Fox has FS1 as its other platform and the flagship has MLB baseball in evening slots. NBC dumped its cable channel. ESPN has ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN U. They are NOT paying more for the same number of games. They are paying the same per unit cost for each additional unit they have capacity to air.

The pro rata clause means the value of your rights on a per unit basis doesn’t dilute. In other words the networks are saying the per school value won’t be diluted by four additional schools.

Whether ESPN could pick up excess inventory is not the issue. The point is the B1G can add four more schools without losing money is. That hamstrings the PAC because Oregon, Washington, Stanford, and Cal have no incentive to commit to the PAC long term and have every incentive to demand unequal revenue.