No news would have been good news for the NCAA’s Pac-12 conference this week. Instead, a report from CBS outlined the difficulties the Pac-12 has been having in finding a broadcast partner that is willing to air more than 50% of its games.
Fewer games on broadcast TV means less exposure for school brands, making it more difficult to recruit top-flight players. The Pac-12’s media rights are set to hit the open market in 2024, and negotiations are being hampered by the fact that two of its most popular and recognizable schools — UCLA and USC — are leaving the conference in fall of 2024 for the Big Ten.
Reporting from The Athletic indicates even internal timelines for a broadcast deal have been thrown off. University of Arizona president Robert Robbins told that publication he thought a deal was mere weeks away in March, but now that estimate is being pushed back. Sources within the conference are saying there was simply too much optimism in those forecasts.
There is a potential for good news in the delay; it could be because a new potential broadcast partner is emerging. The CW could have interest according to the report, hoping to expand its sports offerings after acquiring the broadcast rights to LIV Golf. LIV was turned away by other major broadcasters due to the financial backing of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose alleged involvement in his country’s human rights violations and the assassination of Saudi-American journalist Jamal Khashoggi precluded their interest.
But the Pac-12 is running out of options, especially if it wants to match the $31.6 million per school the Big 12 was able to secure in its most recent media rights deal. Pac-12 commissioner George Kliakov is under pressure to deliver a similar number, in order to keep the conference intact and prevent more schools from heading elsewhere.
The CW is owned by Nexstar Media Group, and reaches 100% of major television markets in the United States. Having that kind of reach is a benefit the Pac-12 sorely needs, though it will undoubtedly still try to sell a package of digital rights in addition to linear. Previous reports have linked both Amazon and Apple to the conference, though it is unlikely that any streaming platform will get exclusive Pac-12 rights unless it completely runs out of linear networks to do business with.
Jim Williams, a sports media consultant with decades of experience, told CBS he thinks Pac-12 officials should be thrilled to get a deal done with The CW.
“Personally, if I were talking to one of these presidents, I would have zero problem with CW,” Williams said. “They’ve got legacy television stations all over the country.”
For the 2023 season, Pac-12 games will remain on ESPN and FOX. After that however, the conference’s future is very much in the air, and it could be late spring or early summer before any clarity is available. But fans shouldn’t rule out The CW as a viable partner for the Pac-12 until they hear otherwise.