The Pac-12's long-awaited media rights deal is still up in the air, and the future of the conference is at stake. With USC and UCLA leaving for the Big Ten in 2024, the conference's remaining ten members must secure a new deal to keep the Pac-12 afloat.
Recent reports suggest that the Pac-12 may have found a potential partner in Apple TV+. The company has recently signed a 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement with Major League Soccer (MLS) to stream all of the league's games globally. While neither Apple nor the Pac-12 have confirmed anything, this news provides some hope for the conference.
Other potential media partners, including Amazon and Fox, have cooled on the idea of paying significant amounts for Pac-12 rights. ESPN, the conference's current media partner, is also unlikely to pay the $40 million per team per year that Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff promised last summer. This leaves the door open for Apple, which could offer the Pac-12 an all-inclusive package similar to the one it provided to MLS.
The potential deal with Apple is met with mixed reactions from those in the college sports world. Some critics of the conference, like Jason Scheer of 247Sports, have suggested that "a deal that is 100 percent with Apple is so bad it's probably going to happen." Others believe that the Pac-12 should be more concerned with securing a media deal as soon as possible, then focus on a merger with the ACC.
Florida-based media consultant Jeff Edwards has stated that there is no reason for any of the Pac-12 members, including the four corner schools (Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah), to leave the conference at this point. Instead, the conference should focus on staying together and quickly inking a new four- or five-year media rights deal. Edwards also suggests that the Pac-12 should use this time to engage the ACC in talks about a future merger or alliance.
An Atlantic-Pacific Athletic Conference, which was proposed by the University of North Carolina last summer, could offer media partners some outstanding big-name college sports brands in all four time zones. This could be an attractive option for media companies looking to broadcast nationally. For now, the Pac-12 should focus on securing a new media rights deal, then explore all possible options for the future.
The Pac-12's media rights deal is critical to the future of the conference. According to reports, the grant of rights buyout is estimated to be $120 million per school if a member wants to leave the ACC. This means that a new media deal could provide much-needed stability for the Pac-12.
There are concerns that the Pac-12's remaining members could leave the conference if a new deal is not secured. However, Washington State president Kirk Schultz recently stated that Pac-12 leadership isn't "spiraling off into places of despair," and that the conference is still in a good place.
The Pac-12 is also considering expanding with San Diego State and Southern Methodist University. This could help the conference maintain its presence in the western United States and provide some much-needed stability. The addition of new members could also attract more media partners, which could help the conference secure a better media rights deal.
The Pac-12 has been in a state of flux for some time now, and the future of the conference remains uncertain. However, the potential deal with Apple TV+ could provide some hope for the conference. While it's still unclear whether the deal will come to fruition, the Pac-12 should remain focused on securing a new media rights deal. This could be the key to keeping the conference intact.