Comcast/Xfiniti has agreed to “flip-flop” Pac-12 Networks channels starting July 1, meaning its basic-tier customers throughout the West will continue to receive Arizona football and men’s basketball games.
Comcast will replace regional Pac-12 Networks feeds with the national feed on its “digital starter” basic tier, and move the six regional feeds to a “sports entertainment package” which costs an extra $10 a month. The national feed will be in HD, with the regionals in standard definition, at least for now.
Comcast customers in Arizona were scheduled to receive UA games either way, via the regional or national feeds, though the cable provider’s switch to national feed for its basic tier means local fans will also get other Pac-12 games.
The downside for Comcast customers in Arizona is that they might miss out on some additional UA sports content on the regional feed if they do not subscribe to the $10 sports entertainment package.
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“This is a big deal for Comcast subscribers in Tucson but a bigger deal for Cats fans living in the Bay Area or Washington,” said Erik Hardenbergh, the Pac-12’s vice president for public affairs. “It’s a big deal for Arizona basketball fans all over the West.”
Earlier this year, the Pac-12 Networks began significantly differentiating its seven networks (one national and six regional) because it had ramped up to 850 events that couldn’t all be shown on one feed. It kept its most high-interest content on the national feed but began using the regional networks only for content involving the two schools within its footprint (i.e. only UA and ASU content on Pac-12 Arizona), instead of carrying games from other regions.
That meant the common practice of carrying a regional feed on a basic tier would no longer give viewers access to the conference’s other top events.
The need for switchovers first became widely apparent during the Pac-12 Tournament, when fans receiving only the Pac-12 Networks regional feeds were to be shown only the games involving the two schools within each region.
However, Cox Arizona agreed to put the non-UA or ASU games on an alternate feed, and the Pac-12 is hopeful Cox will find a permanent solution. As of now, however, Cox only carries the regional feeds.
“Cox Arizona only has Pac-12 Arizona, and those games are primarily Arizona or Arizona State,” said Pac-12 spokesman Erik Hardenbergh. “The problem is a Cal fan living in Phoenix won’t see Cal games.”
Of the events broadcast by Pac-12 Networks, Hardenbergh said all but one football game (a nonconference Colorado game) will be on the national feed, along with all conference men’s basketball games and most men’s basketball nonconference games.
The Pac-12 Tournament and all other conference championships will also be shown on the national feed, Hardenbergh said.
