ROUNDUP: What Pac-12 Network means for OSU

THE PAC-12 NETWORK launches on Aug. 15. But the schedule will be out sooner than that. And for Oregon State, the number of games and viewing options is set to explode.

More and more Pac-12 Network news has been coming out in recent days, from sources like The Corvallis Gazette Times, Mercury News, Multi Channel and others. Here are the highlights...

The Pac-12 network will broadcast live 35 football and at least 120 men's basketball games (likely 140). Olympic sports also will be featured prominently, both on live TV and the web.

All the Pac-12 football and men’s basketball games will be shown live, at least regionally. They’ll be replayed the following week on the national network during off hours.

Fall schedules are expected to be announced at the end of next week, along with other details of the network launch. (One source, multichannel.com says the announcement could come instead on June 15.)

"We’ll be on TV more than most of the schools in the country. This is blowing by the SEC and Big Ten networks. It’s blowing by them like they are standing still," Oregon State SID Steve Fenk told the G-T.

There will be one national network and six regional networks, with Pac-12 Oregon broadcasting both Oregon State and UO content.

The six regional networks mapping the conference footprint: in Oregon (Oregon State and Oregon); Northern California (Stanford and Cal); Southern California (USC and UCLA); Washington (Washington State and Washington); Arizona (Arizona State and Arizona); and Mountain (Utah and Colorado).

The Pac-12 Digital Network will enable subscribers of Pac-12 Network distributors to watch live content on connected devices via TV Everywhere authentication when the network debuts Aug. 15.

All on-air programming will go through the Pac-12, with the exception of two national football games a week, one each by ABC/ESPN and FOX. But the Pac 12 Networks will have the top or second choice of games in seven of 13 weeks. Root Sports will no longer carry OSU events.

The national network is expected to be available to about 40 million homes at the start, through Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Cox Communications.

Sharing between the various Pac-12 networks is expected to fill time 24 hours a day.

Comcast Cable is the main carrier in Oregon. Other providers such as DirecTV and Dish Network, have not reached agreements with the Pac-12 yet.

If prior negotiations are any indication, deals with DirecTV and Dish could come down to the wire and, in the public relations arena, turn nasty with accusations flying back and forth. More often than not, things tend to get settled at the 11th hour. But there also have been occasions when programming is interrupted or taken off a carrier. Bottom line if you're a DirecTV or Dish customer? Probably wait a while to see how things are playing out in mid-to-late August.

Sources indicate to multichannelnews.com that the Pac-12 is seeking a monthly license fee of between 90 cents and $1 within conference markets, and as much as 50 cents in other areas.

Cliff Kirkpatrick of the G-T brings up another interesting point. With all the new viewing options available and every game now being broadcast, what will happen to attendance at Reser Stadium? Kirkpatrick expects it to fall.