Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
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SALT LAKE CITY — In this corner we have the national satellite behemoth, the sole distributor of the country's most coveted sports property, not inclined to meet any demands of some start-up network.
In the other corner, directed by a progressive futurist, is the self-proclaimed conference of champions, settling in for a protracted battle with a host of alternative solutions.
It's DirecTV vs. the Pacific 12. Let's get ready to rumble.
One week into the college football season, the new Pac-12 television network is beginning to resemble the second coming of The Mtn. As with the ill-fated network of the Mountain West Conference, the Pac-12 channels are not available to satellite distributors.
Judging by the remarks of Pac-12 commission Larry Scott before Utah's season-opener, satellite customers wanting to see selected Utah games will go through another round of frustrations. Don't expect DirecTV to cave in any time soon.
"It doesn't look like there's going to be that distribution in the foreseeable future," said Scott.
Since taking over as Pac-12 boss, Scott has been hailed as a savior for a conference that had fallen behind the other power leagues in terms of glamour, prestige and the all-important financial standing. He is credited for negotiating television deals that would make Warren Buffett proud.
Not used to losing, Scott is taking on the satellite giant. Reading between the lines, he wants DirecTV to buckle under Pac-12 pressure.
Instead of begging their fans to flood telephone lines with complaints to DirecTV operators, as the Mountain West was embarrassingly reduced to doing several years ago, Scott prefers a much aggressive approach. In effect, he's threatening DirecTV, arguing that Pac-12 fans will cancel their satellite service in favor of Comcast or any of the 30 cable companies that carry the new network.
Take our network, and take it now, or suffer the financial consequences.
"To be clear, I'm not telling fans that they should expect they're going to have it on DirecTV any time soon," Scott said. "There's no signal from DirecTV that it's going to happen any time soon. So we want fans to know they've got options [and] they ought to seriously consider them."
During the interview, Scott dodged my question about threatening DirecTV. But, hey, if it quacks like a duck . . . and we're not talking about Phil Knight's Oregon Ducks here.
"Fortunately a lot of our fan base has options," Scott said.
To prove Scott's point, one high-profile fan of the conference, otherwise known as Cal's athletic director, switched rather than fight. In a YouTube video released by the university, Sandy Barbour is shown junking DirecTV in favor of Comcast.
As she dumps the DirecTV dish into a Comcast truck, Barbour says: "All right DirecTV, it's been fun, but we're done."
A 15-year committed relationship between Barbour and DirecTV shattered after one house call. Suffer the innocent children.
No doubt, as Scott envisions, millions of Pac-12 fans will follow suit and change providers.
But DirecTV has the mother of all of trump cards, known as the NFL Sunday Ticket. The satellite company can hold out for a more attractive deal with the Pac-12, believing that NFL fans aren't going to trade its network for 35 college games from a conference that features a bunch of programs trying to chase down USC and Oregon.
DirecTV simply didn't hear the uproar created when football fans weren't able to see Utah and Arizona State slaughter horrible Big Sky teams on opening night. To an extent, DirecTV is correct in thinking it will provide enough Pac-12 games through the more established channels it already offers.
"We've been in discussions with the Pac-12 Conference commissioner and Pac-12 networks representatives for several months and will continue to work toward an agreement that will be fair for both those customers who want to receive Pac-12 programming and those who don't," DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer said in a statement.
Mercer added that Pac-12 games are available through numerous outlets, naming ESPN, ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC, among others.
Great Scott, your move.
Fans will vote with their pocketbook if people want it, which I believe they will. If they're not satisfied with their current service provider they'll find one that does satisfy them.
–Larry Scott
Probably anticipating such a stalemate, the Pac-12 designated some games exclusively for its network, such as Cal vs. USC on Sept. 22. Scott also points to 135 men's basketball games, but as Ute fans can attest to, Pac-12 basketball might not be such a great negotiating tool.
"Fans will vote with their pocketbook if people want it, which I believe they will. If they're not satisfied with their current service provider they'll find one that does satisfy them," he said.
Ute fans, sounds like you might be in a long climb up The Mtn., er, the mountain before the Pac-12 network lands on DirecTV. Stop us if you've been there before.
