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StumbleuponComcast and Big Ten Network strike deal, Time Warner still negotiating
Comment: Do you think Time Warner will carry the BTN soon?
Friday, June 20, 2008
Millions more fans will have greater access to Big Ten Conference football games this fall, but local Ohio State supporters are still waiting.
The Big Ten Network and Comcast on Thursday, June 19, announced a deal to place the all-day, year-round channel devoted to the Big Ten on expanded basic cable at least through the upcoming basketball season beginning Aug. 15.
Time Warner Cable, the dominant area provider, still does not have a deal with the network. Subscribers can neither purchase nor view the channel.
"Time Warner Cable and Fox are in ongoing talks regarding the carriage of the Big Ten Network," said Pam McDonald, a Time Warner spokesperson. "Both sides have shown an interest in continuing progress."
McDonald said the deal with Comcast doesn't change Time Warner's negotiations with the network. "Everyone has different terms and conditions they're willing to compromise on," she said.
The Comcast deal is seen as a major step for the Big Ten Network, which will complete its first broadcast year in late August.
Comcast, with about 5 million customers in seven Big Ten states, is the first major cable operator to strike a deal with the network. The deal, which had been expected for several months, will pay the Big Ten Network 70 cents per month for every Comcast subscriber in the Big Ten states. The network had reportedly been asking for $1.10.
Fox, a majority owner of the network, and the BTN have been asking for placement on expanded basic cable and the $1.10 per-subscribe fee, both of which the major cable companies had resisted.
Depending on the week, the BTN has the second or third choice of Big Ten games to broadcast. It aired Buckeyes games against Youngstown State, Akron, Kent State and Wisconsin last season.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Comments
By jody
August 21, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this
timewarner cares about 2 things, timewarner and how much they can make.
By Tom
August 12, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this
I think that there may be some points that are not being brought out. Comcast just signed, but will show (and be charged for) only customers in Big Ten area (4 States). WOW (wideopen west) only shows in 5 states, 4 of which are Big Ten thus a no brainer. I have heard that Big Ten is asking for Time Warner to pay for “all” customers in “all” states. That’s alot of money at a buck a head. There is also some bad blood between Fox and Time Warner. Fox owns Dish so a no brainer there either.
By Scoot
August 6, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this
I have contacted TW many times about BTN and NFL network. To many of us surprise, they have never contacted me back AT ALL! I for one dont need the BET channel, or lifetime, or soaps , or oxygen, or the gay channel, or a few spanish channels, the list could go on and on. I am checking into Direct TV TW can kiss my A**
By Jim
July 26, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
Jimmie, do you feel the same way about all of the existing channels that they provide? How many of those do you actually want and watch?
By Geri Burke
June 30, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this
You people make me sick. You carry channels that noone cares about, but, when it comes to the BTN network, that a majority of your customers want, it shows that all you care about is the almighty dollar. If I could switch to another cable company that carries the BTN, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would be more than happy to pay extra to be able to watch my Buckeyes. I don’t want to have to go to a bar to watch my team. Time warner sucks big time!!!
By Ohioguy
June 21, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this
I hope TW doesn’t cave in either. I could care less about sports and don’t want BTN at all.
By Alan
June 21, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
Yes time to go back to DirecTV. Time Warner does SUX. The new cnannel guide what a joke. I have a couple movie channels that the picture goes out. Have more times I lose the picture and sound with TWC then I ever did with DirecTV.
By TW Sucks
June 20, 2008 10:25 PM | Link to this
TW and Commiecast both suck…bad. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they are two of the worst run companies in America: poor service, poor quality, and poor prices…Three strikes and you’re out!
The BTN is for the Big Ten, by the Big Ten.
Please folks, quit complaining and SWITCH TO SATELLITE!
By Alex
June 20, 2008 10:03 PM | Link to this
I will complain about not having BTN or NFL network as long as TW makes me pay for Lifetime and Soap network and other crappy channels I could care less about.
They say they care about the customer, they only care about the customer when a channel is not owned by TW.
Give me another cable company and I will pay double just to not have to give another dime to TW.
By Buckeye Fan
June 20, 2008 9:39 PM | Link to this
Time Warner sucks… Are you going to charge double for the “Digital Teir once all chanels are digital”. Your Company would not answer my questions when I called about the Big Ten Network.. How about getting rid of the crap chanels you have now and stop splitting the chanels up all over… Your new guide sucks also… Watch how fast you lose customers when another cable company comes to this area…. EVERY CUSTOMER SHOULD CALL IN A SERVICE COMPLAINT ONCE A WEEK. Re-boot your own box!
By not paying extra
June 20, 2008 8:25 PM | Link to this
My husband is one of the 1,000’s in the area who will be losing his job, so we will be downgrading cable. However, we would NOT pay extra for another darn thing with Time Warner. They have a monopoly on the cable market and need some competition. Time Warner sucks.
By Sam
June 20, 2008 7:40 PM | Link to this
I’ll pay more money to Time Warner. Just get the dang games on for this fall. I do not want to go to BW3’s to watch every game again. I have a 65 inch TV for my in home viewing.
By Bill
June 20, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this
Are you people retarded? Blame Time Warner and Comcast not the BTN… BTN wanted it to go on basic cable so the avg. fan who doesn’t have the latest digital cable set up can still watch the games. They never relented with Comcast, when Comcast told them they would put it on their “sports tier” package. Also keep in mind Ohioans, there are subscribers of Time Warner and Comcast who don’t live in the state of Ohio and they also LOVE the Buckeyes and the BTN is another way to get these games.
By deuce
June 20, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this
Can’t afford cable as it is, and BTN has to ruin local networks who would carry every game for free. I’ll support the non-chain local pubs to watch the games.
By Adam
June 20, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this
Maybe we Time Warner subscribers can work out a deal. I’ll give up about 40 of those crappy channels like Lifetime for BTN and NFL Network!
By Jack
June 20, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this
As much I would like to watch the Bucks on Time Warner, you can expect the network to pick up every single new station that comes along. If yhey put it on basic cable, who do you actually think will pay for it….yes, us the Time Warner customers.
By Bill
June 20, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
Time Warner can lick my nuttsa-k
By Bill
June 20, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
Time Warner can lick my nuttsa-k
By Bill
June 20, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
Time Warner can lick my nuttsa-k
By ....
June 20, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this
Well, The BTN is all about profits, they want all the cable customers to pay more instead of just putting it on a sports tier, which is only 3.95 for the extra espns ect. they want every subscriber to have to pay.. Time Warner offer to put it on the sports tier and they didnt want that.. they wanted every single customer to have it… not everyone watches the big ten network why should they have to pay extra for it?
By No Way
June 20, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this
Time Warner is a poorly run company - they are all about profits - customer service is terrible! They won’t pick up BTN - if they did they might have to pull Waterworld from their movie schedule - it is on every week….
By Bob
June 20, 2008 8:14 AM | Link to this
The bottom of the barrel games that they show, I’d be outside doing something anyway listening to Paul the voice of the Buckeyes
By joe
June 20, 2008 7:38 AM | Link to this
Time Warner is a monopoly and will do nothing for its customers because it doesn’t have to.
By Ed
June 20, 2008 3:48 AM | Link to this
My DishNetwork seems to pick up the Big Ten Network in HD just fine.
By Bart
June 19, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this
Who wants to watch the “MAC with bigger stadiums”. The best of that league will get run - again - when it plays the big boys. The Big Ten Conference - always the bridesmaid!
By vf7300
June 19, 2008 10:45 PM | Link to this
DirecTV does it for the present basic subscribers, but won’t provide BTN to the older grandfathered Select-Choice basic subscribers. We do have the NFL channel.
By ryan
June 19, 2008 8:31 PM | Link to this
Go to Direct TV; not only do you get the Big Ten Network but you get other conference channels as well which is an added bonus.
By Alex
June 19, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this
Does Jimmie work for Time Warner? Face it, as a Time Warner customer I pay for a ton of channels I could care less about. That is just the way it is. An extra $0.70 is really not a big deal. Give us the BTN and NFL network while you’re at it.
By Kyle
June 19, 2008 5:32 PM | Link to this
Time Warner is an absolute joke. I pay $100/month for half-a** service. Their customer service is awful and the cable freezes up or goes out for no reason multiple times a week. If I had another option besides satellite, I would be there in a second. It’s a shame it is such a crappy company.
By Jimmie
June 19, 2008 5:27 PM | Link to this
I sure hope TW doesn’t cave in like Comcast just did. Let those who want it pay for it. Don’t stick the rest of us with the cost.