question for chicos about pac-12 tv network

[Tugg Speedman]

CBB,

In Scottsdale on vacation and my cable provider (Cox) has a channel called PAC12AZ.  It is advertised as the PAC-12 channel just for UofA. 

Does each school in the PAC-12 have their own channel?  Is that their strategy?  I cannot imagine them pushing 12 different channels.  Or are the just branding the same channel differently for each market?  Right now they are showing re-runs of UofA football.

Can you enlighten?

[ChicosBailBonds]

CBB,

In Scottsdale on vacation and my cable provider (Cox) has a channel called PAC12AZ.  It is advertised as the PAC-12 channel just for UofA. 

Does each school in the PAC-12 have their own channel?  Is that their strategy?  I cannot imagine them pushing 12 different channels.  Or are the just branding the same channel differently for each market?  Right now they are showing re-runs of UofA football.

Can you enlighten?

Where did you stay?  I was at the Phoenician not long ago for a conference...nice digs.


Yup, there are a total of 7 channels.

Pac 12 Network (national)
Pac 12 Los Angeles (UCLA and USC)
Pac 12 Bay Area (Stanford and CAL)
Pac 12 Arizona (ASU and UA)
Pac 12 Washington (UW and WSU)
Pac 12 Oregon (UO and OSU)
Pac 12 Mtn (Utah and Colorado)

The network carries the main games, the other other regionals carry the shoulder programming (coaches shows, etc) and Olympic sports. 

Most carriers are not carrying all the channels because it is a ridiculous bandwidth hog.  Way too much capacity used that doesn't make financial sense.  What some carriers are doing is carrying the national and then the regional in their area.  That's an advantage for a plant based system like cable or FIOS where they serve on market or one area and not another.  So a cable company that operates in Arizona but not California only has to consume bandwidth of two channels..the national and the Arizona channel.  That's a disadvantage for a DISH or DIRECTV because they would have to carry all 7 channels since they have customers in all 50 states.

[Tugg Speedman]

The Phoenician is very nice.  We rented a house in North Scottsdale.

7 channels?  I thought the BTN having three channels was overkill. 

Fast forward 10 years or so, is every University going to have their own TV channel?  Are we going to dilute sports with hundreds of channels?  We are almost their now.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The Phoenician is very nice.  We rented a house in North Scottsdale.

7 channels?  I thought the BTN having three channels was overkill. 

Fast forward 10 years or so, is every University going to have their own TV channel?  Are we going to dilute sports with hundreds of channels?  We are almost their now.

Nope.  With the way sports fees are going right now, it won't happen.  We refuse to carry Pac 12.  Fios, ATT and others aren't carrying it either.  Many are not carrying the Longhorn Network, though eventually you will see others take it (like Charter deal this weekend) because Disney \ ESPN forces it...say hello to more rate increases.

Ultimately this comes down to capacity.  Television operates with bandwidth costraints just like other digital products.  Bandwidth is expensive as hell and is already squeezed to the point of very little left for cable, satellite, telco operators.  HD only makes it worse.  4K, when that is launched broadly, only makes it worse 4fold. 

I've been in a few conference industry discussions about university networks and the only one we think has a chance is Notre Dame.  BYU has their own, Texas has theirs.  No one else we believe is possible.  Even with the conferences, the SEC will launch theirs next year in conjunction with Disney, but they are the last one that will garner national attention.  Pac 12, Big 12, etc, just don't have the eyeballs.  If the Big Ten isn't careful, they will get dropped from some outlets due to costs when their deal is up.