2015 SoCon Broadcast Schedule Includes Nine Mercer Football TV Appearances
7/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
MACON, Ga. – The Southern Conference released its 2015 football broadcast schedule this week, which included a league-high nine television appearances for the Mercer football program.
Mercer will once again have each of its home football contests broadcast live on ESPN3, thanks to its groundbreaking on-campus broadcast program. The new initiative helped Mercer make history last fall, launching the first campus-produced college football broadcast on any ESPN network.
The Bears will also have three of their road contests broadcasted, as their trip to Western Carolina (Oct. 10) will be aired live on the American Sports Network while games at The Citadel (Oct. 31) and Furman (Nov. 14) will be shown on ESPN3.
Overall, league teams will have a minimum of 58 exposures across five different linear and digital platforms during the 2015 season and a total of 22 conference games will be available on either ESPN3 or the American Sports Network this fall. Mercer and Furman lead the SoCon with nine total broadcasts, including eight on ESPN3.
In addition to the league's joint venture with ESPN3, the conference is in the second year of an agreement with the American Sports Network (ASN), an initiative launched by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. The league's contract with ASN calls for football, basketball and select Olympic sports to be televised.
Additional games and broadcast outlets will be announced during the season, while all Southern Conference home games that are not on ESPN3 or ASN will be available through the SoCon Digital Network (SDN), which launched in 2014.
ESPN3 is available in approximately 75 million homes to fans who receive their Internet connection from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel. ESPN3 programming is also available to subscribers through Xbox LIVE and through the free WatchESPN app available on smartphones and tablets. The WatchESPN app is also available through Apple TV and Roku video players.
The American Sport Network consists of commercial TV stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group and reaches close to 40 percent of all TV households in the United States with 167 stations in 77 markets. A full list of ASN affiliates will be announced each week.
2015 Mercer Football Broadcasts
Sept. 12 – Stetson at Mercer, ESPN3
Oct. 3 – Wofford at Mercer, ESPN3
Oct. 10 – Mercer at Western Carolina, ASN
Oct. 17 – ETSU at Mercer, ESPN3
Oct. 24 – VMI at Mercer, ESPN3
Oct. 31 – Mercer at The Citadel, ESPN3
Nov. 7 – Chattanooga at Mercer, ESPN3
Nov. 14 – Mercer at Furman, ESPN3
Nov. 21 – Samford at Mercer, ESPN3
