PAC 12 Media Days

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Football Scoop weighs in on RR's best quotes from media days.

http://footballscoop.com/news/rich-rods ... edia-days/

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PAC-12 NETWORK TESTING A SIGNAL ON DIRECTV, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/pac-12- ... -this-mean

We told you earlier this summer that satellite provider DirecTV had been conducting informal talks with Pac-12 Network this summer. It appears that the league-owned network is reaching the next step with a signal test. Some people noticed that Pac-12 Network appeared for a brief period Wednesday on channel 612 which would be in the neighborhood of Big Ten Network which is on channel 610 and SEC Network on channel 611.

So what does this mean? Does this signify that a deal between the Pac-12 and DirecTV is near? Maybe. DirecTV has kept Pac-12 Network off its lineup since the channel’s inception and has worn it like a badge of honor citing its carriage fee. In addition, DirecTV officials have said the network’s multiple feeds took up too much bandwidth.

But with AT&T as the new owners of DirecTV plus the company being a corporate partner of both the league and the network, the Pac-12 vow of patience during this dispute appears to be paying off.

While there has been no official statement from either side since the AT&T takeover of DirecTV was approved by the Feds, it seems that it’s full speed ahead to get Pac-12 Network on the provider’s lineup.

Whether the feeds can go online in time for football season is another question, but having a signal test has to be encouraging. SB Nation’s Pacific Takes points out that rival Dish Network conducted signal tests for Pac-12 Network before bringing its feeds on board. We’ll see if this latest development leads to an agreement mor if this is a giant tease.

We’re betting that the agreement comes sooner than later, but you just never know in this crazy world.

Pac-12 Network reportedly testing on DirecTV on channel 612. Is a deal coming?

http://www.pacifictakes.com/pac-12-netw ... te-package

The long national nightmare might be coming to an end for the Pac-12 Network. DirecTV might soon carry the Pac-12 Network. According to DBSTalk, the network is currently being tested on channel 612 in both standard and high definition formats. These tests took place on the DISH Network before DISH and Pac-12 Network signed their own deal a few years back. DirecTV might be headed down the same road.

Jon Wilner wrote in the offseason about how important it was for AT&T to acquire DirecTV to ensure future Pac-12 carriage. DirecTV would not budge on the subscription fees the Pac-12 were asking for, so neither side could reach a deal, staying deadlocked in essential cold war for the three years the conference network has existed. The Pac-12 was willing to play the long game and wait for the right dominoes to fall.

The AT&T deal was the tipping point. AT&T already has an existing relationship with the Pac-12 Networks (they made a deal for the network to be carried on their U-Verse package), so it seems like that influence might have moved things in a favorable direction.

It remains unclear which tier the Pac-12 Network would be on the DirecTV package if a deal were to be made. At channel 612, the Pac-12 Network would be situated next to the other major college networks in the Big Ten Network (channel 610) and SEC Network (channel 611), which are both contained in the XTRA, Ultimate and Premier packages of the network. It would be ideal if the Pac-12 could get similar treatment.

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