Big Ten Network

[FKy.Guy]

Big 10 Network

I know it is a little early yet to ask since this channel is not set for release until August,but any word if there will be an interest on E*`s part to carry. If not will give plenty of time to campaign for it. {Check out below listed links for more info}

http://www.bigtennetwork.com/bigtennetwork

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ten_Network

 

[tsduke]

It would be crazy for E* not to carry it. The Big Ten Network will have many of the games we've been seeing on ESPN+. Iowa fans were ticked enough when local cable company didn't have ESPNU for 1 game.

The big question will be what package it ends up in.

 

[FKy.Guy]

It would be crazy for E* not to carry it. The Big Ten Network will have many of the games we've been seeing on ESPN+. Iowa fans were ticked enough when local cable company didn't have ESPNU for 1 game.

The big question will be what package it ends up in.

I agree it would be a great addition to E*s sports package,but you know how it is sometimes a tug-of-war with Charlie when it comes to adding new programming,especially sports programming. So start expressing an interest now in hopes it is online by Aug.

 

[TheGuv]

It would be crazy for E* not to carry it. The Big Ten Network will have many of the games we've been seeing on ESPN+. Iowa fans were ticked enough when local cable company didn't have ESPNU for 1 game.

The big question will be what package it ends up in.

I don't know if Dish will have the Big Ten channel or not, but a friend of mine who has Direct TV told me that Direct is already promoting the fact (their own TV commercials) they will have the Big Ten network when it comes online later in the year.

 

[FKy.Guy]

The Big Ten Network is a planned television station in the United States set to be launched in August 2007. The network is a joint project of the Big Ten Conference, a college athletic conference, and Fox Entertainment Group and is a national channel devoted to Big Ten athletic and academic programs. It will be headquartered in the former Montgomery Ward & Co. catalog building at 600 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago, Illinois.[1] The Big Ten Network represents a 20-year partnership between the Big Ten and Fox. It will be majority-owned (51%) by the Big Ten Conference, with Fox holding a minority interest (49%).[2] Fox will handle the administration and daily operations of the channel. The conference officially announced the formation of the network on June 21, 2006.

Mark Silverman has been announced as the first president of the network. He was formerly a general manager and senior vice president of ABC Cable Networks Group.[3] Leon Schweir has been named the Big Ten Network's Executive Producer/Vice President of Production. He previously had spent 26 years working at Madison Square Garden Networks in New York City.[4]

The station is planned to broadcast 35+ football games per season (including at least two per conference team). For men's basketball, there will be at least 105 regular-season games and three Big Ten Tournament games. For women's basketball, there will be at least 55 regular-season games and nine Big Ten Tournament games. Also planned are 170 Olympic sporting events per year as well as 660 hours per year of institutional programming and coverage from the conference's vast library of historic sporting events, including bowl games. Many events will be produced in High-Definition television (HDTV).

The channel will be available nationally, with the first affiliate, DirecTV, having already signed up to carry the channel and planning on delivering the channel to its Total Choice Package.[5] The station will be made available to other cable and satellite companies. Although it is planned to be available for broadcast nationally, it is unclear whether other cable or satellite systems will do so or whether they will simply carry the channel within the Midwest region.

 

[jrbdmb]

I'd bet big $$$ this channel is not on Dish at startup. We'll be lucky to have the channel for the first weekend of football games September 1.

 

[TheGuv]

I'd bet big $$$ this channel is not on Dish at startup. We'll be lucky to have the channel for the first weekend of football games September 1.

HAHAHA...Football? I think Dish Network subscribers will be extremally lucky if the Big 10 network is on by the time basketball season comes around.

Dish Network is doing all they can (blackouts of my local area baseball games, no Big 10 network, etc...) to send me to Direct TV.

I'm only in month 5 of my 18 month committment on a VIP 622, but I am thinking very seriously of jumping ship after being with Dish for 8 years and subscribing to Direct TV.

 

[GOHAWKS]

Does anybody have any ideas were we should start as far as campaining for this channel with Dish.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I had a thread on this a few weeks back. At a University of Wisconsin faculty senate meeting, the Athletic Department told them that the channel was going be only on DirecTV. I have since spoken to someone there, who is on the inside on the negotiations and he told me that it was their sense that Dish would not sign the agreement, although it could happen.

 

[db2]

Last saturday Fox Sports Net North broadcasted the Minnesota Gopher spring football game. There were promos for the Big Ten channel throughout the entire game. They even interviewed a big ten representative about the channel and he said they have DirecTV and (i think) AT&T on board to carry it so far.

I would love to have it but I highly doubt we'll see it on E* right away if ever.

 

[jhamps10]

Last saturday Fox Sports Net North broadcasted the Minnesota Gopher spring football game. There were promos for the Big Ten channel throughout the entire game. They even interviewed a big ten representative about the channel and he said they have DirecTV and (i think) AT&T on board to carry it so far.

I would love to have it but I highly doubt we'll see it on E* right away if ever.

I'd place the chances of Big 10 network making it on dish network at lower than them winning lawsuits, Which lately has been 0%!

But i think if we all start just bombardding them with Calls and e-mails they may get the picture.

NAH I doubt it.

 

[jldhawk]

*%^&#@#*
Dish Network will have it, but it will be BLACKED Out in the Big Ten Region, and only available to West and East coast viewers on 61.5....



*END Sarcasm*

 

[jhamps10]

now this is interesting from the president of Big 10 network who was in Champaign yesterday:

http://www.illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=5277

Big Ten Network
Reported by: Sarah Jindra / WCIA 3 NEWS
04/11/2007 05:27pm
The President of the Big Ten Network stopped in Champaign Wednesday, to talk about the network's progress. Originally, only fans with Direct-TV were going to get the network, but now, President Mark Silverman says those with dish and cable will also see the action.

Currently, it only has a contract with Direct-TV, but Silverman says he's confident the others will pick up the network before it kicks off in August. Some cable providers say they're not so sure that's going to happen. But fans are hoping..they'll have their Illini.

When the television in Rob Gorham's house is on, it's usually on sports. That's why he was upset when he heard only customers with Direct-TV would get the Big Ten Network. "It was a bummer, it was terrible," says Gorham.

But now, there's hope for fans like Gorham. The president of the Big Ten Network expects cable companies and the Dish Network to sign on soon. And he says you won't have to pay extra for it. "There will be no additional cost to the consumer. It will be part of the cable package they're currently paying for," says Silverman.

But small cable companies that serve rural areas wonder how that's possible. The GM of Clearvision, in Greenup, says their customers may be out of luck when it comes to watching Illini sports. He says the network hasn't even contacted him yet. And he worries, if his company pays to get the network, he'll need re-coup the money somehow.

But the network still says it thinks everyone will eventually be on board. Silverman says, "I do not see an instance where a distributor will not enable those viewers access to a channel we're making widely available to everybody."

Even larger cable companies, like Insight, are still questioning whether to purchase the network. It is in negotiations right now, but it too, says the cost is a concern.

But fans like Gorham say, they'd be willing to pay to get their Illini. Gorham says, "go get the contract, sign the contract, your customers want the Big Ten Network." However, it's a different story for those that aren't sports fans. They say any added cost, just wouldn't be worth it. It leaves cable companies and the Dish Network, trying to decide if they should invest with the Big Ten.

 

[sbturner]

I for one would love to have this channel even though I live in the southeast. I also would like the mountain. I hate the thought of college football out their that I can't see.

 

[db2]

The president of the Big Ten Network expects cable companies and the Dish Network to sign on soon.

He can expect all he wants but we all now E* is the most bullheaded provider when it comes to contracts and adding channels. Heck, Versus/Golf HD isn't even a full time channel on Dish and it doesn't cost them anything!

 

[briani]

Will the Big-10 network be an HD channel? Looking at the Big-Ten website(www.bigtennetwork.com) it sounds like most of their programming will be in HD.
I wonder if the will have two feeds( SD and HD) like the Fox sports networks?

 

[Hall]

It would be crazy for E* not to carry it.

You and I are in Big 10 territory and I agree, it would be nice to have this channel, but Dish serves the entire country, not just the midwest. Yes, there are Big 10 fans and alumni all over the country but that couldn't justify nationwide carriage. Dish should certainly make it a regional sports network so that only "we" pay for it but also offer it a la carte for people in other areas to get if they are willing to pay for it.

 

[Hall]

Will the Big-10 network be an HD channel?

I wonder if the will have two feeds( SD and HD) like the Fox sports networks?

They could, of course, only carry the SD feed.... It depends on how the Big 10 Network chooses to divide things up. If they offer two-for-one, I suspect we'll see an SD and HD channel.

 

[db2]

Dish should certainly make it a regional sports network so that only "we" pay for it but also offer it a la carte for people in other areas to get if they are willing to pay for it.

Bingo. With no ridiculous blackout rules please.

However, I could definitely see the network pusing E* for national carriage in order to get more subs and more $ to which E* would most certainly say no thus beginning another long, stubborn E* vs. network negotiation.

...maybe we'll see it by 2010??

 

[jrbdmb]

If D* has already agreed to offer the BTN to all subs nationwide, E* may be under pressure to do the same. But I agree this channel is a perfect fit for Multi-Sport (if the Big 10 will allow it). When the other BCS conferences all start their own RSNs in the near future, they can be added to Multi-Sport, or perhaps be broken off into a separate "College Sports" package.