Pac-12 Networks reached an agreement with Sling TV on Thursday, making content from all six of the Pac-12’s regional networks available to certain subscribers of the internet TV service.
Sling TV, a subsidiary of DISH Network, is the first “over-the-top” provider to feature Pac-12 Networks content. Subscribers can choose to live stream content to their TV or on any mobile device. Sling TV Orange and Blue package subscribers who subscribe to the “Sports Extra” add-on will have access to Pac-12 content without regional restrictions.
“This is a great way for Pac-12 Networks to kick off the 2016 football season,” Pac-12 Networks president Lydia Murphy-Stephans said in a statement. “Sling’s innovative delivery model and great interface make it incredibly easy for our fans to stay connected with their favorite Pac-12 schools, teams and sports.”
Negotiations between the Pac-12 Network and satellite TV provider DirecTV have been at a well-documented standstill. Sling TV may give DirecTV customers an alternative means of watching Pac-12 broadcasts without having to switch cable providers.
An agreement between Sling TV and the Pac-12 is the latest victory for cord-cutters who aspire to watch their college football without splurging for cable. According to SB Nation, with Pac-12 content now available on Sling TV, CBS Sports Network games are the only remaining broadcasts still limited to cable subscribers.
The Sling TV agreement comes on the heels of a July announcement from the Pac-12 on distribution deals with Cox Communications as well as social media giant Twitter.
Pac-12 Networks has fallen significantly short in a generating revenue for its members when compared to networks of the Big Ten and SEC. Pac-12 Networks paid its member schools $1.4 million each in 2015, according to reports of Washington State’s budget disclosure. The SEC Network and Big Ten Network generated payouts that were significantly greater.
“It’s possible there has been some misalignment between what we hoped would happen and what athletics departments put in their plans,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott told Sports Illustrated in May.