Football accounts for approximately 80% of the value of the conference's media rights contractsGETTY IMAGES
The Pac-12 "stood to collect" $276.4M in "media rights fees from ESPN and Fox in the 2020-21 college sports cycle," according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. The vast majority of that payment was "rooted in the 45 football games that were scheduled for broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Fox and FS1." Former Fox Sports Senior VP Patrick Crakes said, "(The networks) will prorate their rights fees to (the Pac-12), but I don't believe it will be 100% of what they're supposed to pay." Crakes believes that there are "several moving pieces that must play out before the Pac-12, ESPN and Fox reach a final settlement." Part of that depends on "whether the Pac-12 successfully moves the season to the spring." Football accounts for "approximately 80% of the value of media rights contracts," and the remaining value "would hinge on the networks' ability to broadcast the men's basketball inventory." Crakes believes that the conference "could be left with zero compensation." He said, "If they don't play in the spring, yes, the networks have contractual language that impacts what they pay in the event of lost game inventory." The willingness of Fox and ESPN to "compensate the conference for games not played could provide a glimpse into their negotiating plans for the Pac-12 for the next contract cycle," which begins in '24-25. Refunds to customers for football cancellations "could impact the distributor's payments to ESPN and Fox" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 8/18).
