Belk will be the official retail department store of the SEC, giving the company exclusive access to all SEC championship events, including the SEC FanFare events held annually in conjunction with the SEC Football Championship Game and Men’s Basketball Tournament. The new deal also gives Belk prime exposure on the forthcoming SEC Network, which will launch August 14, 2014 from the ESPN studios in Charlotte, N.C. The new network and its accompanying digital platforms will air SEC content 24/7 including more than 1,000 events in its first year.
“Our six-year collaboration with the SEC Network will build upon the success we’ve seen with the Belk Bowl,” says Jon Pollack, Belk’s executive vice president of marketing, sales promotion and eCommerce. “We know that collegiate sports are an important part of the Southern lifestyle, and we are excited to further deepen our relationships with ESPN and the Southeastern Conference.”
The SEC Network will air 45 college football games, more than 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games and events from across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming will also include an array of daily studio shows providing in-depth commentary and original content such as the SEC Storied series. AT&T U-verse, DISH, Google Fiber and NRTC have agreed to carry the network.
“Belk’s support for the SEC Network combined with our cross-platform coverage will help us provide each of the 14 schools with unparalleled exposure across all local markets,” said Ed Erhardt, president of global customer marketing and sales at ESPN.
