At the Chat Sports 'Minds Behind the Game' panel on Tuesday night, Pac-12 Network's David Aufhauser talked to a crowd of over 200 industry leaders about what the rapidly-changing technology landscape means for his network and its competition.
Aufhauser began by discussing the differences between the Pac-12 Network and the Big 10 and SEC's networks.
"We're very different from the other networks - the SEC network is so closely tied to ESPN, the Big 10 Network is 50% owned by Fox...there are advantages and disadvantages there that we don't have."
The Pac-12 network is owned by the conference, rather than a network or outside group. In Aufhauser's eyes, that gives it access and freedom that other conference-centric networks just don't have.
"We're independent, which means we can make decisions that really truly benefit our fans and really, truly benefit our member institutions. We have access that the SEC network has...but it's not quite the same, because it's [so closely tied to] ESPN, and those things really matter.
"We can make content-related decisions that tell the best story, and that means the best things for our fans and our member institutions...even if that comes at some cost to the bottom line. [That means that] we can do things that maybe the SEC, Big 10 networks can't."
For Aufhauser, having the Pac-12 network based in the Bay Area is a major bonus, and he revealed that that decision was made intentionally.
"Being here [in the Bay Area], we made a conscious decision to be here in the Bay. Being embedded here in SF, in Silicon Valley, we have a huge technological advantage being at the forefront of experimenting with companies. We can produce TV-quality content on the same level as ESPN because we've done thing from the ground up from a technology standpoint.
"There's a whole myriad of things that we're able to do - the structure of the company and the technology...it all flows from there."
The rapidly-changing nature of live sports consumption is something the Pac-12 Network is taking seriously, and Aufhauser is making sure they're on top of it:
"In five years, people won't see the difference between watching on a 60-inch screen, a phone, a computer...from a sports perspective, you're still watching the game. The innovation in the last 15 years...how many people had HDTV on a 60-inch screen that long ago? Now we're talking about it on 5-inch screens, on mobile - it's changing so fast."
The changes to the media landscape are being felt in the way fans interact with their rivals and their conference, and Aufhauser had some interesting observations about where that trend is headed:
"One of the things the SEC has done well - SEC fans will root for SEC teams when they play non-SEC teams (with a few exceptions). We think that's changed [in the Pac-12 as well] recently, and we think the Pac-12 network is part of that. The Pac-12 fanbase has taken #BackThePac [a Twitter hashtag promoting the entire conference, rather than just one school], and really taken it to the next level on social media.
@Pac12Networks definitely. All rivalries aside. Let's show we're the best conference. #BackthePac
— Cameron (@KaliberPatriot) December 16, 2014
"Having Oregon potentially playing for a national championship, it's great for all the schools, it sets the tone, it sets the bar for quality. Someone like Marcus Mariota winning the Heisman as a student athlete...there isn't a better representative for the Pac-12"
Back to the Stanford Cardinal Newsfeed