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Pac-12 Prioritizing Distribution of Pac-12 Network In Next TV Deal

“The Pac-12 Network is the only conference network that is not partnered with a major media company.”

Jordan Bondurant

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The Pac-12 Conference will be heading to the table in the near future to hammer out a new media rights deal, and the conference commissioner is making distribution of the conference’s TV network a high priority in the next deal.

Speaking to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, commissioner George Kliavkoff mentioned that the conference has three priorities when it comes to the next media rights contract. Obviously, the first and top priority is money, but Kliavkoff said the way Pac-12 Network is distributed now does the conference no favors.

“I think we’re actually harmed by the fact that our current distribution on the Pac-12 Network is limited,” he said. “My goal in distribution is to be able to allow fans, alumni, and parents to be able to watch all of our games on any piece of glass connected to the internet.”

Kliavkoff said Pac-12 Network is responsible for covering games and generating content across its viewing area. But right now Pac-12 Network is hard to find.

“I would not give us a very high grade in distribution, because we’re not in that many households as a result of deals that were done early in the lifecycle of the Pac-12 Network,” Kliavkoff said.

So where does the conference go with that in mind? Well, Kliavkoff said nothing is off the table.

“I will say is all options related to how that content will be distributed are up for and available for discussions, when the time is right for us to start engaging with our potential media partners about our next media rights deal,” he said.

The Pac-12 Network is the only conference network that is not partnered with a major media company. That has been pointed out as a reason for its struggles to find distribution. The Big Ten Network is owned in part by FOX, while the SEC, Longhorn and ACC Networks are all owned by ESPN.

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Final ‘Good Morning Football’ Episode from New York Studio Airs Before Hiatus, Move to LA

After today, ‘Good Morning Football’ will take a brief hiatus, then move to LA. But outside of host Jamie Erdahl, who else will join the show on the West Coast?

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Good Morning Football

Today marks the last Good Morning Football episode to air from its New York studios on NFL Network. After today, the show will take a brief hiatus, then move across the country to Los Angeles. But which of the shows beloved cast members will move along with it?

We already know host Jamie Erdahl will be there once she gives birth to her child. The newest GMFB show member gave an emotional send-off to the show’s New York studios before announcing she was headed for maternity leave and would see everyone in LA.

Host Kyle Brandt delivered this message late last night, saying that viewers should tune in to he and his colleagues and that “he has a lot to say.”

Earlier this week, however, host Peter Schrager delivered his own goodbye message — one that may sound like a man who’s not ready to move his family across the country at a moment’s notice:

However, no hosts outside of Erdahl have given confirmation that they’re either staying or going.

The NFL’s move to take the show from New York to Los Angeles has been widely criticized by fans and media members alike. Bill Simmons wondered if the move wouldn’t spell just the end of GMFB but the NFL Network as a whole. It has some wondering if this is the end of football’s best show.

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ESPN Coverage of Men’s NIT Tournament Quarterfinals Up 33% vs. 2023

Viewership of the Men’s NIT Quarterfinals on ESPN were up 33 percent compared to last year and featured two games that averaged over one million viewers.

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Even the NIT is riding the recent hot streak of live sports viewership numbers. According to data provided by ESPN, the 2024 NIT Quarterfinals are up 33 percent compared to last year’s tournament. Perhaps more surprisingly, two NIT quarterfinal games topped one million viewers.

The network’s Georgia/Ohio State matchup averaged 1.03 million viewers, while the Cincinnati/Indiana State contest averaged 1.02 million viewers. These two games were the most-watched NIT games since 2017 — including title games. Both Georgia and Ohio State have rabid fanbases, while many thought Indiana State was unjustly left out of the March Madness tournament, which could be a reason why viewers tuned in.

Much of the focus this season has been on the women’s game, thanks to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks, led by Dawn Staley. ESPN just had its most-watched women’s college basketball season since 2008-09 because of the increased interest in the women’s game. The men’s game, however, hasn’t been heralded as much this season for whatever reason, mostly because numbers seem to be holding steady compared to previous years. However, if the NIT is posting viewership wins, that should bode well for the NCAA Tournament’s incoming viewership totals.

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Report: NFL to Put Christmas Day Doubleheader Up For Bids

Bidding is expected to start at $50 million among the current NFL media partners but some think the games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

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The NFL will reportedly put its Christmas Day games up for auction, allowing its current media partners to bid for the games. Now, it’s up to CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video to pay up for rights to one of these two marquee games.

According to Front Office Sports Michael McCarthy, preference will be given to linear networks, so Prime Video and Peacock may sit this one out. Bidding is expected to start at $50 million but McCarthy and his sources expect that number to rise. John Kosner, the former ESPN executive, thinks the new Christmas Day games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

The NFL announced a Wednesday Christmas Day doubleheader during its annual league meetings. The league originally said it wouldn’t force games on Christmas Day if the holiday fell on an odd day of the week, though as the NFL continues to put games on days outside of Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays, we’re running out of days that don’t feature NFL football.

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