Pac-12 Networks, DirecTV Intensify Public Spat

The Pac-12’s new TV network has not been shy about publicly calling out companies with whom it has failed to reach an agreement, and now the Pac-12 Networks have turned their sights on DirecTV, openly criticizing the satellite TV provider who is fighting back as the companies try to reach a deal.

With a pair of conference games set to appear on the Pac-12 Networks this Saturday - Cal vs. USC as well as Utah vs. Arizona State - the demand for the network and its frustration with the fact it is unavailable in some households is rising.

The first salvo was fired by the Pac-12 Networks, who wrote a plea to PAC-12 fans calling DirecTV’s stance “absurd” and saying the company was “betraying its promise” to be a premier sports provider:

The deal we’ve offered DirecTV is fundamentally similar to the deal that has already been accepted by DISH, four of the largest cable companies in the country and more than 40 others. How can a deal that works for all those companies be “unaffordable” for DirecTV, the largest satellite TV provider in the country and the company that built its brand offering every subscriber the “all the sports they crave”?

Not enjoying the way the company was portrayed, DirecTV fired back:

Even though there are only two Pac-12 Network exclusives this weekend, they feature four Pac-12 teams. We realize those games are important to the fans of those teams so we want them to have their network. However, the Pac 12 continues to demand a significant price that would force all of our customers to still pay for this channel whether they want it or not. If Pac 12 were to be more reasonable, we believe there is an opportunity to add this channel immediately for any fan who wants it.

However, the Pac-12 found this response unsatisfactory: when DirecTV responded, they listed the available college football games on DirecTV, but filed the pair of games they won’t be carrying under “Other Pac-12 Action”:

While the name-calling is fun for anybody who is passionate about corporate feuds, its not clear whether all this is helping fans with DirecTV watch games they watch. The Pac-12 Networks had previously publicly criticized DISH for not airing games and shortly thereafter reached an agreement with them, so perhaps an agreement is on the horizon despite the public animosity.

For more on the Pac-12, head over to Pacific Takes.