The SEC has its own network deal with ESPN and CBS. The Big-Ten has their own network deal with Fox Sports. The Texas Longhorns have their own deal with ESPN starting August 26th. Now you can add the Pac-12 to the list. The soon-to-be Pac-12 conference reached a "landmark" deal with ESPN and Fox Media Group. The deal will take place in 2012 when the Pac-12 will have their inaugural season as a conference. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott had three objective in creating this conference. Here are his following objectives:
1. Quantum Leap in revenue
Larry Scott is no stranger to making landmark deals. While he was the CEO of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), he landed a six-year $88 million deal with Sony Ericsson. It was the largest sponsorship deal in women's sports history. He makes another landmark deal as the Pac-12 Commissioner by creating a 12-year deal with ESPN and Fox Sports.
This deal will make $3 billion in conference revenue. This revenue will top the financial powerhouses like the SEC and the Big Ten. The conference will make $250 million annually, while each school shares in the profits for $21 million a piece. It's way more money than $600 million the conference received in media revenue last season. The deal will include the new schools, like Colorado and Utah, who will join the conference on July 1st. Each school is a part of an equitable, revenue sharing plan where each schools shares in equal profits in media revenue. Teams like USC and Oregon can't get more money because they draw bigger TV ratings. The revenue from this deal will be "adding back the sports that have been cut" as stated by Commissioner Scott.
2. More National Exposure
The Pac-10 (soon-to-be Pac-12) Football already have exposure from networks like ABC, ESPN, and Fox Sports Net. In addition to those deals, the new deal with will have Pac-12 Football on FOX and FX. The Pac-12 Title Game will be aired on FOX for this year (2011) and next year's (2012) season. After that, ESPN will hold the title game and rotate with FOX every other year until the deal is done in 2023. ESPN and FOX will rotate on the 44 games a year that will be on national television. The rest will on the Commissioner's third objective being the Pac-12 Network.
3. The Pac-12 Network
The Pac-12 Network will one of three companies by entity of Pac-12 Enterprise. The other two companies, Pac-12 Digital and Pac-12 Promotions, will increase the league's visibility in the national media. The network will hold football games, men's basketball games, and most women's basketball games that's not on FOX and/or ESPN networks. With there "main revenue" sports in tact, there will also be an in-house network that provides the conference to air there "Olympic" sports. Commissioner Larry Scott said that "We are prolific when it comes to Olympic sports. We want a vehicle to promote our Olympic sports."
In my opinion, I like the ESPN/FOX deal with the Pac-12. It's a very unique deal that can benefit the conference and college sports on the west coast. Every school, including the new teams like Colorado and Utah, are created equally and share in equal revenue. This conference will be able to get the top high school recruits and compete for championship in college athletics. As a SEC fan, I think this is the conference that can compete with them the SEC in the future. I like the idea that the conference will use the money to bring back the sports programs that have been cut in the past. Much love and respect to the Pac-12 in the future. I might even travel from the Panhandle of Florida to see a Pac-12 football game in the future.
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