Pac-12 announces 2025 media rights deal with ESPN, CBS, The CW

For the second straight year, the Pac-12 will feature just two teams. Oregon State and Washington State will be the only teams in the conference, but more are on the way next year after a round of expansion – and the league now has a new media rights deal for 2025.

The Pac-12 announced CBS, The CW and ESPN will be part of the one-year deal. The CW was the league’s exclusive partner a year ago as Oregon State and Washington State started planning for the future of the conference, and their game was the network’s most-watched of the 2024 season. ESPN was part of the Pac-12’s previous media rights deal, which expired following the 2023 campaign.

Although former commissioner George Kliavkoff presented a new contract which included a streaming presence with Apple, the schools could not agree. That helped spark 10 departures and a groundbreaking round of realignment.

Now, ESPN will air two Pac-12 games this year. CBS will also air two games, and the other nine matchups will be on The CW.

“Having Pac-12 football featured across three leading broadcasters in CBS, The CW and ESPN in 2025 will provide tremendous exposure to showcase Oregon State, Washington State and our brand in the Pac-12’s final season before expansion,” Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with The CW, to welcome a new partner in CBS Sports and to see a return of Pac-12 football on ESPN.”

Notable games highlight new Pac-12 media deal

As part of the media deal, The CW will air a “New Pac-12” double feature in September. That slate will include Fresno State at Oregon State and San Diego State at Washington State, giving fans a sneak preview of two teams set to join the conference.

Fresno State and San Diego State will enter the Pac-12 in 2026 along with Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State as full Pac-12 members. Gonzaga is also coming aboard, but does not sponsor football.

Additionally, both CBS games will be in primetime. The annual Apple Cup game between Washington State and Washington will be Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. ET, and the Pac-12 featuring Wazzu at Oregon State will be No. 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

Of course, there’s also the return of Pac-12 football on ESPN. Oregon State’s Aug. 30 matchup against Cal will kick off at 10:30 p.m. ET, and the Beavers’ game vs. Houston will be Sept. 26 – one day earlier than originally scheduled – at 10:30 p.m. ET.

“Adding these games strengthens ESPN’s industry-leading college football slate,” said Kurt Dargis, ESPN senior director of programming, in a statement. “They deliver meaningful exposure for Oregon State and align well with opportunistic time slots across our platforms.”

Teresa Gould pushed for multiple media partners

As the Pac-12 navigated its media rights negotiations, Teresa Gould made it clear she wanted the league to have multiple partners. While The CW was the exclusive home of the conference a year ago, she noted the need to widen its reach, saying multiple networks would be the way to do so.

“I think for us, based on our objectives for our media rights partnerships – one of which is to reach a diverse audience,” Gould said on Next Up with Adam Breneman. “You hear that all the time from our coaches. We have a diverse fan base, and we need to be on platforms that reach all of our stakeholders. And I think in order to do that, we’re going to have to have multiple media rights partners.

“I don’t see us being in a situation where we walk away with just one partner in order to accomplish all of the things we’re looking to accomplish, including reach, marketing and brand support. All of the things that we’re trying to achieve.”