SHANGHAI – The Pac-12 Conference and Letv Sports, a fast-growing sports media and technology subsidiary of Beijing-based streaming video giant Letv, held a press conference today to announce the full details of their expanded partnership. With the new agreement, Letv will become the official digital media partner of the Pac-12 Conference in China and live stream more than 200 live sporting events across four Pac-12 sports over this year and next. 

Letv Sports will offer fans in China live access to 100 men’s basketball games, including regular season and Pac-12 Tournament games, as well as at least 24 football, women’s soccer and women’s basketball games this season and next. The 2015-16 Pac-12 season on Letv Sports launched on October 3 with the first regular season college football game ever to be streamed in China. Pac-12 football will continue to be streamed live every weekend through the end of November, and Pac-12 basketball will tip off on Letv Sports on November 15.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Letv Sports and continue to showcase the best of Pac-12 teams and student-athletes in China,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “Distributing our great Pac-12 Networks content to countries around the world is a growing priority as our universities continue to operate in a more globalized world.”

Pac-12 Networks will produce and televise the games in the U.S., and Letv Sports will make them available to its users on PCs, tablets, mobile devices, and Letv Super TVs, and distribute the games live through broadcasters and other third party platforms in China. In addition, Letv Sports will offer all users on its platform access to Pac-12 highlights and other programming to be consumed on demand. Last year, it streamed 27 Pac-12 men’s basketball games to fans in China, including the 2014 Pac-12 Tournament. 

“Letv Sports is excited to expand collaboration with the Pac-12,” said Letv Sports CEO LEI Zhenjian. “Through the partnership between Letv Sports and Pac-12, we not only want to show the Chinese domestic audience the excitement of Pac-12 and NCAA basketball and football, but also want to provide more inspiration and successful examples to the Chinese domestic collegiate sports participants and administrators through our in-depth collaboration and exchange with U.S. collegiate sports.”

The expanded partnership represents another step forward in the Pac-12 Global Initiative. The initiative is an unprecedented effort to showcase the Pac-12 and its member institutions in China through student-athlete exchanges and sport. Since launching the initiative in 2011, the Pac-12 has sent men and women’s basketball teams, two women’s all-star volleyball teams, and a men's basketball all-star team to China for exhibitions.  

On Saturday, Nov. 14, the Pac-12 will stage the Pac-12 China Game presented by Alibaba Group in Shanghai between the University of Washington and the University of Texas, becoming the first major U.S. sports league, collegiate or professional, to host a regular season contest in China. The game will be broadcast live in the United States on ESPN on Friday night.

About the Pac-12 Conference
The Conference has a tradition as the “Conference of Champions,” leading the nation in NCAA Championships in 50 of the last 55 years, with 478 NCAA team titles overall. The Conference comprises 12 leading U.S. universities: The University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Colorado, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of Utah, the University of Washington and Washington State University.  For more information on the Conference’s programs, member institutions, and Commissioner Larry Scott, go to www.pac-12.com/conference.

About Pac-12 Networks
Pac-12 Networks is the innovative TV and multimedia company of the Pac-12 Conference, and is the first such company to be wholly owned by 12 universities. Pac-12 Networks incorporates one national and six regional television networks, plus extensive digital content accessible through social media, university websites, and Pac-12 Now, its TV Everywhere service. Each year, Pac-12 Networks offers live coverage of 850 sporting events, making it one of the top live sports producers in the country. In addition, Pac-12 Networks creates extensive original programming, provides visibility for marquee football and basketball events as well as traditionally under-served women’s and Olympic sports. Pac-12 Networks also provides training and paid internships for thousands of students of the Pac-12’s member universities, preparing them for careers in media. With headquarters in San Francisco’s SOMA District, Pac-12 Networks draws on the creative, entrepreneurial, and technological culture of the Bay Area and nearby Silicon Valley. For more information, go to http://pac-12.com/networks.

About Letv Sports
Letv Sports, China’s revolutionary digital sports broadcast company, offers the most complete coverage from around the world to sports fans. Letv Sports’ top content properties include elite European leagues, such as the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga and Major League Soccer, as well as top international events such as the UEFA Champions League, the International Champions Cup, FIFA tournaments and international friendlies. Its portfolio also covers the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia; top golf tournaments such as The US Open, the Masters, the Open Championship, the Ryder Cup and the PGA Tour; US sports including the NFL, MLB and games from the U.S. college sports conference Pac-12; the Wimbledon Championship, men’s tennis’ ATP World Tour and the women’s WTA tour; motor sports such as the Formula 1, WEC and NASCAR as well as combat sports such as the UFC and the ONE FC. In addition, Letv Sports also owns media rights for FEI events, the world’s top marathons and sail-ing events such as the Volvo Ocean Race.