As the Southeastern Conference’s leaders and school athletic directors mull over the likelihood that the league adds a ninth game to its regular season conference schedule, ESPN is now attempting to put its thumb on the scale in favor of the move, The Athletic reports.
Specifically, the network is willing to pay between $50 million and $80 million for a ninth game.
From The Athletic:
“There is no formal offer yet, those sources added, and the exact amount of the increase still needs to be fully negotiated. But the sources said the additional money would likely be in the range of $50-80 million annually on top of the current deal, in which ESPN pays the conference $811 million per year to broadcast its sporting events.