Pac-12 Networks Now On Dish, Still Working To Add More Carriers

Pac-12, DirecTV still far apart, says Larry Scott

The Pac-12 and DirecTV are still having trouble coming to terms with a deal that both teams will agree upon. The Pac-12 has come to the table with many of the major satellite and cable providers, including Dish Network, Comcast/Xfinity, Time Warner, Cox, and Bright House. DirecTV remains the biggest satellite provider that has yet to come to the table and make a deal.

Pacific Takes has this quote from Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott providing a pessimistic appraisal of the situation. It seems like neither the Pac-12 nor DirecTV are close enough to getting a deal in place.

Pac 12 Commish Larry Scott on our pre game show. Asked about DirecTV and P12 Net: "There's no sign its going to happen anytime soon."

— Dave Softy Mahler (@Softykjr) September 27, 2012

The big issues between the two sites probably have to do with both sides asking for a lot. DirecTV reportedly wanted the Pac-12 to go a la carte, like an HBO subscripition package. However, the Pac-12 balked at any idea that didn't align with what their other satellite and cable carriers got in their deals. The inability for DirecTV to work on the Pac-12's terms has delayed the wrapping on this deal for quite some time, and might delay it long into the season.

Scott and the conference are standing firm, which probably means DirecTV needs help.

DirecTV Ads Spoofed As Pac-12 Networks Pressure Builds

Pac-12 Networks, DirecTV Intensify Public Spat

The Pac-12's new TV network has not been shy about publicly calling out companies with whom it has failed to reach an agreement, and now the Pac-12 Networks have turned their sights on DirecTV, openly criticizing the satellite TV provider who is fighting back as the companies try to reach a deal.

With a pair of conference games set to appear on the Pac-12 Networks this Saturday - Cal vs. USC as well as Utah vs. Arizona State - the demand for the network and its frustration with the fact it is unavailable in some households is rising.

The first salvo was fired by the Pac-12 Networks, who wrote a plea to PAC-12 fans calling DirecTV's stance "absurd" and saying the company was "betraying its promise" to be a premier sports provider:

The deal we've offered DirecTV is fundamentally similar to the deal that has already been accepted by DISH, four of the largest cable companies in the country and more than 40 others. How can a deal that works for all those companies be "unaffordable" for DirecTV, the largest satellite TV provider in the country and the company that built its brand offering every subscriber the "all the sports they crave"?

Not enjoying the way the company was portrayed, DirecTV fired back:

Even though there are only two Pac-12 Network exclusives this weekend, they feature four Pac-12 teams. We realize those games are important to the fans of those teams so we want them to have their network. However, the Pac 12 continues to demand a significant price that would force all of our customers to still pay for this channel whether they want it or not. If Pac 12 were to be more reasonable, we believe there is an opportunity to add this channel immediately for any fan who wants it.

However, the Pac-12 found this response unsatisfactory: when DirecTV responded, they listed the available college football games on DirecTV, but filed the pair of games they won't be carrying under "Other Pac-12 Action":

Burn. RT @pac12: Cal, USC, Utah, Arizona State fans, are you merely "Other Pac-12 action"?!!! @directv

— CougCenter (@CougCenter) September 20, 2012

While the name-calling is fun for anybody who is passionate about corporate feuds, its not clear whether all this is helping fans with DirecTV watch games they watch. The Pac-12 Networks had previously publicly criticized DISH for not airing games and shortly thereafter reached an agreement with them, so perhaps an agreement is on the horizon despite the public animosity.

For more on the Pac-12, head over to Pacific Takes.

Pac-12 Networks, Dish Land Deal In Time For Saturday

Pac-12 Networks and the DISH Network have agreed to terms on a multi-year broadcast agreement, with broadcasts beginning on Saturday.

Currently, DISH Network is the only satellite provider offering Pac-12 Networks. DirecTV and Pac-12 Networks remain in talks. Brian Floyd of CougCenter points out that the Pac-12 Networks' deal with DISH may pave the way for a deal with DirecTV, as the Pac-12 Networks now have leverage.

The Pac-12 Networks will air 35 college football games and more than 140 men's basketball games. Adding in Olympic sporting events throughout the season puts the total at more than 800 events annually.

DISH subscribers are being offered a free preview of the Pac-12 Networks this weekend. The following games will be aired for DISH network subscribers on Saturday:

• Sacramento State at Colorado, 12:00 p.m. PT, Ch. 445
• Eastern Washington at Washington State, 12:00 p.m. PT, Ch. 446
• Southern Utah at California, 12:00 p.m. PT, Ch. 413
• Fresno State at No. 4 Oregon, 3:30 p.m. PT, Ch. 413
• No. 18 Oklahoma State at Arizona, 7:30 p.m. PT, Ch. 413
• Duke at No. 25 Stanford, 7:30 p.m. PT, Ch. 445

For the latest on all things college football, be sure to check out SB Nation's college football hub. Also be sure to check out Pacific Takes, SB Nation's Pac-12 blog.

Pac-12 Networks 'Unlikely' To Add U-Verse, Dish By Week 2

The Pac-12 Networks are unlikely to add coverage on AT&T U-Verse and the Dish Network by the second week of the college football season, according to Jon Wilner (via Pacific Takes.)

The networks are less than a month old and are still working out some kinks, though are leaving a large market without coverage as of now as they are yet to make a deal with DirecTV either. Here's Pacific Takes' Avinash Kunnath with more on this situation:

It makes sense that if no deal has been by Friday, there will probably be no Pac-12 Network this weekend. There just won't be enough time to put everything in place for both sides this week. Even if the Pac-12 and DISH are closing in on a deal of some sort, you have to figure that if a deal is made, it won't come in time for this week's set of games and is being set up for future weeks.

If you'd like to see the Pac-12 Networks expedite the process with the Dish Network, you can make your voice heard here.

For more on the Pac-12, make sure that you check out Pacific Takes. For more on college football in general, head over to SB Nation's dedicated college football hub.

Pac-12 Networks Urges Fans To Ditch DirecTV

The fledgling Pac-12 Networks couldn't come to terms with DirecTV before the beginning of football season, so the channel is telling fans of the conference to find a different TV provider.

The two sides were supposedly near a deal, but that has apparently fallen through. Whether the request to fans is a negotiating tactic or a sign that the channel will not be carried on the satellite provider anytime soon isn't certain, but regardless, the station issued a letter to fans Thursday, the same day the channel will offer its first three football games.

"If you're one of the fans who won't be satisfied without Pac-12 football, or our more than 135 men's basketball games and hundreds of other live events, we recommend finding Pac-12 Networks with another television provider," the letter says.

The channel will carry 15 non-conference football games and five conference matchups. Pac-12 Networks coverage of football begins with Northern Colorado-Utah, UCLA-Rice, and Northern Arizona-Arizona Thursday night.

For more on the Pac-12 conference, make sure to check out Pacific Takes.

Pac-12 Networks Close To DirecTV Deal, According To Report

The Pac-12 and DirecTV are working on a deal to get the conference's television networks, Pac12Nets, on the satellite provider before the start of the regular season, according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News.

That doesn't necessarily mean a deal is imminent, and last-minute snags are always possible in these situations, Wilner says. But a deal struck before the start of the season wouldn't take long to translate to the networks hitting the airwaves, with groundwork already being laid for signal transmission. Wilner says he's heard nothing on a similar deal with DirecTV's rival provider, Dish Network.

DirecTV could be the only hope for many fans to see the networks this season. Time Warner cable has added them to its cable package in Los Angeles, but neither Cox nor Comcast have made them available yet in major markets such as Chicago and Washington, D.C. You can find out if the conference's network is available in your area with this channel finder.

SB Nation's Spencer Hall recently penned a wonderful feature on the new network.

For more on the Pac-12 conference, make sure to check out Pacific Takes.

The Pac-12 Networks: Broadcasting To You Live From The Future

SB Nation's Spencer Hall was on the scene for the launch of the Pac-12's new TV network, an operation far beyond anything else in college sports.

Follow @SBNationCFB

Pac-12 Network Launch: Reviews From Day 1

The Pac-12 Network concluded Day 1 of action with some great glimpses into the type of programming the conference will have to offer. It started with a solid hour of Pac-12 Live, which showcased some of the talented Olympic athletes and their dominance as a conference. It then moved into the meat of its football coverage with interviews with Chip Kelly and Matt Barkley. It was then time for the network's football analysts (including former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel, former Arizona offensive lineman Glenn Parker, and former USC wide receiver Curtis Conway) to break down both divisions in the conference.

For those who wanted more meat, there was then an hour-long Pac-12 football preview that went deeper into every team's strengths and weaknesses. After that, we got a half-hour of features with number one draft picks from the conference such as Drew Bledsoe, Alex Smith and Andrew Luck, which was followed by an encore of the Oregon-UCLA Pac-12 championship game. All in all, this was a solid debut for a conference network that's just beginning to find its footing; it showcased the best of the Olympics and gave us a glimpse of the football that's on its way.

There will obviously be huge issues with regards to cable and satellite coverage, particularly with regards to whether or not DirecTV will eventually put the channel on their platform. But the early signs are that the programming is definitely giving the conference the type of early look they've long deserved.

Talk about the Pac-12 Network at our conference website dedicated to Pac-12 coverage at Pacific Takes.

Pac-12 Networks Launch, Ushering In New Era For Conference

As the Pac-12 prepares for another exciting season of collegiate sports, Wednesday marks another milestone for the conference as their television network officially goes online for your viewing enjoyment.

Going live at 6 p.m. PT this evening, the Pac-12 Network will begin with what's sure to be one of its flagship programs in Pac-12 Live. This program will provide a basic overview of the Network, a look ahead to the upcoming college football season, as well as a look back at how some Pac-12 athletes fared in the recent Olympic games in London.

Following that will be the one-hour conference football preview, which will take a look at how the Pac-12 should fare in 2012-13. Then, you'll see a replay of last year's Pac-12 Championship game between Oregon and UCLA, starting at 8:30 p.m. PT.

You can also follow along with the Pac-12's Yogi Roth (and SB Nation's Spencer Hall and Drew Dunlevie, who are live on the scene), who will be live tweeting the inaugural day of the network as action unfolds.

For more on the Pac-12 conference, make sure to check out Pacific Takes.

Pac-12 Networks Launch Wednesday: College Football Fans React

It's finally here boys and girls. The Pac-12 network is set to come online Wednesday evening and everyone is excited about it.

The folks over at Bruins Nation, the dedicated UCLA blog, have broken down their initial coverage, which is set to begin around 6 p.m. PT Wednesday night. They'll start with their flagship program 'Pac-12 live,' breaking down the upcoming football schedule, recapping the Olympics and its Pac-12 ties, and much more.

Over at Block U, the site for Utah Ute fans, they talk about the problems some of the network cable providers are having with the Pac-12 network, noting that providers like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Communications should have no problems, though other providers like Direct TV might still have problems.

At Pacific Takes, SB Nation's Pac-12 blog, they take a closer look at some important things to remember as the Pac-12 network gets started, mainly that nothing is perfect.

For more on the the Pac-12, make sure that you check out Pacific Takes as well as SB Nation's dedicated college football hub.

Pac-12 Network, The Big Ten Network Of The Future

Pac-12's Global Airwaves Takeover Now Has Home Base

Pac-12 Network To Include Six Regional Channels, One National And Multiple Distributors

On the heels of a gigantic media rights deal with Fox and ESPN, the Pac-12 has announced the details of its newly formed conference network. The Pac-12 Network is set to broadcast a slate of programming that includes football inventory held back from the primary media rights deal, as well as Olympic sports and other Pac-12-centric programming. In order to form the network, the Pac-12 pulled in the services of Comcast, Bright House and Cox and Time Warner to form six regional networks, as well as a national network.

Pac-12 football games will be assigned to Fox, ESPN and the Pac-12 Network through a lottery of sorts, with each of the networks rotating the first picks on a week-to-week basis. Between ESPN, Fox and the Pac-12 Network, all football and men's basketball games will be broadcast on television. The Pac-12 made a conscious decision to hold inventory out of the primary deal in an effort to give the Pac-12 Network a head start and make it more enticing to networks and distributors.

The Pac-12's decision to create multiple networks, including regional channels that cover the six travel partners in the conference, should allow for easier distribution and locally-aimed programming. By partnering with multiple cable networks, the Pac-12 Network should also find it easier to gain widespread distribution, a common problem for new networks trying to get off the ground.

The Pac-12 will not, however, hand over the conference network to the various cable companies involved. Instead, it will keep ownership over the newly formed networks, and keep all the equity as part of the deal. The Pac-12 will own and control the newly formed national and regional networks over the life of the deal. The Pac-12 Network will launch in August 2012, just in time for the start of next year's football season.

For more college sports, stay tuned to SB Nation's NCAA football and NCAA basketball hubs, and browse our huge list of team blogs.

Pac-12 Looking To Partner With Apple, Google, According To Report

The Pac-12 is going to drag you kicking and screaming into the future, and in the end you will thank it. The Mercury News' Jon Wilner reports the expanding conference is "exploring partnerships" with Apple and Google about a potential online-only media distribution outlet.

Larry Scott and friends recently put together a $3 billion media deal with ESPN and FOX, but the next step is to figure out how to start up a conference-specific network. As Wilner spells it, that could be a revamped channel, a whole new channel or a whole new reality for which you are not prepared.

It's times like these you really realize how valuable a school like Stanford is. In addition to Directors' Cup dominance and a darn fine football team, the Cardinal also offer connections to some of the most revolutionary people in tech and media.

Though the Pac-12 may want to consider soon adding Portland's Reed College, which Steve Jobs credits with helping him develop his acclaimed aesthetic sense. Reed appears to have a strong ultimate frisbee program.

For more college sports, stay tuned to SB Nation's NCAA football and NCAA basketball hubs, and browse our huge list of team blogs. 

Pac-12 Media Rights Deal: Money Talks, Reluctantly

Pac-12 Media Rights Deal: Pac-10 Fans Behold Their Future

Pac-12-to-be fan reactions to Wednesday's announced conference media rights deal with ESPN and FOX ranged from respectfully skeptical to over the moon. Below, a roundup of assessments from current Pac-10 program communities: 

 • California Golden Blogs calls the new setup "unbelievably awesome in every way."

 • Building the Dam considers the logistical hurdles still ahead for the eventual Pac-12 network.

 • Bruins Nation lauds the beginning of a grand conference makeover.

 • Rule of Tree parses how this deal will affect Stanford fans (and Stanford fans' cable bills).

 • SB Nation Arizona wonders if the Sun Devils' cut of the cash can be used to bring back non-revenue sports cut by ASU.

 • Arizona Desert Swarm looks forward to no more conflicts between high school basketball and their beloved alma mater's games.

 • CougCenter anticipates a "facilities boom" at Washington State.

 • And Conquest Chronicles wonders why the Southern California schools left so much on the table.

You Got $20+ Million, You Got None

Pac-12, ESPN, FOX Sign Blockbuster Media Rights Deal

The new conference doesn't officially exist until July, but the way they're branding this thing up we suppose it's time to start calling the Pac-10 the Pac-12. The conference has more than earned a title bump, with today's announced media rights deal making membership the most lucrative gig in college sports history. A 12-year deal with ESPN and FOX, running through the 2024-2025 season, will reportedly net the conference a total of around $3 billion, pushing about $21 million a year to each program.

The deal was announced by a justifiably-preening Larry Scott, along with reps from the two networks, at the Arizona Biltmore Wednesday morning. (Quoth the Fox guy, "There are times when it makes sense to get together.") Some interesting details you may have heard, and some were new to all of us. A quick roundup:

• Changes are in store for both networks' coverage of Pac-10 sports. For example, FOX will begin showing college football games on FX, as previously reported, while ESPN will undertake a new Saturday late-night game broadcast, ending an era of West Coast ball being relegated to channels East Coast fans don't get.

• The two networks will implement a draft-like system for sharing game coverage, and will take turns broadcasting the conference championship game.

• A dedicated Pac-12 network is a stated goal, but far more interesting is the establishment of a new company called Pac-12 Media Enterprises, which will develop the eventual conference channel, individual digital networks for universities, and Pac-12 Media Labs, dedicated to "innovating and developing ideas for sports broadcasting." For fans of sports and technology alike, it's going to be an exciting few years harnessing technical innovation out of the American West.

Pac-12 fans and fans-to-be will crow, and more than one major conference may wish it had grabbed for a larger brass ring, but it's hard not to see this development as a win for the sport, full stop. What this deal means at its heart is more college football on television, and that's never, ever a bad thing.