Sports Business Journal Daily is reporting that CBS is walking away from the bidding war for the SEC package after the 2023 season. CBS’s bid was in the neighborhood of $300 million per year to broadcast the weekly top conference game. The network pays $55 million per year under the current agreement.
SBJ indicates that ESPN/ABC is now in the “final stages” of negotiating a deal, even though the report notes that FOX Sports was still planning to make a bid presentation at SEC headquarters in Birmingham.
As of now, CBS is set to air SEC games for the next four seasons, but the report states it is possible that the SEC or ESPN/ABC could buy out CBS’s remaining years.
