WALNUT CREEK, CALIF. – Pac-12 Enterprises, the diversified and integrated content and media company of the Pac-12 Conference, has officially begun construction on the Pac-12 Studios, its soon-to-be headquarters in downtown San Francisco, it was announced today. The project is scheduled to be completed in the summer.
Located at 370 Third Street in the technology-rich SOMA district, the Pac-12 Studios will serve as the headquarters and operations hub for the new Pac-12 Networks, the Pac-12 Digital Network and Pac-12 Properties, the sponsorship, licensing and events management arm for the Conference. The new venture will bring more than 100 new jobs to San Francisco this year.
“This represents another groundbreaking moment for a Conference that is steeped in tradition and history and has enjoyed more success than any collegiate conference in the country,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. “There may be concrete at our feet, but the foundation for the Pac-12 Studios is being built on the success and excellence of our programs and our dynamic student-athletes. We love the vibrancy of being in San Francisco and believe it will be very conducive to the environment we envision. It’s very exciting.”
“San Francisco is a perfect intersection of sports, entertainment and technology, and I am thrilled by the Pac-12 decision to base their operations here, demonstrating once again that San Francisco is attracting an incredible mix of talent and industry from across the nation,” San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee said. “Pac-12 Enterprises will not only have access to the best and brightest creative talent for their staff here but they will also tap into the City’s innovative culture and entrepreneurial spirit as they grow their media company and innovate their business model.”
Pac-12 Enterprises signed an 11-year, multi-floor lease with Kilroy Realty Corporation (NYSE:KRC) that provides plenty of flexibility for expansion as the company grows. It will initially utilize 70,000 square feet for its office space and to create a state-of-the-art facility for the Pac-12 Networks, which will produce original studio programming and televise more than 850 live sporting events annually, including every Conference football game and men’s basketball game that isn’t carried by its national telecast partners ESPN and FOX as well as providing unprecedented exposure for women’s sports and Olympic sports, where the Pac-12 has had more success than any other Conference in the country. The Pac-12 Networks are scheduled to launch in August 2012.
"We are building an exciting new media and content company that will enrich our fans connection to the Pac-12 Conference," Pac-12 Enterprises President Gary Stevenson said. "Creating the right culture and environment is very important to our success. Our new space will be energetic and fun and we feel we will benefit tremendously from being very close to the world's most innovative and forward thinking companies." The Pac-12 Networks, which will include a national network and six regional feeds, were created in July in conjunction with four of the nation's largest cable operators: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks. The innovative arrangement marks the first time a U.S. collegiate conference has launched a collection of networks across a variety of platforms rather than a sole network. With the Pac-12 Digital Network, the Pac-12 is creating the first-ever collegiate website portal that will feature hundreds of live Pac-12 athletic events and other original programming across all 12 campuses. With live streaming, mobile technology and social TV capabilities, the Pac-12 Digital Network will allow consumers to watch Pac-12 events on any device from anywhere in the world.
MATT Construction Company is the General Contractor, HLW is the architect and Diversified Systems is the Integrator for the Pac-12 Studios project.
Press Release on Official P12 Site
