ESPN Senior VP/Programming Justin Connolly said that the net is "unconcerned" about the SEC Network's "limited cable and satellite distribution deals with 2 1/2 months to go before its launch," according to Ralph Russo of the AP. ESPN has reached deals with Dish Network, AT&T U-verse, Google Fiber and NRTC to carry the SEC Network, but major distributors such as Time Warner Cable, Comcast and DirecTV "are not yet onboard." Connolly: "We're not concerned at this point. If you look back, not just with conference networks but networks as a whole, often times distribution holes are filled toward the end" (AP, 5/28). SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said that he is "pleased rather than concerned about how network distribution is progressing." However, Slive said it is “unrealistic to think we will have full distribution" on Aug. 14, the day the network goes live. Slive said that because of distribution deals with AT&T and Dish, the network will be "available to any subscriber who wishes to make the switch" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 5/29).
