The original timeline for an announcement on the structure of the Pac-12 Network "was late June/early July," but that "has been pushed back," according to Jon Wilner of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. An announcement is likely to come in the "middle of next month -- and it could be later." Wilner writes he would be "shocked if the conference has any substantive news before, or during, the football media event in Los Angeles on Tuesday." Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott and Deputy Commissioner Kevin Weiberg are focusing on a "traditional arrangement in which the Pac-12 Network would partner with a cable or satellite operator." Wilner predicts Time Warner Cable is the most likely partner, writing, "If you haven't noticed, TWC has become an aggressive player in sports broadcasting lately. (Think: Lakers, 20 years, $3 billion.)" He calls Fox an unlikely partner, quoting Fox Sports VP/PR Chris Bellitti as saying, "We're not in any discussion with the Conference about a Pac-12 network. We're happy with our new Pac-12 media rights agreement." Wilner notes DirecTV, ESPN and Comcast also are potential partners on the channel. The Pac-12 has discussed partnering with Apple or Google, but sources said that "there's significant (and justifiable) concern that the vast majority of fans won¹t be ready for 'TV everywhere' for a few years." Still, sources suggested that the conference "would like to pursue both paths (traditional and internet) and is exploring ways to make that happen" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 7/21).
