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Big Ten starting blitz for network
Monday, July 30, 2007
> Are you worried that you might not be able to see OSU games?
As busy as Big Ten Conference officials have been promoting the new Big Ten Network this summer, there's plenty more coming in the next three days.
National reporters will converge in Chicago for the Big Ten football media days this week, and plenty of time has been scheduled for commissioner Jim Delany and Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman to discuss the all-day, year-round channel that launches Aug. 30 despite contentious (and unresolved) negotiations this summer with many cable providers. Here are some things to watch for:
Extras
Schedule: The BTN will host a reception for media members at the network studios in downtown Chicago tonight before Delany and Silverman hold question-and-answer sessions on Tuesday.
The Issues: There are two main holdups in negotiations, happening most notably with Comcast and Time Warner Cable. First, the providers are balking at the BTN's monthly asking prices of $1.10 per subscriber in the eight Big Ten states and 10 cents per subscriber elsewhere.
Second, the cable companies want to put the BTN on a digital sports tier, which means customers could purchase it as part of a grouping with other niche networks. BTN is demanding to be on the most basic cable package.
What's at stake: For local Ohio State fans, if the BTN doesn't have a deal with Time Warner, they won't get up to four Buckeyes games this season at home. It could be more, if ABC and ESPN don't often broadcast the OSU games on Saturday.
The focus now is mainly on football season, but if negotiations stall into the winter, Big Ten fans will also miss more than 105 men's basketball games and other events.
Expansion talk: Delany said recently the conference would consider adding a 12th team to help expand interest in the BTN. He's sure to be grilled about that Tuesday.
Comments
By Go Bucks
August 2, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this
Hey Mike: 1-5. 42-39. Good luck this year. Word around the OSUFB campfire is that Todd Boeckman looked great in 7on7 practice this summer and has really taken control of the team. You guys have ANY cornerbacks? Sounds like you’re gonna need them come late November.
By Bob540
August 1, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this
I’m fed up with the Big Ten. Not only the utter greed of the Big Ten Network, but also being a proving ground for the NFL and NBA rather than education-first institutions. Historically, and recently, the Big Ten has gotten clobbered head-to-head vs. other major conferences. Yet, they continue this arrogance: “We’re the BIG TEN . . THEE OHIO State University . . ” True enough, there are enough fans desperate for entertainment that many will pay any price to support all that. Not me.
By MMiller
July 31, 2007 9:36 PM | Link to this
The blame lies with the Big Ten and its network that has yet to produce a single second of programming. If I’m Time Warner I wouldn’t roll over either. Why won’t the greedy Big Ten let Time Warner put BTN on a sports tier, heck I would pay for that because I love the Big Ten. Quit blaming Time Warner, its the grubby Big Ten that won’t allow for wide affordable television distribution when so many of the major schools sell out their stadiums. I’m not fooled by Big Ten propaganda.
By Marge
July 31, 2007 12:29 AM | Link to this
Well wake up in the state of Ohio, everyone that has Time Warner drop it and see how they come crawling. Cities need more than one cable copany to decide on. By the way, who is going to fill the Middies spot on WPFB on Friday nights.
By autodug
July 30, 2007 11:59 PM | Link to this
Give Mike a break. His team only gets beat by the same school four times in a year.
By Jeff
July 30, 2007 11:31 PM | Link to this
Hey Mike the Michigan fan. You must have been asleep in English class at Michigan, because your ability to form a sentence that makes any sense at all really sucks.
By JR
July 30, 2007 9:05 PM | Link to this
As another out of stater (Memphis) we can’t find out anything. Here it is a little over 4 weeks to kickoff and nobody can provide any answers. The place where we watch has Direct TV and will get the BTN but hasn’t been able to find out if he’ll only get the premium game or will he be able to get the “overflow” channels they’ve talked about. Since 5 Big 10 schools all watch at the same place here this could be a make or break situation for him. It’s a mess and nobody knows what’s going on.
By mike
July 30, 2007 8:54 PM | Link to this
i dont care if dont to watch the buckeyes cause im a michigan fan and now i dont have to watch their games now and i will be able to watch a team that can win and not be beat by the same team twice in one year i have directv and i dont have to pay extra for it and get ripped off by time warner cable and their monopoly in ohio.
By mike
July 30, 2007 8:54 PM | Link to this
i dont care if dont to watch the buckeyes cause im a michigan fan and now i dont have to watch their games now and i will be able to watch a team that can win and not be beat by the same team twice in one year i have directv and i dont have to pay extra for it and get ripped off by time warner cable and their monopoly in ohio.
By mike
July 30, 2007 8:53 PM | Link to this
i dont care if dont to watch the buckeyes cause im a michigan fan and now i dont have to watch their games now and i will be able to watch a team that can win and not be beat by the same team twice in one year i have directv and i dont have to pay extra for it and get ripped off by time warner cable and their monopoly in ohio.
By vegasbuck
July 30, 2007 8:34 PM | Link to this
I’ve watched OSU basketball & football on game plan for many years. Will the BTN take this away??? Not really concerned about costs, just availability.
By Tom
July 30, 2007 7:15 PM | Link to this
I agree with Randy. I’m a Buckeye fan in Orlando and it was nice knowing I would never miss a game with the ESPN Gameplan. Hopefully, the cable companies can come to an agreement with the BTN or at least offer it as PPV. I really don’t want to have to go out to a sports bar and listen to Gator fans run their mouths. I’ve had my fill of that nonsense.
By Bill
July 30, 2007 6:40 PM | Link to this
Jim Delany and The Big Ten are nothing but money grubers. Once again it is not about the fans. Mr. Delany ought to respect The Big Ten fans who sell out the stadiums they play in. I would love to go to the game but I cannot buy a ticket. Now I can’t even watch it on TV. Oh well I guess I will listen to it on the radio like I did as a kid. Hey Jim why not create a Big Ten Radio network. I guess they have it already in XM.
By Bill
July 30, 2007 6:39 PM | Link to this
Jim Delany and The Big Ten are nothing but money grubers. Once again it is not about the fans. Mr. Delany ought to respect The Big Ten fans who sell out the stadiums they play in. I would love to go to the game but I cannot buy a ticket. Now I can’t even watch it on TV. Oh well I guess I will listen to it on the radio like I did as a kid. Hey Jim why not create a Big Ten Radio network. I guess they have it already in XM.
By Bill
July 30, 2007 6:38 PM | Link to this
Jim Delany and The Big Ten are nothing but money grubers. Once again it is not about the fans. Mr. Delany ought to respect The Big Ten fans who sell out the stadiums they play in. I would love to go to the game but I cannot buy a ticket. Now I can’t even watch it on TV. Oh well I guess I will listen to it on the radio like I did as a kid. Hey Jim why not create a Big Ten Radio network. I guess they have it already in XM.
By The Prof
July 30, 2007 5:14 PM | Link to this
I like watching the Buckeyes but if Time Warner raises my rates to make up for the Big Ten greediness. I think I may have to find a new team to root against. This is as bad as ESPN when they tried to make Dish Network and Direct TV take ESPN classic to get ESPN and ESPN2
By Bigpoop
July 30, 2007 4:41 PM | Link to this
Right now I have TimeWarner. If on Aug. 13th at 9:00 a.m. they have not reached an agreement with BTN, I will become a DirecTV customer. For me, it’s as simple as that.
By Tod
July 30, 2007 4:09 PM | Link to this
Here’s a novel thought. Why not just charge per game? As a Toledo based Buckeye fan, I’ll gladly pay a couple of bucks per game. Treat games like pay per view. Every game guaranteed on my Dish Network for a set price, where do I send the check?
By Bob
July 30, 2007 1:09 PM | Link to this
I am a alum of Ohio State living in Florida and I can tell you it is difficult enough to see the Buckeyes play now. The BTN is a good thought but in reality the Big Ten is not really that respected outside the midwest. The Florida victory over Ohio State (who most felt quit and laid down) did not help the Big Ten. My thought is who wants to watch Northwestern play Indiana when other games may be available.
By Gary
July 30, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this
What a mess. I’m also an out-of-state fan and alum. Big 10 fans out west represent a pretty small share of the cable market so BTN’s demand to play on the basic tier is likely falling on deaf ears. I have DirecTV at home but it’s not even clear if we’ll get the Buckeyes game since 4 games are broadcast simultaneously. If DirecTV would issue a statement “we’ll show all the games”, I’d sleep easier & they’d get more customers.
By Larry Green
July 30, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this
They make it sound like it is the “little” Big 10 (or is it 11 since they can’t count after adding Penn St) but to be honest it is all about the money and about who is the dominant power in sports networks. ESPN/ABC lost the contract and the “new” BTN is just a rebranded Fox SportsNET. I have Dish Network and hope they get the signal but never know. I see Direct TV will have it but that is to be expected since NEWSCORP (FOW’s Parent) owns them.
By Randy
July 30, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this
As an out-of-stater and an alum, I’ve relied on ESPN Gameplan to watch Ohio State games not on ABC and ESPN. Even when I’m travelling I can get Gameplan telecasts over the Internet. This BTN thing is a huge blow to the tens or hundreds of thousands of faithful Buckeye alums and fans that live outside the Big Ten states. Why can’t the BTN work out some deal with ESPN to carry games on Gameplan or at least provide some PPV Internet option?