connolly expressed concern for the lack of carriage deals for SEC Network beyond those with AT&T and Dish Network, and considered the situation to be "alarming." However, he also noted that

342-597: Is also carried by both PlayStation Vue and Sling TV . Outside the United States, SEC Network became available in Mexico in 2017. SEC TV SEC TV (formerly SEC Network ) was a syndicated package featuring live broadcasts of college football and basketball events from the Southeastern Conference . It was owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television and shown in more than 50 percent of households in

380-525: The Texas Longhorns move to the conference from the Big 12 . SEC Network airs events across the 21 sports that are sanctioned by the conference; within its first year, the network and its digital outlets planned to broadcast at least 1,000 live events, with at least 450 on television. For football, SEC Network airs three Saturday games per week in early, afternoon and evening windows (plus any additional games on

418-409: The syndicated package produced by Raycom Sports and its predecessors (which had broadcast SEC basketball games for 22 years, and football for 17). Besides games on its cable networks, ESPN chose to retain the syndicated package, moving it under its competing ESPN Regional Television (also previously known on-air as ESPN Plus) unit under the on-air brand SEC Network . The first SEC Network game

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456-562: The ESPN app, and ESPN+ under the SEC Network+ branding. ESPN staff worked with each SEC member school to ensure that they have in-house production facilities capable of originating programming and live events for SEC Network. These games also include home Conference USA men's soccer matches featuring the two men's soccer playing members of the SEC. Original content on SEC Network includes studio and analysis programs, along with programs produced by

494-514: The SEC footprint, also aired men's and women's basketball games offered in the sports package. Markets without an SEC TV broadcast partner accessed the broadcasts via Regional sports networks . In terms of market size, the only media market without an SEC TV partner was the New York City area. The following channels carried SEC TV: WJOX-FM WJOX-FM (94.5 MHz ) is a radio station licensed to Birmingham, Alabama . The station airs

532-517: The SEC footprint. NASA (whose Johnson and Kennedy Space Centers are well within SEC territory) arranged for the SEC Network to be made available on the International Space Station . Some of SEC Network's programming is carried on Sirius XM , including The Paul Finebaum Show (which airs on ESPN Xtra ), and as part of Sirius XM SEC Radio, which launched in March 2018. The SEC Network

570-485: The SEC's member institutions. Paul Finebaum signed with ESPN Radio to host The Paul Finebaum Show , which is simulcast by SEC Network, along with Finebaum's previous flagship station WJOX-FM . During college football season, it airs SEC Nation , a travelling pre-game show similar to ESPN's own College GameDay , hosted by ESPN commentator Laura Rutledge . The network also airs encore presentations of SEC events, along with classic games involving its members. 2018 saw

608-494: The United States, mostly Southeastern United States markets. SEC TV's football games typically aired in the noon eastern slot that was former home to the Jefferson-Pilot/Raycom Sports SEC game of the week. Games were shown locally on broadcast stations, regional sports networks , as well as on ESPN GamePlan , ESPN Full Court , and WatchESPN . SEC TV was replaced with a 24-hour cable network devoted to

646-576: The album rock format was dropped in favor of Top 40, first calling itself "95 FM". By the end of the year, WAPI-FM was re-launched as "I-95", calling itself "Birmingham's Hit Rock". Within a year, I-95 had replaced WKXX as the dominant Top 40 station in Birmingham. The most notable announcers on I-95 were Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps , who first teamed at I-95 before moving to KLOS in Los Angeles in 1987. I-95 continued to enjoy dominant ratings throughout

684-480: The alternate channel, if necessary), typically the least prominent games of the week. While CBS maintained its first pick of games for its 3 p.m. ET SEC on CBS window, SEC Network would be able to air other games in the window alongside CBS. SEC Network announced plans to broadcast football games featuring all fourteen of the conference's member schools within the first month of the 2014 season . Events not broadcast on television are streamed online through ESPN.com,

722-448: The announcement that ESPN would be launching an SEC cable network under the same name in 2014, SEC Network was re-branded as SEC TV on September 7, 2013. SEC TV folded following the 2013 football season and the 2013-2014 basketball season. The last live sports program to air on SEC TV was the quarterfinals of the 2014 men's conference basketball tournament . The standalone SEC Network cable outlet launched August 14 of that year. SEC TV

760-549: The conference and shares a television market with the northern part of South Carolina , which is part of the South Carolina Gamecocks ' television market. The network's digital platform, SEC Network+ ( SECN+ ), carries SEC events not broadcast on linear television. It streams on ESPN+ , as well as ESPN.com and the ESPN app for SEC Network subscribers. On May 2, 2013, SEC Commissioner Michael Slive and ESPN president John Skipper formally announced that as part of

798-421: The conference, also named SEC Network , after the 2013–14 college sports season. The new SEC Network would assume the duty of broadcasting football games in the "early" window used by SEC TV. In 2008, ESPN reached a 15-year deal to become the Southeastern Conference 's main media rightsholder, assuming the majority of football and basketball rights (besides portions that would still be held by CBS ), including

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836-619: The former WSPZ (690 AM) in February 2010. Ironically, 690 AM was the original home of the WJOX sports format when the format was introduced to the Birmingham market in 1992. The WJOX call letters were previously assigned to 106.1 FM in Jackson, Michigan from 1976 to 1981. This incarnation of WJOX programmed the automated "Stereo Rock" format from TM Programming, using the moniker "Rock 106". The WJOX call letters were dropped by 106.1 FM on March 11, 1981, when

874-650: The late 1970s forced Advance Publications to sell its TV and radio properties in Birmingham. In 1980, WAFM-TV was sold to Times-Mirror Broadcasting, while the radio stations were sold to Dittman Broadcasting, owners of WABB and WABB-FM in Mobile . In August 1981, 94.5 switched formats, and became Birmingham's second album rock station with the new name "95 Rock". During the mid-1980s, the Top 40 format, which had disappeared from radio dials in many cities, regained popularity. Birmingham had one Top 40 station, WKXX (now WBPT ). In 1984,

912-662: The network may successfully negotiate more carriage deals closer to its launch. On July 9, 2014, Cox Communications , whose subscriber base includes four SEC markets, reached an agreement to carry SEC Network. Exact terms were not disclosed. Nine days later, ESPN also reached a deal with Comcast to carry SEC Network; in SEC markets, the provider will pay a carriage rate of $ 1.40 per-subscriber per month. On July 25, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks reached deals to carry SEC Network, followed by Cable One and Wide Open West on August 1. On August 2, 2014, Suddenlink Communications announced that it had reached an agreement to carry

950-484: The network on August 14, 2014. With the Mediacom agreement, the two major television providers that did not reach a carriage deal prior to launch were Verizon FiOS and Cablevision . However, on August 21, 2014, Sports Business Daily reported that Verizon FiOS had reached a deal to carry the network in its Texas and Florida service areas (which are within the SEC footprint). Cablevision does not have any markets within

988-643: The network on the launch date. On August 4, 2014, DirecTV , and C Spire Wireless both announced agreements to carry the network (the latter deal was made through the National Cable Television Cooperative, in which C Spire would provide its Fiber to the Home HDTV subscribers with access to the SEC Network App). These announcements were followed by an agreement with Charter Communications on August 6, 2014. Mediacom reached an agreement to carry

1026-408: The parent company of The Birmingham News . In the early 1970s, WAPI-FM played "solid gold" music (an early version of the adult contemporary format). In 1978, the station became an easy listening music station, calling itself "Beautiful 94" (later branded as "FM 94 WAPI, A Pleasure To Be Around"), moving it in competition with WQEZ (now WMJJ ). Federal Communications Commission rules enacted in

1064-490: The premiere of its news program SEC Now , which featured live broadcasts from each SEC school, highlights from football training camps, and live look-ins of an exhibition women's soccer game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Creighton Bluejays (which was broadcast in its entirety via WatchESPN as the first live event produced by SEC Network). In July 2024, SEC Network subsumed the scope of Longhorn Network after

1102-641: The premiere of the network's first non-sports series, True South , where food writer John T. Edge travels throughout the Southeast and highlights local cuisine and history. During late July/early August, the network airs a marathon of programming featuring all 16 of the conference's schools, with each school “taking over” the network for 24 hours and airing various sporting events from the previous season and classic games as well. On December 30, 2013, ESPN announced that former University of Florida , Denver Broncos and New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow had signed

1140-523: The remainder of the 1980s, using the slogan "Birmingham’s All-Hit I-95" for the remainder of that decade, and as "The Station in the '90s" into the 1990s. However, the nationwide decline in popularity of the Top 40 format affected I-95. On April 22, 1994, at 5   p.m., the station changed call letters to WMXQ ("Mix 94.5") and became a hot adult contemporary music station. "Mix" was no more successful than I-95 had been in its latter stages, so on September 25, 1996,

1178-457: The show. The forerunner of WJOX debuted December 1, 1947 as WAFM on 93.3 FM. At least by 1949, the station was broadcasting on 99.5 FM, where it remained until 1963, when it moved to its current frequency. It was a sister station to WAPI; WAFM-TV (now WVTM ), was launched in 1949. WAFM changed its call sign in 1958 to WAPI-FM to match the call letters of its AM sister station . All three broadcast properties were owned by Advance Publications ,

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1216-512: The station dropped its hot adult contemporary format and began stunting in anticipation of a new format. The station began playing country music at approximately 9:25 p.m. and continued doing so for the next two days. The station then began simulcasting co-owned sports radio station WJOX as a temporary measure until the format change was completed. WJOX-FM made 94.5 its permanent home on July 22, 2008, moving from its former dial position of 100.5 FM . The station began being simulcast on

1254-513: The station once again changed formats and became a soft adult contemporary station with the new name "Soft Rock 94.5". The call letters were changed to WYSF in November of the same year. Television ads for the new station featured actress Teri Garr . In 1999, the morning drive team of Rick and Bubba moved from crosstown station WQEN to WYSF, where they remained until December 2006, when they departed for country music station WZZK-FM . In 2001,

1292-406: The station renamed itself "Y-94.5", with no real change in its music. In reaction to a steep drop in ratings after the departure of Rick and Bubba, the station changed formats at 5:00 p.m. on May 25, 2007. The station dropped its soft adult contemporary format and replaced it with a hot adult contemporary format, changing the on-air name of the station to "The New 94-5 FM". On July 4, 2008,

1330-490: Was available through 102 over-the-air television stations in the now-11-state SEC footprint, as well as other stations outside SEC markets, regional sports networks , and ESPN platforms such as ESPN3 and ESPN GamePlan / Full Court . All times listed are ET All times listed are ET Most affiliates alternated each season, depending on the sport. Many stations outside of the SEC's geographical footprint only carried SEC TV's football games, but most others, especially within

1368-583: Was seeking a carriage rate of $ 1.30 per subscriber per month in SEC markets, and $ 0.25 in non-SEC markets; in comparison, Big Ten Network charges around $ 1 per subscriber in Big Ten markets. It was also noted that SEC Network's opening doubleheader may have been intended to put pressure on Comcast , Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications to carry the network, as they predominantly involved teams located within their service areas. In March 2014, Dish Network reached an agreement to carry SEC Network as part of

1406-621: Was the Tennessee Volunteers football team's 63-7 blowout win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on September 5, 2009. Dave Neal (an original Jefferson-Pilot/ Raycom play-by-play football commentator) and Andre Ware were the play-by-play commentators, and Cara Capuano was the sideline reporter. Unlike Jefferson-Pilot/Raycom Sports, SEC TV also carried some regular season Women's basketball games in syndication on Sunday afternoons during basketball season. In 2013, with

1444-642: Was the Birmingham area flagship affiliate for University of Alabama sports. WJOX-FM became the flagship station of the Paul Finebaum Radio Network , which was syndicated throughout Alabama and adjoining states, in 2007. WJOX-FM is an affiliate of the Tennessee Titans football radio network and the Atlanta Braves radio network. In 2013, Finebaum moved to ESPN Radio to host The Paul Finebaum Show for SEC Network , with WJOX continuing to carry

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