New Pac-12 could be aiming to sell media rights by March Madness
New Pac-12 could be aiming to sell media rights by March Madness
A new report outlines the next steps for the conference as it looks to rebuild itself.
It really looked like the Pac-12 was not long for this world when the 2024 college football season began. The storied conference was down to just two schools, and was forced to make a somewhat anemic deal with The CW to broadcast home football games from the Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars. The conference is on the rise once again, however, and its commissioner believes that there’s potential for a meatier rights deal involving the conference in the near future.
Key Details:
- A new report indicates the Pac-12 could sign a media rights deal by March or April.
- Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould wants a partner that could team with the conference in the long term.
- The conference is likely to shop its rights as a bundle initially but could be persuaded to break them up by sport.
The Pac-12 will welcome the Boise State Broncos, Colorado State Rams, Fresno State Bulldogs, and San Diego State Aztecs starting in 2026, helping the conference build back some of the strength it lost when all but two of its teams abandoned it before the 2024 season.
Conference commissioner Teresa Gould sat down with sports writer John Canzano to talk about her vision for the new Pac-12, and how much she wants to rebuild it to its former glory. Canzano cites sources who tell him that the Pac-12 wants to potentially have a new media rights deal in place by the time the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament rolls around; in his interview with Gould, Canzano wrote that he “didn’t hear anything that shifted that estimate.”
However, there weren’t many specifics as to who the conference was targeting as a partner. Gould did say that she and the university presidents who are coming into the conference are “not just looking for whoever is willing to pay the most dollars for our rights,” but are “looking for partnership.”
Gould also explained that she was hopeful that a TV network or streaming service that acquired Pac-12 football rights in 2025 would keep them in 2026 and beyond. The goal is to sell the conference’s sports rights as a bundle, but Canzano reports that could change if it gets a compelling offer from another outlet for its basketball rights only.
Apple was one of the most frequently discussed potential allies of the conference before it effectively dissolved, and perhaps discussions will start with that company. Amazon’s Prime Video was also linked to the Pac-12, but the new iteration of the conference might prefer to sell its rights to linear TV networks to ensure the largest possible viewing audience.
Time will tell, but the wait may not be too long according to Canzano’s reporting. We could be looking at a new Pac-12 rights buyer within the next three to four months if the conference’s timeline plays out as scheduled.
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