SAN FRANCISCO and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (June 8, 2012) – Pac-12 Enterprises, the new content and multiplatform media company of the Pac-12 Conference, and Ooyala, the fastest-growing company in online video, have partnered to develop and deploy the Pac-12 Digital Network, a sports entertainment network built from the ground up for integrated broadcast and broadband entertainment. Pairing one of the most prestigious collegiate conferences with the TV industry’s leading online video innovator,

Pac-12 Networks and Ooyala are working together to deliver highly personalized, interactive and customizable video experiences for fans on the web, tablets, smartphones, and connected TVs. 

The partnership enables customers of Pac-12 Network’s distribution partners to watch live content on connected devices, with TV-Everywhere authentication. This marks the first time such technology has been designed alongside the broadcast network experience at launch, and will be available for consumer access when the Pac-12 Networks launch on August 15.

“Pac-12 Enterprises is committed to raising the bar of the traditional sports viewing experience with cutting-edge technology that seamlessly combines broadcast and internet-delivered content for the most immersive and engaging fan experience ever,” said Gary Stevenson, president of Pac-12 Enterprises. “Ooyala is on the forefront when it comes to convergence of mobile, social and video. Their focus on big data analytics and personalization is a perfect match for our vision of extremely personalized, highly social TV. Our partnership brings together two world class teams in sports and technology to deliver the type of high-caliber innovation the Pac-12 Conference is known for.”

“It’s a privilege to work with the Pac-12 team which shares our commitment to innovation, and to be part of its digital TV deployment from the ground up,” said Jay Fulcher, chief executive officer of Ooyala. “Together we’re putting the technology and processes in place to deliver a progressive fan experience that people can enjoy on any device from any place. And with unlimited capacity to broadcast any sporting event from anywhere, the Pac-12 is on the cutting edge of live broadcasting in the digital age.”

In addition to offering state-of-the-art digital television broadcasting through the Pac-12’s web properties for subscribers of its affiliate partners, Pac-12 Enterprises and Ooyala are collaborating on a suite of applications for iOS and Android tablets and smartphones that each individual viewer can customize to create the ultimate personalized content experience, specific to their favorite Pac-12 teams, sports and related content.

These applications will provide a rich set of content ranging from live and on-demand sporting events, analysis and commentary, statistics, press conferences, documentaries and other content that extends dramatically beyond the programming available through the telecast. They will enable and encourage social viewing and live interaction around a wealth of content, and capitalize on Ooyala’s ability to highly personalize web-delivered video experiences, leveraging its expansive global video analytics footprint, detailed content trending data and the social graph of individual viewers.

In the future, Pac-12 Enterprises and Ooyala will also develop both paid and ad-supported content models for regions of the world not supported by the Pac-12’s telecast partners. Additionally, Ooyala will provide live ad insertion across all connected devices. This dynamic insertion process is seamlessly integrated with Ooyala’s ad targeting workflow, harnessing its global analytics footprint to match the most appropriate advertising to content in real time.

Beginning August 15, Pac-12 Networks will produce original studio programming from its state-of-the-art San Francisco facilities and televise more than 800 live sporting events annually, including more than 30 football games and 130 men’s basketball games. As the first conference in history to net 450 NCAA Championships, the Pac-12 Networks will provide unprecedented exposure for women’s sports and Olympic sports.