Alibaba in US college sports broadcast deal

Alibaba has signed a broadcast licensing deal with the Pac-12 Conference of US universities, marking the latest win in an ongoing race for exclusive sports content among major Chinese video companies, Caixin reports. Under the deal, Alibaba will get first-time distribution rights for content from Pac-12 Networks across linear and digital channels through 2024, according to Pac-12, a conference of major US universities whose members include Stanford, University of Southern California, University of Utah, and University of California, Los Angeles. The deal covers most of the major US sports, including football, men’s basketball, track and field and beach volleyball. The tie-up will kick off with the current fall season, when games will start to be broadcast on Alibaba’s platforms, including its Youku Tudou video service, one of the nation’s top players. Going forward, Alibaba will distribute 175 live Pac-12 Networks events and 100 hours of original programming each year throughout the Chinese mainland, Pac-12 said.