I found this piece by Pat Forde and Ross Delenger interesting. They got a lot more detail on this PAC/ACC partnership than the CBS dude.
Anyway .... I'll copy and paste it and link to it too ...
There could be something here. Basically, both conferences working with ESPN to find a mutually beneficial solution ... where ESPN controls more of the country and 3 of the 5 biggest conferences, and the leagues get more money and exposure though this arrangement.
www.si.com
Officials from the ACC and Pac-12 are discussing a broadcasting partnership with ESPN that would bring together the two Power 5 leagues from opposite coasts for a mutually beneficial relationship, sources tell Sports Illustrated.
The proposal, still in its infancy, heavily involves the ESPN-owned ACC Network. Under the plan, the ACC Network—or a renamed entity combining the two leagues—will have exclusive rights to broadcast Pac-12 games to West Coast households through ESPN cable providers. The agreement is not a merger or consolidation of the leagues but is instead built around a media rights agreement with the worldwide leader in sports—an effort to clap back at the Pac-12’s loss of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten.
While the joint move could feature marquee nonconference matchups from the West and East Coasts—think Clemson-Washington or Miami-Oregon—the primary reason behind the partnership is the TV property. This would replace the failed Pac-12 Network with a reliable provider that can reach millions of homes out west.
The potential agreement could conceivably benefit all involved: The ACC is expected to receive long-sought additional television revenue; ESPN gets a piece of Pac-12 inventory; and the Pac-12 presumably stays intact, with its 10 remaining members getting an attractive TV arrangement. It might also be a more desirable alternative for Pac-12 schools than looking to join the Big 12. At least one Pac-12 source disputed reports of “serious” talks between some remaining schools and the Big 12.
However, those briefed on the ACC–Pac-12 proposal believe it has plenty of hurdles to clear and details to be ironed out before becoming a reality. This should be a more long term and deliberate decision that could take weeks, if not months, to rectify, says one administrator. The key question: Does the arrangement generate enough additional revenue to be worthwhile?
One administrator who has knowledge of the discussions said ACC athletic directors first heard of the idea during a conference call Friday. “It’s something that has been considered worth exploring, but nothing has had any detail put behind it,” the administrator said. “The general response has been, ‘Give us more [specificity].’”
In a way, the proposal is an extension of the Pac-12 and ACC’s so-called alliance with the Big Ten, a nonbinding agreement announced last year whose goal was believed to be to prevent any further expansion among the Power 5. It was a response to the SEC’s 2021 acquisition of Texas and Oklahoma, but it blew up spectacularly when the Big Ten raided the Pac-12.
In response to that, the ACC and Pac-12 find themselves scrambling to maintain relevance in a market that has seen their top two competitor leagues—already the richest in college sports—increase significantly in value. Relatively new to their jobs, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and Pac-12 commish George Kliavkoff have a good working relationship, according to sources, and are exploring ways to work together.
For the Pac-12, the partnership may be the best possible solution to retain its remaining members, but is it worthwhile for the ACC? It’s unclear exactly how much additional revenue the league would generate from such a move. But any extra dollars are a plus, given the ACC’s long-term TV contract limbo. ACC members are estimated to receive far less in media rights revenue than their competitors’ new deals in the Big Ten and SEC. The ACC is locked into the deal through 2036.
The new partnership with the Pac-12 may not reopen the contract, but it will change the bottom line. That might be the best option for the ACC, because a complete renegotiation of the contract could open a path for the league’s most valuable properties—North Carolina, Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Virginia—to explore leaving. As it stands, escaping the ACC’s grant of rights deal could be both costly and complicated.
ESPN would gain a foothold on the West Coast, assuring it holds substantial rights for three of the five Power 5 leagues in the wake of Fox’s stranglehold on the Big Ten (the network is believed to have at least a 60% share of the Big Ten’s new TV deal). ESPN is expected to be prominently involved in the Pac-12’s negotiations for a new media rights deal, but the product was diminished by the loss of the Los Angeles market. This arrangement could be a way for ESPN to get more out of an agreement with the Pac-12.
(con't)
Anyway .... I'll copy and paste it and link to it too ...
There could be something here. Basically, both conferences working with ESPN to find a mutually beneficial solution ... where ESPN controls more of the country and 3 of the 5 biggest conferences, and the leagues get more money and exposure though this arrangement.
ACC, Pac 12 discussing ESPN TV partnership - Sports Illustrated
The proposal between the leagues comes after the Big Ten’s addition of USC and UCLA.
www.si.com
Sources: ACC, Pac-12 Discussing ESPN TV Partnership After Big Ten’s Moves
Could the two conferences negotiate a broadcasting deal in response to USC and UCLA’s defections?- ROSS DELLENGER AND PAT FORDE
- 28 MINUTES AGO
Officials from the ACC and Pac-12 are discussing a broadcasting partnership with ESPN that would bring together the two Power 5 leagues from opposite coasts for a mutually beneficial relationship, sources tell Sports Illustrated.
The proposal, still in its infancy, heavily involves the ESPN-owned ACC Network. Under the plan, the ACC Network—or a renamed entity combining the two leagues—will have exclusive rights to broadcast Pac-12 games to West Coast households through ESPN cable providers. The agreement is not a merger or consolidation of the leagues but is instead built around a media rights agreement with the worldwide leader in sports—an effort to clap back at the Pac-12’s loss of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten.
While the joint move could feature marquee nonconference matchups from the West and East Coasts—think Clemson-Washington or Miami-Oregon—the primary reason behind the partnership is the TV property. This would replace the failed Pac-12 Network with a reliable provider that can reach millions of homes out west.
The potential agreement could conceivably benefit all involved: The ACC is expected to receive long-sought additional television revenue; ESPN gets a piece of Pac-12 inventory; and the Pac-12 presumably stays intact, with its 10 remaining members getting an attractive TV arrangement. It might also be a more desirable alternative for Pac-12 schools than looking to join the Big 12. At least one Pac-12 source disputed reports of “serious” talks between some remaining schools and the Big 12.
However, those briefed on the ACC–Pac-12 proposal believe it has plenty of hurdles to clear and details to be ironed out before becoming a reality. This should be a more long term and deliberate decision that could take weeks, if not months, to rectify, says one administrator. The key question: Does the arrangement generate enough additional revenue to be worthwhile?
One administrator who has knowledge of the discussions said ACC athletic directors first heard of the idea during a conference call Friday. “It’s something that has been considered worth exploring, but nothing has had any detail put behind it,” the administrator said. “The general response has been, ‘Give us more [specificity].’”
In a way, the proposal is an extension of the Pac-12 and ACC’s so-called alliance with the Big Ten, a nonbinding agreement announced last year whose goal was believed to be to prevent any further expansion among the Power 5. It was a response to the SEC’s 2021 acquisition of Texas and Oklahoma, but it blew up spectacularly when the Big Ten raided the Pac-12.
In response to that, the ACC and Pac-12 find themselves scrambling to maintain relevance in a market that has seen their top two competitor leagues—already the richest in college sports—increase significantly in value. Relatively new to their jobs, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and Pac-12 commish George Kliavkoff have a good working relationship, according to sources, and are exploring ways to work together.
For the Pac-12, the partnership may be the best possible solution to retain its remaining members, but is it worthwhile for the ACC? It’s unclear exactly how much additional revenue the league would generate from such a move. But any extra dollars are a plus, given the ACC’s long-term TV contract limbo. ACC members are estimated to receive far less in media rights revenue than their competitors’ new deals in the Big Ten and SEC. The ACC is locked into the deal through 2036.
The new partnership with the Pac-12 may not reopen the contract, but it will change the bottom line. That might be the best option for the ACC, because a complete renegotiation of the contract could open a path for the league’s most valuable properties—North Carolina, Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Virginia—to explore leaving. As it stands, escaping the ACC’s grant of rights deal could be both costly and complicated.
ESPN would gain a foothold on the West Coast, assuring it holds substantial rights for three of the five Power 5 leagues in the wake of Fox’s stranglehold on the Big Ten (the network is believed to have at least a 60% share of the Big Ten’s new TV deal). ESPN is expected to be prominently involved in the Pac-12’s negotiations for a new media rights deal, but the product was diminished by the loss of the Los Angeles market. This arrangement could be a way for ESPN to get more out of an agreement with the Pac-12.
(con't)
