Time Warner Cable, the country's second biggest cable operator, has agreed to carry SEC Network as of its Aug. 14 launch. Bright House Networks also will carry the channel, bringing its distribution footprint up to 60 million homes. The deals leave DirecTV, Charter and Verizon as the only big SEC-area distributors that have not cut a deal. DirecTV and Charter sources say they expect to carry the channel before its first regular-season SEC football game, Aug. 28.

Distributors are paying $1.40 per subscriber per month for the channel within the SEC's 11-state footprint and $0.25 per month outside of it. The channel will be on expanded basic tiers within SEC territory and digital basic outside of it. Just last week, the country's biggest distributor, Comcast, signed a deal to carry the channel, joining a roster that includes AT&T, Cox and Dish Network.

Pac-12 Networks today announced that it will distribute its sports programming to int'l audiences through a new YouTube paid channel scheduled to launch in late August. The outlet will become the first live streaming "24x7" subscription sports channel on YouTube. The new channel at launch will distribute the Pac-12 Networks feed as well as VOD content to 27 countries, expanding to additional countries over time (Pac-12 Networks).

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott a year ago said that he expected the conference "to play regular season games in China within the next few years" and that he "hoped the league's cable network would someday be available there" (THE DAILY).

ESPN's Adam Schefter today reported the NFL "believes it was following the lead that the courts set up" in its punishment of Ravens RB Ray Rice with a two-game suspension. Schefter: "The NFL believes – right or wrong – that this is a situation where the courts did not allow Ray Rice to do any jail time, did not fine him, did not even order him to serve any probation. He was ordered into anger management classes." But the decision has "opened up" NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, "who is going to have to rule on any number of player discipline matters this summer and an owner discipline matter" with Colts Owner Jim Irsay, "to a lot of criticism all across the social media world this morning" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/24).

Univ. of North Carolina Chancellor Carol Folt today announced plans for "Complete Carolina," a program to "give financial and counseling support to former athletes to encourage them to finish their degrees." The effort will be "completely funded by the athletic department and will start accepting applications Sept. 1." Folt said that former athletes "will be able to resume their scholarship at support commensurate with their scholarship if they left the university in good standing" (NEWSOBSERVER.com, 7/24).

The IOC has invited the Int’l Skateboarding Federation to host a series of skateboarding exhibitions throughout next month’s Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. The federation, which announced the news today, plans to showcase a dozen athletes from around the world, including Renton Millar (Australia), Kelvin Hoefler (Brazil), Tomas Vintr (Czech Republic), Lizzie Armanto (U.S.) and two skaters currently competing in Nike SB’s Street League Skateboarding series.

Skateboarding is the only sport not currently in the Olympics to be invited to host an exhibition, said ISF President Gary Ream. He has been talking to the IOC about skateboarding joining the Olympics since '06. He helped form the ISF a few years later to help get the sport into the Olympics, but inclusion in the YOG (Aug. 17-27) marks the first formal invitation the IOC has extended to the ISF.

Ream said, “I believe (the IOC) are starting to believe this isn’t a fad but is real. We’re dating and they’re going to be introduced to a group of us – to how we’re organizing and embracing all avenues of skateboarding so that if it’s done (in the Olympics), it’s done right. I truly believe the IOC gets that. This is a fun opportunity for us (the IOC and ISF) to get to know each other.”

Carnival Cruise Lines today announced a multiyear deal with the Cowboys, making Carnival the team's official cruise line. Carnival's assets will include a "Fun Crew" at home games, touring the lots at AT&T Stadium on branded golf carts to offer prizes to tailgaters. The partnership begins this week with sponsorship of the "Cowboys Training Camp Daily News Show" airing on FS Southwest. Carnival next year will homeport a third year-round ship in Galveston, Texas (Carnival Cruise Lines).

Dover Motorsports today reported a decrease in Q2 revenues, citing lower motorsports admissions and event-related revenue, partially offset by the contracted increase in broadcasting revenue for the Dover NASCAR weekend. Revenues for the three months ending June 30 were $24.3M, down from $24.5M in the year-ago period. During the quarter, the track promoted a NASCAR triple-header and hosted the Firefly Music Festival (Dover Motorsports).

The MGM Grand Garden Arena will play host to "two major events, one of them new" during the '14-15 college basketball season: the "MGM Grand Main Event" and the "MGM Grand Showcase." The Nov. 24-26 Main Event will run the week of Thanksgiving parallel to the Maui Invitational. The Grand Showcase doubleheader "will be played Dec. 20 and will benefit Coaches vs. Cancer." It will feature UNLV-Utah and Oklahoma-Washington (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/24).

CBS Sports today announced that its Nov. 1 telecast of the Notre Dame-Navy football game from FedExField will air in primetime at 8:00pm ET (CBS Sports).

Frontier Communications has agreed to sponsor the WTA Connecticut Open at the Platinum Sponsor level. The '14 event will be held Aug. 15-23 at Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale Univ. (Frontier Communications).

Russell Athletic and Little League today announced new uniform combinations for the '14 Little League World Series. The uniforms will be designed to celebrate Little League's 75th anniversary (Little League). 

“It's 100 percent sure that we will go to Mexico next year. No doubt about it, everything is confirmed” – Mexican F1 driver Sergio Perez, on local organizers reaching a deal with F1 to appear on next season’s schedule (REUTERS, 7/24).

"International and footwear are the hallmarks of Nike and they're going where they live" – CNBC's Carl Quintanilla, on Under Armour challenging Nike in several product categories ("Squawk on the Street," CNBC, 7/24).

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Don Walker: "112,000 people are on #Packers season ticket waiting list. Good luck with that, folks." 

Sky Sports News' official account: "Lampard's move means Major League Soccer now has the 3rd, 5th and 12th highest scorers in Premier League history."

ESPN.com's Blair Angulo: "Who's down for some weekend trips to Tijuana? RT @ArashMarkazi Pac-12 Network will be available internationally on YouTube."

Vice Sports' Lindsey Adler: "The NFL panders to female fans by offering us nail polish, but shows their actual value of our fandom is very, very low."

Washington Post's Rick Snider: "Crowd was down given the rain. Maybe 1,000. The screaming that was nonstop last year, especially RG3, was muted. Not a lot of big oohs/aahs."
 
If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

Daytona Int'l Speedway posted a series of images via Facebook showing ongoing construction for the Daytona Rising renovation project.

This time-lapse video from MLB.com shows Fenway Park's transformation from baseball diamond to soccer pitch for last night's AS Roma-Liverpool match. Watch the full video.

$500,000 – Entry point for Central Hockey League franchise ownership, according to league Commissioner Steve Ryan. The league "changed its business model last year when team owners bought out Glendale-based Global Entertainment Corp." and it is now "looking to expand" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/24).