Washington, D.C. (September 6, 2015) - As of this morning, DIRECTV has still not agreed to carry the Pac 12 Network. But for the first time in the three-year carriage battle, the regional sports channel has the advantage.
Until recently, the satcaster refused to make a deal with the Pac 12 Network largely because it believed it should be permitted to offer the channel a la carte, meaning subscribers would pay a separate monthly fee rather than getting it in an existing programming bundle.
The a la carte arrangement would allow DIRECTV to pay a smaller carriage fee because fewer subscribers would actually get the channel than if it was included in most programming packages. Consequently, not surprisingly, the Pac 12 Network objected and negotiations have stalled over the years.
But AT&T's recent purchase of DIRECTV has sparked a new set of talks because its TV service, UVerse, has carried the Pac 12 Network in a programming bundle, and AT&T has been a significant marketing partner. Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott said earlier this year he believed DIRECTV would add the Pac 12 Network after the AT&T executive team took over because of its strong relationship with the telco.
DIRECTV, however, still had plenty of leverage at the negotiating table -- until a week ago.
DBSTalk.com, a message board long favored and populated by DIRECTV employees, posted that the satcaster was testing the signal for the Pac 12 Network. The company always tests a channel's signal before launching it, which led to immediate speculation on social media sites, and in some publications, that DIRECTV would soon add the Pac 12 Network. Although a test does not always lead to a launch, in most cases it does.
More here:
http://www.tvpredictions.com/directv090615.htm