Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott talked today about the lack of progress regarding DirecTV and the conference. Things do not look that hopeful without more pressure being put on the satellite carrier by Pac-12 viewers. Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News has this report.
Earlier on Pac-12/DirecTV: No deal before Cal vs. USC | Conference Turns Down Satellite Plan | DirecTV Commercial Parody | War Of Words | Pac-12 calls out DirecTV |
"I know from the reaction I've got, there's a real passion among our fan base and they want to see their teams play and they're frustrated," Scott said. "I feel bad about that.
"I know the greater L.A. market is a very important market for us with USC and UCLA here and no NFL team. Keep in mind, we've had UCLA on the network last week, we have USC this week, UCLA's on the network next week, and while the next round of games will only get released six or 12 days before, you're going to see USC on the network again, you'll probably see UCLA again - there's going to be a lot of L.A. football this season, and moreover, we'll have 70 percent of our basketball games on the Pac-12 Network.
"With UCLA where it is (in basketball) and USC pretty optimistic about what it's going to look like - it's not just football issues. It may be even more during basketball season. This is going to be accentuated during basketball season. It's just that we're in football season now."
"This is going to be a very real issue here in L.A. until this gets resolved."
There was not much sign in that interview that a deal is anywhere close to being done. Lots of talk about frustration. The issues about not having USC football or UCLA basketball (the two most historic programs in the Pac-12) not on TV on a regular basis. Scott seemed to delve into the reasoning why the Pac-12 Network needs to get picked up sooner rather than later.
It seems like the only thing that Scott brings up is the lack of carriage Los Angeles fans might have to suffer if DirecTV doesn't come to the table soon. Many Los Angeles fans carry the satellite carrier for the NFL Sunday Ticket package and would be unlikely to switch to an alternative. Therefore it becomes more crucial than ever that a deal ends up getting made.
Since the Pac-12 is unlikely to bend in their stance, it's going to have to be DirecTV that gets brought to the table with a more flexible deal.