SEC Network signs deal with Comcast

ESPN and Comcast have agreed to a deal that will allow Comcast to carry SEC Network ahead of the channel's Aug. 14 launch, the cable provider announced on Friday. John Ourand of Sports Business Journal first reported the news. 

Comcast is the largest cable provider in the United States. The company joins Dish Network, Cox Communications, Google Fiber and AT&T U-verse as carriers who will distribute the upcoming network. With Comcast signed on, the network will reach 46 million homes. 

It was reported on Thursday that the SEC Network was nearing deals with both Comcast and DirecTV, and Ourand said Friday that a deal is close with not only DirecTV but also Time Warner Cable. If the network reaches agreements with those carriers as well, it would mean it would be available on every major cable or satellite provider, according to FOX Sports. 

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The SEC Network is scheduled to air more than 1,000 live events in its first year, including at least 45 exclusive SEC football games. It will be operated by ESPN, which signed a 20-year agreement with the conference.

- Molly Geary