The Big Ten may have just sparked another round of major conference realignment. 

USC and UCLA are reportedly planning to leave the Pac-12 – and could do so by 2024, according to The Mercury News.

A deal could finalized by Friday, according to the Action Network, and the Big Ten could add additional schools. The report also noted that other Pac-12 schools could exit — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah — could end up joining the Big 12.

USC and UCLA are two iconic members of the Pac-12, a league that has struggled in recent years to sustain its historic football prowess. The news comes just a year after the Pac-12 brought in George Kliavkoff as the new commissioner. 

Big Implications

The moves could also have major implications for media rights.

• The Big Ten has been negotiating a new deal that could be worth $1 billion annually.
• With the additions of major brand names like USC and UCLA, the numbers would likely be even higher.
• Without schools in the Los Angeles market, the Pac-12 could be at a catastrophic disadvantage at negotiations for media rights, which are up in 2024. 

There could be logistical financial concerns, however, as most Big Ten schools are in the Midwest. UCLA and USC would have to contend with significant travel costs. The Big Ten’s easternmost schools are Rutgers, Maryland, and Penn State.

Amazon is close to adding a major piece to its U.K. sports rights portfolio.

The tech giant and BT Sport are reportedly among those set to acquire U.K. rights to the UEFA Champions League.

• Broadcasters will share coverage privileges for three years, starting with the 2024-25 season.
• The deal will also include the Europa League and Europa Conference League.
• The contract could be worth $1.8 billion, a 20% lift from the current three-year cycle.

Prime Rights

Amazon has shown a willingness to spend on the most popular sports leagues within the countries it operates to grow its Prime Video subscriber numbers.

The company already holds U.K. rights to the Premier League, along with Sky Sports and BT Sport. Last year it added domestic rights to Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.

Amazon is also one of the final bidders for NFL Sunday Ticket, along with Disney and Apple, which it could combine with its exclusive rights to “Thursday Night Football.” The NFL is seeking $2.5 billion to $3 billion annually.

The company pulled out of the bidding for domestic rights to the Indian Premier League, ceding that ground to Viacom18 and Disney, which respectively paid $2.6 billion and $3 billion for streaming and TV rights.

Paris Saint-Germain has secured a multiyear shirt sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways worth as much as $72.1 million per year, according to SportsBusiness. 

Qatar Airways will take over for the French hospitality company Accor, PSG’s shirt sponsor since the 2019-20 season. Accor reportedly paid between $62.7 million and $72 million annually. 

• Qatar Airways has been PSG’s premium partner since 2020.
• The airline has paid between $5.2 million and $10.4 million per year.
• Its upgraded deal covers the men’s, women’s, and youth teams.
• PSG and Qatar Airways will collaborate on fan experiences and content. 

PSG — the seventh-most valuable soccer team in the world at $3.2 billion — has had tremendous success in Ligue 1, finishing either first or second since the 2011-12 season. 

The club has generated $661 million in revenue in 2022, up from $599 million in 2021. However, PSG has an operating income of -$102 million, compared to -$5 million last year. 

New Kits

PSG is the latest top-flight club to secure a new shirt deal. 

Earlier this week, AC Milan extended its deal with sportswear brand Puma, which will reportedly pay Milan $31.5 million per year under a five-year contract.

Liverpool is in talks for a shirt deal that could fetch a record $100 million per year. British bank Standard Chartered originally paid the club an estimated $25 million annually to replace Carlsberg in 2010.