LONG SHOT: ESPN, ACC, And Pac-12 Talked About A Joint TV Deal. Could It Really Happen?
Not long after USC and UCLA left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten the ACC who has a history of not rushing into things wondered if there was a chance, they might be the next conference that would be poached. The rumors began back then that Clemson and Florida State were not happy with the ever-growing gap between the SEC, Big Ten, and ACC.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff met to talk about the future and how both conferences might work out a way they could keep their members happy. Enter an unlikely partner to these conversations a couple of program executives from ESPN.
Some in the conference were upset that not only were they far behind the Big Ten and SEC, but they were not that far ahead of the Big 12. Meanwhile, out West, the Pac-12 was fending the Big-12 who is ready to poach members while wondering if the Big Ten would snag a couple more of schools to join with UCLA and USC.
So, the ACC and the Pac-12 began to look at ways they could perhaps form a partnership that could gain the dollars needed to keep their members happy enough to stay put and not bolt to another conference.
The Sports Illustrated reporting team of Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde was the duo that broke the story about the conversations and what was discussed by the group. There would not be a merger or an alliance but a proposed partnership where the ESPN-owned ACC Network — or a renamed entity combining the two leagues — has exclusive rights to air Pac-12 games to West Coast through multiple ESPN cable providers. The deal between the Pac-12 and the ACC would be a media rights agreement and likely take the place of the existing Pac-12 Network.
So, why would ESPN COULD want this partnership for the ACC and the Pac-12 happen?
The ACC Network has at present about 48 million subscribers and could benefit from the number of homes they could add in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The ACC Network is a revenue share deal with both sides equal 50–50 partners, meaning they boost ad prices for spots on Pac-12 games airing on the network, plus they get a monthly cable fee that could be boosted. Add to that putting some of the content on ESPN+ where again revenue can be shared the network keeps the present contract intact but can generate more cash with premier programming.
If ever came to pass it would solve a couple of problems first the ACC could by money generated from network exposure add money to their ESPN deal while Pac-12 would benefit by getting enough cash to satisfy their members in hopes of keeping the conference from losing members to the rival Big 12. Both the ACC’s Phillips and the Pac-12’s Kliavkof believed the idea had merit but knew it would take a great deal of time to pull together plus there would be plenty of hurdles to overcome.
A partnership could take a year or more to work out and there are plenty of things that could kill it before it ever made to the vote by the members. But when you are under attack you go off script and that is what the ACC and Pac-12 are doing.
By Jim Williams WASHINGTON — As the Pac-12 waits for a new media deal and the ACC attempts to sort out there issues with members it might be worth restarting a conversation that began last summer…. Not long after USC and UCLA left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten the ACC who has a history of not...
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