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After months of negotiations over a new media rights deal, it looks like Pac-12 won’t strike an agreement with any television network. The news brings us to a new chapter in the prolonged talks for a new broadcasting deal.
Top conference executives, including Washington State President Kirk Schulz, had continuously expressed that a resolution would be reached over the past months. With the latest developments, the waiting game surrounding the TV deal is about to end.
According to Washington-based media consultant Jim Williams, the Pac-12 will switch to being a direct-to-consumer (D2C) source for events on cable and satellite. The supposed move will mark a whole new dispensation in the broadcast of college football in the United States.
The shift to D2C also means the Pac-12 Network will be the home to all live games of the conference should they proceed with the move. Fans of the conference who want to catch up with live events will have to directly subscribe to the Pac-12 Network to have access to content.
It is worth noting that ESPN and FOX have frequently utilized the Pac-12 Network as a production partner for conference events. Consequently, it is a logical approach to minimize expenses using the conference-owned network as the primary production hub.
What does this mean for Pac-12 members?
With the latest development, it's safe to say that the likes of Colorado and Arizona are out of the conference. The two universities have held extensive talks with the Big 12 on the possibility of a realignment, delaying their decision to see the outcome of the TV deal.
Now that the conference has been unable to strike an agreement with a local television network in the United States, the easy route for the two schools and possibly a couple of others is to exit the conference. This is what the conference has tried to avoid all this while.
The exit of USC and UCLA from the conference hasn't gone down well with its television partners. While the top executives have reiterated their confidence in sealing a deal as big as the Big 12, it was evident that the loss of two programs will play a significant role.
On paper, the conference might earn more from this new distribution model. However, not many members will express conference in the model. The fact that they can't project their expected earnings for a particular season will appeal to only some.
