Apple makes bid to secure Pac-12 coverage for Apple TV+

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV

Apple TV+ could add a collegiate league to its sporting roster, with it said to have offered a streaming deal to executives of the Pac-12 Conference.




Apple has made a number of major deals with sports leagues, including MLS and MLB, to stream content over its Apple TV platform. In an attempt to get more content for people to stream, Apple is now going after college sports.

According to ESPN writer Pete Thamel on X, the Pac-12 meeting on Tuesday had Apple in attendance, presenting to executives a streaming deal for Apple TV. While there are few details about the deal itself, it is claimed that there were incentivized tiers based on reaching certain levels of subscriptions.

The tiered deal echoes a similar situation with Major League Soccer, with a report from March alleging that Apple had an "opt-out" clause if the deal didn't bring in a certain number of subscriptions within a timeframe.

Despite the presentation, Thamel says there aren't any expected decisions from schools or management about the deal at this early stage. Campus management is likely to be "digesting the possibilities of a stream-centric future" and the varying potential income from it, Thamel writes.

Sources: The primary deal presented to Pac-12 executives/ADs today was an primarily Apple streaming deal. The deal would have incentivized tiers, which would give it strong upside *if* certain subscriptions numbers are met. w/@CFBHeather

-- Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel)



"The money piece is tricky because of the variables of subscriptions," Thamel adds.

The actual amounts each school could get from the deal are unknown, but it's estimated that each could receive about $25 million apiece. This would be lower than the $31 million the Big 12 conference managed to get in a recent rights negotiation, but the bonus incentives could offer enough to get close to that figure.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 4,012member
    Or what’s left of it. Should get fire sale pricing. 
  • Reply 2 of 8
    bakerzdosenbakerzdosen Posts: 186member
    Bold prediction on Apple's part thinking that the Pac12 will be around in a year.
    tenthousandthings
  • Reply 3 of 8
    TJJTJJ Posts: 14member
    PAC 12 is set to possibly lose another 2-3 teams soon. It’s in danger of disappearing in the next year. It would be wiser for Apple to ink a relationship with The Big Ten Network. This is by far the most popular network in College Football. With USC and UCLA leaving the PAC 12 to go to the Big Ten, the Big Ten is now the most powerful network. Oregon is next to leave.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 4,012member
    It started life as the PAC 8, and is soon returning to its roots. After wooing some good second tier schools such as those Cal States with competitive programs (San Diego, San Jose, Fresno) they can be a good rival to the Mountain West Conference. Their days as a premiere conference are sadly over. 
  • Reply 5 of 8
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,772member
    bakerzdosen said:
    Bold prediction on Apple's part thinking that the Pac12 will be around in a year.
     It may not even last a week, if we’re being honest. 
  • Reply 6 of 8
    johnfrombeyondjohnfrombeyond Posts: 53member
    I live in Colorado and can never watch a CO team play -- due to the limited options to watch Pac12 Network. I either have to pay the overpriced cable company, which I don't have now, or a $60/month streaming option (Fubo) which gets me a bunch of stuff I don't want. The other streamers like YouTube TV (my choice) etc don't offer Pac12. I'd gladly pay an extra $15/month for it but that not an option. Stupid Pac12 can't figure out how to take my money. I'm so happy CO is moving to Big12, I'm sure they will figure out how to take my money.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,772member
    Wow! Never mind a week, it didn’t even last 2 days. What a sad demise for the Conference of Champions. Some of my earliest memories are of the epic Ohio State-USC Rose Bowl games. RIP. 
  • Reply 8 of 8
    thttht Posts: 5,591member
    From Bleacher Report:

    https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10085224-asu-president-apple-offered-23rd-century-star-trek-thing-in-pac-12-contract-talks

    Arizona State was one of three schools to jump to the Big 12 on Friday, but it appears university president Michael Crow was actually interested in the Apple media rights deal proposed by the Pac-12. "We were offered a media contract by the Apple corporation, which was a technological 23rd century Star Trek-thing with really unbelievable capability that ASU was very interested in," Crow told reporters Saturday.

    Hopefully that Star Trek thing was Holodeck-like 3D Vision Pro streaming and not LCARS.  B)

    Don't understand how the Big 10 can really work with 18 schools. The old Big 10 West is going to be "middle" division while Pac-12 ex-pats form the new Big 10 West division. 4-team playoff for the title I suppose.

    Anyways, Apple taking on media rights on the cheap for the remnants of the Pac-12 could be interesting. Let Apple go wild, Pac-12. Drones, 3D streaming. Helmet mounted cameras. Broadcasts of all the sports.
    edited August 2023
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