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Pac-12 Network Rumors: DirecTV Subscription Package In Works?

So the Pac-12 Network and DirecTV are supposedly nearing a deal according to various sources, bloggers, anonymous types,etc. Let's play along, shall we?

This Tweet came out yesterday.

Star-divide

Further contact with this source seems to indicate that it runs similar to the Fox Soccer Package. For those not familiar with how DirecTV does things, they provide Fox Soccer Plus for $14.99 a month, which provides the majority of the remaining big European soccer matchups that Fox Soccer and other soccer channels like ESPN Deportes or GolTV handle.

So in this case, I'd guess that the Pac-12 National Network would become available on the regular DirecTV Sports Pack, and then there would be an option to add the remaining Pac-12 regional networks in a separate plan that would cost somewhere $14.99 a month to access the six regional networks. The question remains on whether TV anywhere would be available for buying just the Sports Pack.

I cannot imagine the Pac-12 agreeing to terms that would not have the national network (and potentially the regional channels in the regional areas) available on the regular Sports Pack. Agreeing to have all the networks on a separate plan would be a lose-lose for just about everyone. The best possible solution is to have the national network on the Sports Pack and the This way the diehards can be appeased with the premium package and everyone who just wants the basic distribution to the big football and basketball matchups will also get what they want.

You have to figure that TV Everywhere will apply as well down the road, as soon as the Pac-12 Network has its infrastructure up and ready to go for digital distribution with DirecTV.

This price arrangement will be a bit on the expensive side for customers who want niche TV channels. Will customers shell out $14.99 a month to pay for a separate Pac-12 Network arrangement? It's one thing asking subscribers to pay $14.99 a month to get the best soccer matchups around the world. It's quite another to ask them to shell out the same amount for a handful of football games on a one day a week basis.

It remains to be seen, but hopefully the national network will garner regular national distribution so everyone around the country will get to watch this network by Thursday affternoon.

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Comments

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I am paying $5/mo for the CBS sports channel on Comcast

and I rarely watch this channel. On a relative scale, I don’t think $14.99 is that much considering if you drive to a sports/bar to watch a game it can cost more than this when adding parking, food, drinks, driving time, lack of ideal seats, noise from other games being shown, etc…

At least with the subscription package one is given a value proposition unlike Comcast in DC where one is SOL.. I think the $14.99 is fair given not being to watch the game at all.

The Pac-12 may have to consider offering different terms with DirectTV compared to Comcast, Cox and the otther cable operators.

by Utah-UCLA alum on Aug 26, 2025 8:53 AM PDT reply actions  

I would gladly exchange the PAC-12 Network

for the home shopping channels.

by Coastal Duck on Aug 26, 2025 10:04 AM PDT reply actions   1 recs

I agree with all of this:
I cannot imagine the Pac-12 agreeing to terms that would not have the national network (and potentially the regional channels in the regional areas) available on the regular Sports Pack. Agreeing to have all the networks on a separate plan would be a lose-lose for just about everyone. The best possible solution is to have the national network on the Sports Pack and the This way the diehards can be appeased with the premium package and everyone who just wants the basic distribution to the big football and basketball matchups will also get what they want.

I live in AZ and have Direct but the primary need that I have is for the Nat’l feed that will cover most every football or basketball game not on Fox/ESPN. I already pay for the sports package because I needed all the out of region FSN’s (UCLA fan) – so the described setup is a big win for me and for most Pac fan Direct customers.

I should be working right now...

by gorams77 on Aug 26, 2025 10:34 AM PDT reply actions  

So wait....

The idea is I pay $14.99 for the regionals and then another $12.99 for the national feed? So to watch my college play and still get the national feed, I’d be out $28/month?

That’s crazy!

by cageyjames on Aug 26, 2025 10:38 AM PDT reply actions  

If this is true...

it’s fracking nuts!!! Like cageyjames said, if the P12N is on the sports tier that you have to pay for and you have to pay $14.99 for the regional it essentially saying we not interested in the fans. That’s a sports bar price structure. Ridiculous and not dumb on the part of the Pac-12 to agree to that. They should walk away from the negotiations and work out a digital only model.

I love all things Pac-12, but I won’t pay that.

by Barnes1212 on Aug 26, 2025 11:33 AM PDT reply actions  

Ridiculous and not dumb on the part of the Pac-12.

by Barnes1212 on Aug 26, 2025 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions  

No way in hell

I am paying that for the national network and my local regional one.

Mountain West Connection || Follow @JeremyMauss

by Jeremy Mauss on Aug 26, 2025 12:03 PM PDT reply actions  

Sports Pack

Are you referring to the additional fee to get all of the regional networks?

It would make sense to me that the national and local regional fee would be on a mid-tier like NHL Network or NBC Sports, and have an option to buy the other regional channels.

Mountain West Connection || Follow @JeremyMauss

by Jeremy Mauss on Aug 26, 2025 12:07 PM PDT reply actions  

That arrangement

Doesn’t make any sense compared to how other college/regional sports networks are treated. Something like this would make more sense:

-Regional networks (and possibly the national network as well) are available at the same package as the local RSN in the respective local markets
-The national network and all regional networks are available outside of local markets with the existing sports pack

This is how the Big Ten Network works, to my knowledge. I don’t know what % of programming is going to be localized at any given time, but if bandwidth is an issue it seems like they would be able to get away with just running the national network as a full-time HD channel, and then running the local networks part-time, or at least only offer HD part-time for live events.

by commodore_dude on Aug 26, 2025 12:18 PM PDT reply actions  

Alternately

They could just put the regional networks on spot beams and keep them full-time HD to each local market, but since the whole point of DirecTV is that you can get any sporting even anywhere in the country with the right package, it wouldn’t really fit with their historical offerings.

by commodore_dude on Aug 26, 2025 12:20 PM PDT up reply actions  

makes sense

But Big Ten is on a low tier nationwide on DirecTV and sports package is not needed.

Mountain West Connection || Follow @JeremyMauss

by Jeremy Mauss on Aug 26, 2025 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions  

If I understand correctly....

That is more so how it is going to look.

The take away from the article that I received was (which could be wrong, but it is the way I read it):

1- Nat’l Pac 12 Network will be on sports tier package – which will be showing almost every Pac Network aired football and basketball game.
2- The $14.99/mo allows you to receive the regional feeds that will be playing regional Olympic sports and non revenue generating sports.

I for one, a Direct customer, am already used to playing the sports package because I needed it to have all the regional FSN channels from the past TV deal in order to get all the football and basketball games that I wanted from the Pac.

I should be working right now...

by gorams77 on Aug 26, 2025 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions  

*paying, not playing

I should be working right now...

by gorams77 on Aug 26, 2025 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions  


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