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The Pac-12 Network might be a failure

The Pac-12 Network needs help, that was evident during the conference basketball tournament a few months ago and nothing seems to be getting better.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to NCAA sports television networks, the Pac-12's tournament games are the least accessible to viewers. Leading up to and during March Madness, only eight out of 11 conference games were carried on the network. Semifinals, with the exception of one, are aired on FS1. Pac-12 has no major media partners because it doesn't have a broadest distribution agreement.

According to the The Post Game, Pac-12 only reaches 12 million homes, which is nothing compared to the other college sports networks:The Big Ten Network (BTN) and SEC Network. The Pac-12's distribution both nationally and within the conference's own footprint is abysmal. Whereas the BTN and SECN reach around 70 million households each around the country, the Pac-12 Network is only in 12 million homes.

Furthermore, only six states carry the network. Pac-12 also regionalized its content. People in Los Angeles get UCLA and USC games. People in Oregon get Ducks games. If the USC game isn't on, people in LA get a replay instead of the a live game. Because that's what the people want?

This doesn't necessarily mean the Pac-12 network is doomed. A media partner and a broadcast distribution agreement are major keys. Additionally, a lot of networks provide great digital services to supplement television. In the case of Pac-12, the network could provide relevant content instead of regionalized content. Hiring a really good Social Media Director could help the network remain competitive digitally as well.