Fans and coaches grew frustrated with the “Pac-12 After Dark” games. Though the ESPN and Fox deals were lucrative, the cable networks demanded nighttime kickoffs to fill empty airtime on the East Coast. With the SEC set to relaunch to a predicted 67 million households, Scott told his university presidents “we have to look at the benefits long-term.” Still unable to secure a DirecTV deal, the Pac-12 was reaching only 11 million paying subscribers compared to 57 million for the Big Ten. “You have to look at this based on where we’ll be after 10 years,” he said. Speaking with a reporter, he preached patience. Three years into his big gamble, during the 2014 Pac-12 football media days in Los Angeles, Scott took a break from the proceedings to find a shady spot outside. “It’s understandable … it matters a lot.” “I know there’s a lot of anxiety,” he said in 2012. Scott acknowledged that distribution would be crucial. Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. You wonder if he tried to out-think this one.” “One criticism I’ve heard about Larry Scott in the industry is that he always wants to be the smartest guy in the room. Time Warner Cable agreed but negotiations with DirecTV proved more difficult. Though the market was crowded - so many sports channels jumping into the fray - the Pac-12 asked carriers for a reported 80 cents per subscriber, more than CNN, USA or FX. That money, he believed, would give his network some cushion to establish itself. Scott also worked a historically lucrative side deal, selling a chunk of football and men’s basketball games to ESPN and Fox for $3 billion over 12 years. The Pac-12 Networks launched in 2012 with a national channel and six regional channels, which Scott characterized as an effort to “super-serve fans” in various geographic markets. An established broadcaster might focus too narrowly on football and men’s basketball a self-owned network would ensure these sports received proper exposure. The Pac-12 had always considered itself the “Olympic” conference, winning national titles in sports such as swimming, volleyball and water polo. Money and equity were only part of the argument for going it alone. “You wonder if he tried to out-think this one.” “One criticism I’ve heard about Larry Scott in the industry is that he always wants to be the smartest guy in the room,” Rishe said. CBS, ESPN and others expressed interest in the Pac-12. The Big Ten had partnered with Fox to launch its network in 2007 and the SEC was handing its channel over to ESPN in exchange for a massive rights fee. Television dollars were altering the business of college sports.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |