The new-look Pac-12 is still in search of its long-term media partners for when the conference expands in 2026. And according to a new report, that will mean games airing on multiple networks, as well as a streaming component.
According to a report in Front Office Sports on Tuesday, Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould confirmed in an interview that “the conference is expecting a media rights package with multiple broadcast networks” for 2026.
The Pac-12, after being ravaged by conference realignment and whittled down to just two schools (Oregon State and Washington State), has added five teams from the Mountain West: Boise State, Utah State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Colorado State. And per a report earlier this month, Fox Sports, ESPN, and CBS were all still open to potentially bid on the new conference’s rights. Additionally, Gould hinted to FOS that the conference would need “a strong streaming platform in addition to traditional linear channels.”
Gould mentioning multiple broadcast networks is certainly notable. That could mean Fox and CBS, but it could also mean the conference could continue its relationship with a broadcast network like The CW, which aired Oregon State and Washington State home games in 2024.
It’s unlikely that the Pac-12 will be able to match the media rights fees earned under its old deals, which netted schools about $30 million per year. But by spreading its inventory around to several broadcast partners, the conference can take a NASCAR-like approach to maximizing its television revenue. This year, NASCAR began its first year of new broadcast deals that has the circuit linked up with five separate partners; a move that secured around a 40% increase in rights fees from their previous agreements.
So far, between two broadcast networks and a streamer, Pac-12 games will be airing in three separate places starting next year. Now it’s just a matter of finding out where.
