Here’s what we have learned in the past 24 hours …

— The Pac-12 will hire a replacement for CFO Brent Willman but not a successor to Pac-12 Networks president Mark Shuken, according to a source with knowledge of the plans.

In combination with the decision to move production facilities to an office in the East Bay, the decision to not replace Shuken provides insight into the future of the networks. Commissioner George Kliavkoff has stated publicly that the Pac-12 will remain in the content production business during the next media contract cycle, which begins in the summer of 2024.

The decision to lease 42,000 square feet in the East Bay city of San Ramon is evidence of the strategy. That said, there is no indication the Pac-12 Networks will exist in their current form — as a media distribution company.

In fact, the news release issued two weeks ago about the move to San Ramon was framed this way: The Pac-12 “announced the relocation of its San Francisco production studio …” It said nothing about the Pac-12 Networks, the linear media company with a national feed and six regional feeds.

If the media company is going away — if it’s being downscaled to a production unit — there’s no need for a network president.

In other words, the model is changing. Into what? There are at least two options:

1. An entity that produces streaming-only content about Pac-12 Olympic sports. (Football and basketball have far too much value to be sequestered on a conference-owned platform.)

2. A production facility that provides Pac-12 Olympic sports content and produces sporting events for a major digital media company like Amazon or Apple.




Link
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/01/26/p...framework/

This makes me wonder if they decided to fire the CEO, then found the reason.

(01-26-2023 10:32 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  Here’s what we have learned in the past 24 hours …

The decision to lease 42,000 square feet in the East Bay city of San Ramon is evidence of the strategy. That said, there is no indication the Pac-12 Networks will exist in their current form — as a media distribution company.

In fact, the news release issued two weeks ago about the move to San Ramon was framed this way: The Pac-12 “announced the relocation of its San Francisco production studio …” It said nothing about the Pac-12 Networks, the linear media company with a national feed and six regional feeds.

If the media company is going away — if it’s being downscaled to a production unit — there’s no need for a network president.

2. A production facility that provides Pac-12 Olympic sports content and produces sporting events for a major digital media company like Amazon or Apple.

This has been expected. They are going to produce sporting events for Amazon or Apple. They may be getting closer to being done with the media deal.

Jon Wilner Q&A

A few highlights:

For reasons Wilner lists (see story), he doesn't expect lasting damage to contract negotiations from the audit situation.

PAC commissioner George Kliavkoff remains very quiet. Fans don't like the 'radio silence' but member presidents and media negotiators do—and those people are his top priority right now. Confidence in the commissioner remains strong among presidents and ADs.

We can expect a big rethink of the PAC Networks structure.

The odds of PAC 'survival' remain greater than those of PAC 'extinction' by nearly 2-1.

(01-27-2023 12:12 AM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(01-26-2023 10:32 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  Here’s what we have learned in the past 24 hours …

The decision to lease 42,000 square feet in the East Bay city of San Ramon is evidence of the strategy. That said, there is no indication the Pac-12 Networks will exist in their current form — as a media distribution company.

In fact, the news release issued two weeks ago about the move to San Ramon was framed this way: The Pac-12 “announced the relocation of its San Francisco production studio …” It said nothing about the Pac-12 Networks, the linear media company with a national feed and six regional feeds.

If the media company is going away — if it’s being downscaled to a production unit — there’s no need for a network president.

2. A production facility that provides Pac-12 Olympic sports content and produces sporting events for a major digital media company like Amazon or Apple.

This has been expected. They are going to produce sporting events for Amazon or Apple. They may be getting closer to being done with the media deal.

If they are going with Amazon it will be interesting what ESPN’s next move will be. They will only have 1/2 of BYU in the 7:00 pm time slot.

(01-28-2023 01:46 AM)Sactowndog Wrote:  

(01-27-2023 12:12 AM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(01-26-2023 10:32 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  Here’s what we have learned in the past 24 hours …

The decision to lease 42,000 square feet in the East Bay city of San Ramon is evidence of the strategy. That said, there is no indication the Pac-12 Networks will exist in their current form — as a media distribution company.

In fact, the news release issued two weeks ago about the move to San Ramon was framed this way: The Pac-12 “announced the relocation of its San Francisco production studio …” It said nothing about the Pac-12 Networks, the linear media company with a national feed and six regional feeds.

If the media company is going away — if it’s being downscaled to a production unit — there’s no need for a network president.

2. A production facility that provides Pac-12 Olympic sports content and produces sporting events for a major digital media company like Amazon or Apple.

This has been expected. They are going to produce sporting events for Amazon or Apple. They may be getting closer to being done with the media deal.

If they are going with Amazon it will be interesting what ESPN’s next move will be. They will only have 1/2 of BYU in the 7:00 pm time slot.

Under the current Pac-12 contract, 44 games are split evenly between ESPN and FOX, with the other games on the Pac-12 network. Last season that was 36 games. Under the next contract, the Pac-12 Network games are going to be streamed on Amazon or Apple. Linear TV will cover the rest. The Pac-12 after dark on ESPN will own the 4th broadcast hour.

(01-26-2023 10:32 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  ....
The decision to lease 42,000 square feet in the East Bay city of San Ramon is evidence of the strategy. That said, there is no indication the Pac-12 Networks will exist in their current form — as a media distribution company.
....

Confirmation here, it appears.

https://sports360az.com/2023/01/the-pac-...d-up-more/

(01-29-2023 02:24 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(01-26-2023 10:32 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  ....
The decision to lease 42,000 square feet in the East Bay city of San Ramon is evidence of the strategy. That said, there is no indication the Pac-12 Networks will exist in their current form — as a media distribution company.
....

Confirmation here, it appears.

https://sports360az.com/2023/01/the-pac-...d-up-more/

Quote:3. Pac-12 Networks: The endgame

The Hotline reported Thursday that the conference won’t replace Mark Shuken, the president of the Pac-12 Networks who was terminated for his involvement in the Comcast overpayment saga.

That tells us the networks will cease to exist in their current form, as a linear television media company, when the current distribution contracts (with Comcast and others) expire in the summer of 2024.

Instead, the Pac-12 will own and operate a cutting-edge production studio, located in the East Bay city of San Ramon, that likely develops Olympic sports content for streaming platforms but definitely doesn’t require a president.

I think that's kind of a jump on Cesmat's part. IT's not really definite that rearranging the organizational chart of the PAC-12 Networks means any particular future for the P12N.

I mean, it's wildly improbable that they'll continue as linear cable TV channels, given the shrinking of the cable bundle and the bankruptcy of the biggest RSN group (Diamond Sports, aka BAlly Sports, formerly Fox Sports (Your Local NAme here)).

But it's not exactly a geometric proof that "the position of Pac 12 Networks President gets eliminated" --> "Pac-12 Networks will cease to exist as a media distribution company." An "MDC" could be a streamer, could be a sub-channel in the AMazon PRime Video or ESPN+ ecosystem.

I'd say that GTFletch's statement is still the best summary:

Quote:there is no indication the Pac-12 Networks will exist in their current form

In other words, there is no certainty at this time.