Pac-12 Network: Larry Scott Hopeful For DirecTV Agreement

Obviously, with each passing week, it looks more and more unlikely that a carriage agreement will be made this year between DirecTV and the Pac-12. There have been plenty of ranked teams like Oregon State, Oregon, Stanford, and even USC showing up on the Pac-12 Network, but it doesn't look like DirecTV has budged off their hardline stance.

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott talked about a multitude of things in his weekly halftime talk with reporters at the Oregon vs. Washington game. Chief among the issues interesting Pac-12 fans is whether a carriage agreement with DirecTV can be made this season as both sides seem stuck in a cold war stance.

He struck an optimistic note during this week's talk after being a bit more downbeat last week.

Asked about the Pac-12 Network still not being carried by DirecTV, Scott said he still had "hope" an agreement could be reached between the conference and the satellite provider.

"We created this for our fans, so we want all our fans to have it," Scott said, adding that "every customer has an option" and could switch to a provider that carries the Pac-12 Network.

He said the primary issue "seems to be about price. We’ve said (DirecTV) can have it on the same kind of terms DISH has it and cable operators have it … who think it’s fair and a great value."

(That fair deal is supposedly the rumored 90 cents per subscriber that fits right down the line with the other big college sports conference network, the BTN).

What DirecTV wants is an a la carte service that provides content either on-demand or via separate subscription fees (like HBO). That type of approach might be in the best interest of the company, but it doesn't (and shouldn't) interest the Pac-12 at all. There's no way a majority of conference fans would agree to such a service at this time, particularly when high-interest programming (35 football games and 100+ men's basketball games for five months) isn't available on a regular basis for everyone.

The Pac-12 needs to hold their ground and wait for Pac-12 fans leave DirecTV and find either Dish or an alternative subscriber. Check the Channel Finder to see if there's an alternate service available in your area.