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Could USC Football On Pac-12 Network Spur New Negotiations With DirecTV?

Could the return of the USC Trojans to the Pac-12 Network spur DirecTV back to the negotiating table?

George Frey - Getty Images

It's time for round 2 for USC football on the Pac-12 Network. Will this lead to a potential deal with DirecTV?

USC vs. Colorado was selected for the Pac-12 Network this Monday, which means there will be plenty of Trojan fans with DirecTV clamoring for the game this week. Now, obviously, Colorado is probably a much lower-tier opponent than Cal, so it's hard to promote it in terms of actual football appeal. What can't be denied is USC's status, and the weight they carry. The Trojans have shaken off the rust of their early-season loss to Stanford and appear ready to rock the rest of their conference schedule.

What also might influence DirecTV to come to the table is the hardline stance they're currently placing between themselves and the current Laker network. As you can imagine, there's a pretty big overlap between USC fans and Laker fans, particularly in the Los Angeles area.

Considering that the Trojans, Lakers and the Bruins are three of the hottest tickets in town, and considering that Dish has already agreed to carry both channels, would the threat of a mass exodus be enough to get DirecTV to come to the table and make a deal?

They didn't concede the first time a USC game was carried on the Network, but with now this additional factor to worry about, DirecTV might be feeling a little bit more pressure to make a deal with the Pac-12. Perhaps this is why Larry Scott seemed upbeat this past week.