Pac-12 seeking 10-year, $2.3 billion television deal

by JazzyUte on Apr 15, 2011 2:29 PM MDT in Football

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JUNE 17: PAC-10 Commissioner Larry Scott talks to the press after admitting the University of Utah into the PAC-10 June 17, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The University of Utah was invited to join the PAC-10 for the 2011-12 athletic year. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

Larry Scott is all about the money and if he gets what he wants, the Pac-12 will be rolling in it.

The Wall Street Journal reports the Pac-12 is seeking a 10-year, $2.3 billion television deal - negotiating with Comcast, ESPN, Turner Sports and FOX .

The Pac-12 conference is seeking a 10-year deal worth $220 million a year, plus a commitment to launch a regional sports network, people with knowledge of the talks say. Start-up costs for such a venture would likely run in the neighborhood of $100 million, most of which would come from the media partner. Negotiations are likely to conclude in the next few weeks.

One of the biggest knocks against the old Pac-10 was its television deal, which, for a BCS league, really was not up to the snuff. Scott, however, wants to change that and could reward the conference with the largest television deal in college football.

That ain't chump change.

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that is nice!

that is a lot of money in the bank!

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by BigBenSportsGuy on Apr 15, 2011 3:01 PM MDT reply actions

nice!

The regional tv deal, is that different then the Pac-12 Network or in addition to that.

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by Jeremy Mauss on Apr 15, 2011 5:12 PM MDT reply actions

My take is...

Either the report is a bit off and they are talking about the PAC-12 Network or this is something new. In an article I read the other day there were indications that Scott has global ambitions for the PAC-12 NOT regional. There was talk of partnering with pacific rim telecom companies to have the PAC-12 channel air throughout the rim and providing educational content as well as sports.

"It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word" - Andrew Jackson

by uteowl on Apr 15, 2011 5:18 PM MDT up reply actions

agree

I think the regional deal is the Pac-12 network. That would make the most sense, unless there is a regional deal for games not picked up by the main network or the Pac-12 deal.

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by Jeremy Mauss on Apr 15, 2011 6:54 PM MDT up reply actions

Nice to have a forward thinking commissioner for a change

So far I’ve been really impressed with Larry Scott. He has a very clear vision of what he wants the Pac to be, and is aggressive in making it happen. He isn’t just sitting on his hands waiting for things to happen, like ole Craig Thompson does as the MWC commissioner.

by RunninUtes30 on Apr 15, 2011 5:20 PM MDT reply actions

larry scott, pro active. craig thompson, will pick up the kibble and bits.

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by wolfmanshowlforever on Apr 15, 2011 6:50 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

Prior Commish - Tom Hansen - was as bad as they came

so Scott gets nothing but love so far from me

I should be working right now...

by gorams77 on Apr 16, 2011 12:37 AM MDT up reply actions

Would be very nice to see a number like that come in play.

It won’t be as simple as just dividing that number by 12 though. Remember that the league office will take almost a team’s worth of a share off the top to cover all Pac executive/office salaries, travel, markting efforts, etc. But on the flip side – that number doesn’t include revenues generated from the BCS/Bowl system and March Madness (which I believe is all separated equally once travel costs are removed).

The only other thing to take into acount is that a Pac12 Network (as cool as I hope it will be) will probably lose money the 1st couple of years – based off of start up costs. Don’t know how much that will affect the bottom line based of the partnership created to get it off the ground but I assume the league will own a 51% stake (similar to the BigTenNetwork).

I should be working right now...

by gorams77 on Apr 16, 2011 12:46 AM MDT reply actions

Either way though

it is light years ahead of where they are w/ today’s TV deal and well over any number that Hansen would have been looking for IMO.

I should be working right now...

by gorams77 on Apr 16, 2011 12:48 AM MDT up reply actions

The PAC 12 startup losses are accounted for in thedeal.

That is the 100 million referenced. It will be covered by the TV partner. The deal would be a $2.2 billion deal without it.

"From the end spring new beginnings." - Pliny the Elder

by daedalus17 on Apr 17, 2011 9:26 AM MDT via mobile up reply actions

Tom Hansen would have never expanded the conference.

Without Larry Scott, we would still be stuck with the MWC’s pathetic TV deal. We truly are moving on up to the east side. We finally got a piece of the pie. Larry Scott is a saint as far as I am concerned.

by pappyman on Apr 17, 2011 11:10 PM MDT reply actions

Yup...

Larry Scott is going to turn the Pac-12 into a conference that can rival the SEC. I know that sounds like a joke – but I am absolutely serious. I believe he’s going to do great things for the programs out west and make the conference a true college football force.

The future is here. Oregon, Utah and Stanford are tradition-lacking programs that are making a big name for themselves right now. USC is still USC. Washington is becoming relevant again. Oregon State is still a solid program. So is Cal and the Arizona schools.

Overall, I think the potential for the Pac-12 is through the roof. This TV deal will only push them closer to greatness.

by JazzyUte on Apr 18, 2011 3:23 AM MDT up reply actions

Lots of great programs

The two you left out- Wazzu and Colorado- aren’t bad either. Obviously WSU has played some terrible football the last three years, but they are less than a decade removed from three strait 10 win seasons and two Rose Bowl games in 5 years. Colorado had some great success in the 1990’s and early 2000’s as well. They had a National Championship in 1990 and 7 bowl games over a 10 year span.

I don’t disagree that the programs you mentioned are in better shape right now, I just wanted to illustrate how this will be a deep conference. All the programs have had national success in the not-too-distant past or are primed to do so soon. I am looking forward to watching this conference grow in national prestige.

by spencer peaty on Apr 18, 2011 5:06 PM MDT up reply actions