The Big 12, in landing its $2.28B media rights deal with ESPN and Fox, "beat the Pac-12 to the finish line -- but not the bottom line,” according to sports writer John Canzano. The Big 12’s average per-school annual payout is $31.6M, but a Pac-12 source said they are "very confident to beat that number.” Canzano noted the Pac-12 is “still negotiating,” with the original projections from industry sources placing the annual payouts “in the range" of $27-29M for the 10 remaining members. That would have put the Pac-12 10-15% "below the Big 12.” But that was before Amazon and Apple “waded into the fray.” Now it "feels like the Pac-12 could land somewhere in the neighborhood" of $32-34M per school. The Big 12’s strategy may have been to "get stable,” as it “preserves its relationship with ESPN and FOX." It can “now turn the focus to trying to get its members to sign a long-term grant of rights.” That is a "positive, given the landscape,” and "now, it's the Pac-12’s turn” (JOHNCANZANO.com, 10/30). In N.Y., Andrew Marchand wrote “initially, we projected the Pac-12 would get similar money from ESPN and Amazon Prime Video. We’ll stick with that, but the Pac-12 might need to find more leverage to get there.” The pressure is “squarely on” Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff (N.Y. POST, 10/31).
