"Music sucks tho": Fans react to latest graphics preview of SEC on ABC as 2024 media days wrap up in Dallas

The mega SEC television contract with ESPN kicks off in the 2024 college football season. The conference sealed an exclusive 10-year deal worth $3 billion with the network in 2020, marking the end of the long-term media partnership with CBS.

Ahead of the 2024 season, ESPN and ABC debuted the new graphics packages for branding its broadcast of the conference games. ESPN’s Creative Studio team unveiled a teaser of some of the graphics to be used by both television networks on Thursday as the media days wrap up in Dallas.

ESPN's new graphics have led to a series of reactions from fans as they have a glimpse of what is likely to be seen on television for the next couple of years. A good number of fans appreciated the creativity in graphics as the conference gets a new look in 2024. However, some are concerned about the music used.

"Graphics good, music sucks tho," a fan said.

A number of fans were just cool with the entire output.

"Let’s go, definitely like the new score bug and graphics," a fan wrote.

"Major W for the sport and creative studio," another fan wrote.

While others complained about the themed music.

"This better not be the new music. That was awful," a fan wrote.

"That music ain't it, fam," another fan wrote.

ABC will give maximum exposure to the SEC

ESPN’s media contract will see its sister network, ABC, broadcast some of the conference games. This has been the Disney-owned network’s tradition and this is done in virtually all ESPN large media contracts.

Having SEC shared with ABC comes with a huge benefit for the television contract.

“With all the conference’s games under the ESPN umbrella and adding ABC and ESPN+ to our distribution channels, ESPN will have complete scheduling flexibility, resulting in maximum exposure and adding significant benefits for SEC schools and fans,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in 2020 (h/t ESPN).

SEC was seeking to improve its scheduling process

Having a solid scheduling process is crucial for the exposure of a league and this was one of SEC’s goals while negotiating the new media. Thanks to the agreement with ESPN, the conference got what it wanted in the media deal.

“One of our primary goals was to improve the television-scheduling process in ways that will benefit our students, coaches, alumni and fans,” Commissioner Greg Sankey said during the announcement of the media deal in 2020.

"By working in collaboration with ESPN, we were able to secure an agreement that includes more lead time for many game-time announcements, and in many ways modernizes the college football scheduling process.”

Without a doubt, the new television contract will bring huge benefits to the conference and will place it in pole position to continue its dominance in the landscape. Aside from the exposure it offers, it also significantly improves the conference members' financial status.