Go Joe Bruin
Fansided

UCLA Football: One of the most watched Pac-12 teams in 2022

By Ryan Kay

Nov 19, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) runs the ball ahead of Southern California Trojans defensive lineman Brandon Pili (91) during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) runs the ball ahead of Southern California Trojans defensive lineman Brandon Pili (91) during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
UCLA Footballl
General view of a PAC 12 Network broadcast truck before the game between the Arizona State Sun Devils against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

There are possible reasons and explanations why the Pac-12 Network has not publicly disclosed the viewership of their games for the 2022 football season.

The network may be trying to avoid scrutiny. The Pac-12 Network has been struggling financially for years in comparison to other Power Five conferences like the Big Ten and SEC. One reason may be If the network were to release viewership numbers, it would likely show that the network is still struggling in viewership in comparison to other major Power Five conferences. Releasing the viewership for games exclusively on the Pac-12 Network for the 2022 football season could lead to further scrutiny from investors and the media as they are in the process of negotiating a new media rights deal.
The network is trying to negotiate a better deal with distributors, especially after UCLA and USC are leaving the conference after this year and joining the Big Ten conference in July of 2024. As already mentioned, the Pac-12 Network is currently in the midst of contract negotiations with distributors, and releasing viewership numbers from football games publically from the past 2022 season may not help them in their negotiations. By the Pac-12 not releasing viewership numbers, the network may be trying to gain leverage in their negotiations.

One other reason may possibly be that the network may simply not have the data. The Pac-12 Network is not a traditional broadcast network like ESPN, Fox, NBC, and CBS and it may not have access to the same viewership data that other networks do like the Big Ten Network. This could be why the network has not been able to release viewership numbers.

Whatever the reason, the lack of viewership data is a problem for the Pac-12 Network. Without this data, the network is unable to measure its success or failure with the general public’s perception of the network who may only assume that the viewership numbers are low in comparison to other major conferences. This makes it difficult for the network to make decisions about its future, such as what games to televise and how much to charge for its programming.

The Pac-12 Network is hoping to turn things around shortly. The conference and the Pac-12 network may be making some changes, such as hiring a new commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference and or agreeing to have a portion of their games on a streaming service like Apple TV. However, it remains to be seen whether these changes will be enough to improve viewership for the conference as a whole.

According to the data from the website Sportsmediawatch.com

Week 4

UCLA and Colorado were not in the top 31 games watched during week four due to the Pac-12 Network not disclosing viewership for the game.

Week 3

UCLA and South Alabama were not in the top 29 games watched during week three due to the Pac-12 Network not disclosing viewership for the game.

Week 2

UCLA and Alabama State were not in the top 30 games watched during week two due to the Pac-12 Network not disclosing viewership for the game.

Week 1

UCLA and Bowling Green were not in the top 39 games watched during week one due to the Pac-12 Network not disclosing viewership for the game.