• The KillerFrogs

Big 12 in position to poach Pac 12 schools?

Limey Frog

Full Member
Just imagine Kliavkoff walking into the Conference Meeting, "Offer? What offer? I never said anything about an offer!"
Two weeks ago when they met the Pac 12 mouthpiece journalists said it had been "a productive meeting" and Kliavkoff would give another update in two weeks. An "update" could be a lot of things, all the way from almost a complete deal to a list of people the Pac could call and beg next.
 

82 Frog Fever

Active Member
Ouch!

Makes me wonder if there's a clause in there about minimum viewership?
They already owe Comcast $50m ($5m per school) cumulative for past year’s low viewership. Comcast has agreed to deduct the value from ’23/‘24 payments.

Media deal. $29m
Less PACN Production <$7m>
(May be required for Amazon streaming).
NET. $22m

Less One Time <$5m> contract deficiency payment to Comcast.

If correct, Idk why anyone with any choices would sign up for that deal. Especially Wash. & Oregon.
 
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Limey Frog

Full Member
And just when I thought I had a case of the Monday’s. Blowup the Pac and stick it to smu. two birds , one stone.
This seems to confirm Scheer saying over the weekend that there isn't a formal offer being tabled this week for Pac members to agree to or otherwise. It might also shed some light on why the Arizona president came out and said that any deal wouldn't be more than 50% streaming. If it is really the case that Kliavkoff can only get either one of a) enough money per school, or b) the amount of linear TV access his members want, things could be getting very dicey for them. Especially because those Arizona/Arizona State interviews confirmed that Kliavkoff only has a month left until the date given as an ultimatum from several of his member institutions.
 

82 Frog Fever

Active Member
This seems to confirm Scheer saying over the weekend that there isn't a formal offer being tabled this week for Pac members to agree to or otherwise. It might also shed some light on why the Arizona president came out and said that any deal wouldn't be more than 50% streaming. If it is really the case that Kliavkoff can only get either one of a) enough money per school, or b) the amount of linear TV access his members want, things could be getting very dicey for them. Especially because those Arizona/Arizona State interviews confirmed that Kliavkoff only has a month left until the date given as an ultimatum from several of his member institutions.
The Pac12 has been in the same predicament for well over a month.
The only reason it’s still alive is because George has covered up the extent of the shortfall in both money and coverage to buy time, and he may have even lied to his own Presidents.
 

Limey Frog

Full Member
The Pac12 has been in the same predicament for well over a month.
The only reason it’s still alive is because George has covered up the extent of the shortfall in both money and coverage to buy time, and he may have even lied to his own Presidents.
It's starting to look more and more as though this is possible. If this whole things really does unravel and some Pac schools join the Big 12, two things are true which will both be highly amusing in retrospect:

1) Kliavkoff was bluffing the entire time, at certain points in terms that were explicitly derisive toward the Big 12;
2. Yorkmark's renewal of the Big 12s TV deal pretty much amounted to a prison-style shivving.
 

East Coast

Tier 1
They already owe Comcast $50m ($5m per school) cumulative for past year’s low viewership. Comcast has agreed to deduct the value from ’23/‘24 payments.

Media deal. $29m
Less PACN Production <$7m>
(May be required for Amazon streaming).
NET. $22m

Less One Time <$5m> contract deficiency payment to Comcast.

If correct, Idk why anyone with any choices would sign up for that deal. Especially Wash. & Oregon.
All 12 have to make up that $50 million whether they leave or stay, including USC and UCLA. That money is sunk, and they will evaluate whatever "best" deal they are finally offered on a move forward basis.
 

Limey Frog

Full Member
FWIW, Jon Wilner is still confident a deal is imminent, and that the public comments from Arizona's president last week would only have been made if he and everyone else involved was confident that a deal is imminent:
[University of Arizona president] Robbins’ overall tone was optimistic: He needed to see the final offer before making a decision on Arizona’s conference affiliation but expressed confidence in the outcome. Given the Pac-12’s message discipline, we should assume Kliavkoff knew ahead of time that Robbins was going public. And we should assume that Robbins was briefed on the latest news from the negotiations — if not the specifics, then at least the general tone and trajectory.

Which tells us that Kliavkoff is deep enough into the process to have a sense for the numbers and was confident enough in what he’s heard from Apple, Amazon and ESPN to pass that sentiment along to Robbins. There is no chance — none, zero, zip — that Robbins would go public if the situation appeared bleak behind the scenes.
 
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82 Frog Fever

Active Member
All 12 have to make up that $50 million whether they leave or stay, including USC and UCLA. That money is sunk, and they will evaluate whatever "best" deal they are finally offered on a move forward basis.
No clue what your point is. The one-time repayment averages to $4.2m per school instead of $5m? OK, whatever.

The question was “… if there's a clause in there about minimum viewership?”
The answers is probably yes, as Comcast has already invoked one for previous season‘s poor viewership.
 

Limey Frog

Full Member
FWIW, Jon Wilner is still confident a deal is imminent, and that the public comments from Arizona's president last week would only have made if he and everyone else involved was confident that a deal is imminent:


Competing media claims coming to a head as soon as tomorrow, it sounds like. Is Kliavkoff bluffing? If he's got a deal, with whom? Why would Marchand's sources at ESPN tell him they weren't close to a deal if they are?

Edit: Utah president said today he "likes what he's hearing from the commissioner's office," and believes they will have a deal but "still have a ways to go". That doesn't sound like a deal gets presented this week. It may or may not mean that one is close.
 
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BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?




Competing media claims coming to a head as soon as tomorrow, it sounds like. Is Kliavkoff bluffing? If he's got a deal, with whom? Why would Marchand's sources at ESPN tell him they weren't close to a deal if they are?

I can't see what Kliavkoff can offer that is even reasonably attractive. He is in a terrible situation, being the least desirable P5 Conference, Media money drying up, seemingly only one interested bidder, Streamers who will make the Schools pay for production costs, and another Conference with a far better deal out there singing a Siren Song to some of his better Programs.

I think his best bet is to take the keys to the Conference jet, steal the payroll, and head to an island.
 

Big Frog II

Active Member
I can't see what Kliavkoff can offer that is even reasonably attractive. He is in a terrible situation, being the least desirable P5 Conference, Media money drying up, seemingly only one interested bidder, Streamers who will make the Schools pay for production costs, and another Conference with a far better deal out there singing a Siren Song to some of his better Programs.

I think his best bet is to take the keys to the Conference jet, steal the payroll, and head to an island.
Well adding SMU, SDSU, Tulane, and Rice should save the TV deal.
 

East Coast

Tier 1
No clue what your point is. The one-time repayment averages to $4.2m per school instead of $5m? OK, whatever.

The question was “… if there's a clause in there about minimum viewership?”
The answers is probably yes, as Comcast has already invoked one for previous season‘s poor viewership.
Just that in your scenario, they will base their decision on the net $22 Million, as the other money is already gone.

Wilner has good sources within the PAC12, but they could easily be pumping sunshine to him, and he wants the PAC to survive. Of all the people saying anything, Marchand has the best media sources and as far as I know hasn't favored one side over the other. The PAC could easily be looking at a totally streaming deal, or one with 1 late game a week on ESPN on Friday/Saturday night. Marchand is stating the PAC and ESPN don't have an imminent deal, and knowing how Apple works he is doubtful they are close there either. The popcorn is popping, and if the PAC can't come up with something reasonable in the next 2 to 3 weeks the natives may get restless enough to grab a lifeboat.
 

Creeperfrog

Active Member
They being the dallas, San Diego, New Orleans, and houston markets. Oh god I can’t keep a straight face.
Will Ferrell Lol GIF
 

Limey Frog

Full Member
Just that in your scenario, they will base their decision on the net $22 Million, as the other money is already gone.

Wilner has good sources within the PAC12, but they could easily be pumping sunshine to him, and he wants the PAC to survive. Of all the people saying anything, Marchand has the best media sources and as far as I know hasn't favored one side over the other. The PAC could easily be looking at a totally streaming deal, or one with 1 late game a week on ESPN on Friday/Saturday night. Marchand is stating the PAC and ESPN don't have an imminent deal, and knowing how Apple works he is doubtful they are close there either. The popcorn is popping, and if the PAC can't come up with something reasonable in the next 2 to 3 weeks the natives may get restless enough to grab a lifeboat.
I'm leaning toward this interpretation, too (though it's hard to be certain of anything).

I can think of reasons why Wilner's sources (Pac 12 office) would be lying to him, but far less obvious why Marchand's (ESPN execs) would. I take anything that has come from Big 12 sources with a big pinch of salt, but that's not who Marchand is taking to.
 
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