The college football world has been trying to make sense of the Pac-12’s media rights negotiations for a while now.
Will their next deal be impressive or disappointing? Depending on who you ask, things seem to be trending in very different directions.
Pac-12 insiders have painted a fairly positive picture. While outsiders have been predicting that the Pac-12 will end up with a rights deal that’s paltry in comparison to the Big 12, media insiders who cover the conference have projected the deal to be in the ballpark, if not slightly better. That seems to be at odds with the rumors and reports that have dogged the Pac-12 in recent weeks, including reports that they were negotiating with the likes of Ion and The CW. And while the streamers have been rumored to be heavily in the mix, league presidents have scoffed at the notion that streaming services will be front and center. Meanwhile, the doesn’t seem to be much of an impetus to get a deal soon in spite of all the potential pitfalls.
While most people outside of the league remain dubious, you can count Colorado Chancellor Phil DiStefano among those who are bullish on the Pac-12’s upcoming rights deal. In fact, not only does he seem to think it will surpass the Big 12’s numbers but also the ACC’s.
“…DiStefano said “there’s a very good possibility” the next deal will bring in per-school revenues ranking third among the Power 5 conferences, ahead of the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast conferences,” says USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer, who spoke with DiStefano over the weekend. “He also hopes it’s a five- to seven-year deal instead of being locked into a longer contract like the 12-year deal that ends next year and once was touted as the most valuable in college sports.”
The Big 12’s new deal will pay each school around $31.7 million annually while the ACC’s current rights deals pay each school around $36 million yearly. Even the boldest estimates from league insiders don’t have the Pac-12 topping that ACC number, but perhaps DiStefano knows something we don’t.
He also seemed to reiterate a desire not to go all-in on streaming services just yet.
“I think in five years we’ll get a much better feel for streaming services,” DiStefano told USA Today. “That’s changing so much, and it’s going to put us in a position to pick up some things that maybe we’re not going to get at this point.”
One thing that appears to be sure for the time being is that the remaining Pac-12 members are committed…at least until they see what those numbers come out to.
“Nobody’s asked us – I shouldn’t even say that. We’re committed to the Pac-12,” DiStefano said. “What I’ve said along with the other presidents and chancellors is we’re not going to even think about going anywhere, none of us, until we see what kind of offer we get, and that’s still being worked out. And I’m confident it’s going to be fine.”
