Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff reportedly eyeing Amazon deal

With media rights negations in full swing there appears to be clarity as to what the Pac-12 is seeking

Unlike the Big 12 who has been very boisterous in alerting the country with their media rights and expansion plans, the Pac-12 has been very under the radar. 

Every now and then we will get a tidbit of information, but for the most part it hasn't really been as telling as what was reported by Pac-12 insider John Wilner on Tuesday. Wilner has reportedly been told by a handful of sources involved in the media rights realm, that that Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff “is serious about a media rights agreement with Amazon.”

Wilner expressed that Kliavkoff had considered other platforms but is apparently now dialed in on Amazon saying:

Kliavkoff hinted at that possibility during the Pac-12’s preseason kickoff event in late July, explaining that a deal with one of the major digital media companies was “highly likely.”The comment was vague enough that it could have been taken as a reference to ESPN’s digital arm. Or to Peacock (NBC) or Paramount+ (CBS). And Kliavkoff hasn’t uttered a public peep about his media strategy since then.

He continued with a quote from one of his sources saying;

But six weeks later, some clarity has emerged: A multi-year partnership with Amazon is under consideration.“It’s smart,” a second source said. “They could get more money relative to their real media value with Amazon.”

It was always likely that Kliavkoff would be looking for a digital rights package  in order to increase the revenue, while also getting more Pac-12 games on-air somewhere. There are currently no signs of a deal being made anytime soon, but based on what Wilner has been told, Kliavkoff has been focused on Amazon, and not Paramount+, Peacock, Apple, or other digital outlets he could have considered as a future partner for Pac-12 football.

Nabbing a lucrative deal is of the utmost importance, as schools such as Oregon and Washington are both looking to join the Big Ten and will need sone convincing to stay. If the Pac-12 can land a deal that will increase revenue for the members, while also having room to grow with future additions to the conference, the Pac-12 will certainly be well and alive.