Golden Nuggets: Pac-12 Network Plans to Expand to New Carriers

If there's one area where Jon Wilner has excelled as a reporter over the past year, it's updates on the Pac-12 Network. The Network is not content with the status quo and intends to expand this offseason.

Checked in with Pac-12 Enterprise President Gary Stevenson about a variety of topics. Naturally, we touched on the prospects for a Pac-12 Networks distribution deal — with DirecTV and/or other carriers — sometime between now and the start of football.

“I’m confident we’ll make a lot of progress in the next 60-90 days,” Stevenson said.

He didn’t get into details, and I didn’t get the sense that he was necessarily referring to DirecTV.

But given how close-to-the-vest Stevenson plays carriage negotiations for the past year, his expression of confidence qualifies as significant.

So which carrier(s) is close to a deal?

Within the league’s footprint, five affiliates don’t carry the Pac-12 Networks, Stevenson said.

One is a smaller carrier: Cable 1, which is in Arizona and some areas of the Pacific NW.

The other four are major: Charter, Verizon, AT&T and DirecTV.
...
If the Pac12Nets are on the verge of a deal, my guess is that it’s not with DTV. (Feels too early: If DTV is going to sign up, it won’t be until mid-/late-August.)

And because Charter moves in virtual lockstep with DTV, we can probably eliminate it, as well.

So if there’s movement, it’s most likely with AT&T or Verizon. And if the Pac12Nets gets one, perhaps the other would cut a deal soon thereafter.

More providers would be better, but there is clear room for improvement with their current carriers (as many of their customers will tell you)...

Football

• Keenan Allen is set to run today for NFL scouts. It sounds like his knee still is not 100% healed.
• The Kansas City Chiefs' official site looks at the top-32 prospects in the NFL Draft. Today's feature is Keenan Allen. Unless the Chiefs improbably pick Allen with the 1st overall pick or the 63rd pick, this article is not very useful to KC fans..

Water Polo

• Pippa Saunders was named the MPSF KAP 7 Newcomer of the Week award after scoring four goals during the Bears' pair of top-15 wins this weekend.

Golf

• Want to take a look at Michael Weaver's schedule as he prepares for the 2013 Masters? Today is your lucky day.