Pac-12 Conference: Fox Australia Made The Deal But What About DirecTV?

It is rumored that Pac-12 is going to announce a distribution deal with a major carrier on the eve of the season. This news has triggered wild guesses among experts on the carrier, and many believe the carrier to be DirecTV. It is possible for the carrier to DirecTV, but it is not happening, at least not at the Pac-12 conference.

The Pac-12 conference announced a multi-layer deal with Fox Sports Australia to broadcast thirteen football games and twenty-one men’s basket ball games per year. The broadcast will also include eight games from conference tournament. The expansion of distribution into Australia via Fox Sports is much important for men’s basketball than football, as Australia has got good talents in basketball.

In the previous years, many of the experts advised Pac-12 fans to be optimistic when the season started, and negotiations with DirecTV executives heated up. They said so because many of the experts were either expecting a carriage deal between DirecTV and Pac-12, or they felt that it is reasonably possible. However, it has not happened yet.

In recent days, the sentiment has shifted and not much people are expecting a deal now. Many do not even consider it a reasonable possibility, but nobody says that the deal cannot happen. Carriage deals can be equated to conference expansion; it is never done until it is done, but skepticism is very high.

AT&T asked for campus-wide rights in exchange of carriage, but was rejected last year. Equity in Pac-12 Nets was also discussed, but it is not yet part of the final offer. AT&T has had partnership with Pac-12 Nets through U-Verse and they could cut a new deal after taking over DirecTV.

At the same time, Pac-12 is also not in a position to accept the low sub free from DirecTV, without reconsidering the deals with other partners. All this means that Pac-12 fans should wait patiently until a deal is made between DirecTV and Pac-12.