The Pac-12 is in desperate need of a new media rights deal as schools within the conference evaluate the college football landscape to eventually jump ship from a league that is falling behind in revenue.
As such, the conference is looking at potential television deals centered around streaming, with the latest report hinting strongly at a potential partnership with Apple TV+.
ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum says if the Pac-12 pulls the trigger on a streaming deal for their new media rights contract, then “it’s over” for the conference.
“The bottom line is this, guys. Nobody is signing up on Apple to watch the Pac-12 because there’s nothing to watch once you lose Colorado, UCLA and USC,” Finebaum said on Wednesday morning’s episode of Get Up! “I don’t want to be the guy that keeps burying this league because I think I did it the other day, but I’m gonna keep doing it. Somebody needs to shovel dirt on this league and end this charade. It’s over for the Pac-12.”
USC and UCLA will join the Big Ten beginning in 2024, while Colorado just announced its intention to leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12, which has left the Pac-12 scrambling to get a new media rights deal in place to not only entice existing members to stay, but potentially attract new members to keep the conference afloat.
Things aren’t looking great for the Pac-12 at the moment, and Finebaum is simply saying what most fans are thinking heading into the new college football season.
