E-Mail from Big Ten Network

[mlb]

I'm an Ohio State fan, I'm not willing to pay $1.10 more a month to see 2 football games. As others have said, I'll go to a neighborhood bar. I honestly don't think that most of the Big 10 sporting events are interesting. I watch OSU football games and the top other B10 games each year, but the top games are on ESPN/ABC anyway. In terms of basketball, I'd much rather watch the Big East or ACC, as they play better basketball from top to bottom of the conference.

 

[Hall]

The same thing happened last year with the local providers with ESPNU and a week or two before OSU was to play they all of a sudden added the channel to the local cable packages. I bet the same thing will happen this year also.

Who added it ?? The local Time Warner (Dayton/Cincinnati) didn't, nor did TW in Columbus. They do carry it in their sports tier, and did prior to this, but it's NOT in any base package. TW's response to anyone who wanted it was to pay for the sports tier...

 

[Foxbat]

I said it in a different Big 10 Network thread: If Tennessee was in the Big Ten, B10N would be signed up with Dish, no questions asked. Are there going to be Black Out rules on B10N? For the price B10N wants for their carriage, it had better be free and clear for every game, no matter where you are and who has "local" rights.

Of course DirecTV signed up first to carry B10N, what with being owned by Rupert and sister company Fox owning 49% of the Big Ten Network (plus running the production). Why do I think that DirecTV got an "Early Adopter Discount" and isn't paying the $1.10 per midwestern sub that everyone else is being asked to pay?

 

[Hall]

I think the East & West Network feeds are in fact considered NATIONAL. And BTW, they are still available where legal. There are still some D* subs that are grandfathered and get BOTH the East and the West Coast Feeds. Sounds national to me.

Those stations being offered nationally was a special arrangement many years ago and as you point out, some people still get them from being grandfathered. I believe some people in "white" areas can still get them on DirecTV but not so with Dish (you may have heard about a little lawsuit they were involved in that was finalized 9-12 months ago.

Is TBS a national channel? I think we all would say yes. But - it is actually an Atlanta local station (channel 17).
Atlanta Television Stations - Station Index

I thought there was a "TBS" and a "WTBS" and they were not the same. The "TBS" people all over the country get is/was a "superstation". Here's some information, Superstation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Here's even better information, TBS (TV network) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

TBS is an American cable TV network that shows sports and variety programming with a focus on comedy. It is currently owned by Time Warner.

TBS (which originally stood for Turner Broadcasting System) was originally WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station owned by media mogul Ted Turner that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s. WTCG reportedly stood for "Watch This Channel Grow" (though the "TCG" officially stood for Turner Communications Group, the forerunner to Turner Broadcasting System).

TBS is a national cable channel, but it is not available in the Atlanta market, due to WTBS, which carries a nearly identical schedule, plus the required public affairs programming and E/I programming for children.

 

[CubsWin]

I'm an Ohio State fan, I'm not willing to pay $1.10 more a month to see 2 football games. As others have said, I'll go to a neighborhood bar.

And how much money will you spend at the bar?

 

[cummingsje]

Here's some more information on the Big Ten Network. Doesn't look promising?

Rivals.com College Football - Reception a problem for Big Ten Network

 

[JAG72]

Who added it ?? The local Time Warner (Dayton/Cincinnati) didn't, nor did TW in Columbus. They do carry it in their sports tier, and did prior to this, but it's NOT in any base package. TW's response to anyone who wanted it was to pay for the sports tier...

One week prior to the OSU Indiana game TW and WOW did not carry ESPNU in the Columbus area.

BuckeyeXtra

"Some fans and bars responded to the news by signing up for ESPNU via satellite service or Insight Communications, the only local cable service that carries the college sports channel. Neither Time Warner Cable Columbus — central Ohio’s dominant cable system, with more than 600,000 customers — nor Wide Open West carries the channel."

I could not find where it was added but I do remember where it was big news here and the local news stopped promoting satellite as the alternative to cable. It was then top news when people would now be able to see the game. I will look later for that piece.

 

[tsduke]

And how much money will you spend at the bar?

No kidding!

 

[gadgtfreek]

And how much money will you spend at the bar?

For someone that enjoys the bar/college football atmosphere, its not the cost its the principal. Going to a game costs more, wouldnt you rather do that than watch the BTN.

Granted, ever since I bought my HDTV I dont go out as much on gameday, but I still have no interest in paying $1.10 a month for a channel I wont watch much.

 

[Hall]

Here is the local TW's page that talks about ESPN's add'l tier, Time Warner Cable ESPN GamePlan. I can't find ESPNU listed specifically, but I recall reading articles last year that TW did carry it.

 

[mlb]

And how much money will you spend at the bar?

Different situation. You get dinner, grab a few beers. Hell, I watch a ton of their games in the bar now. I just don't think everyone should have to pay to see a network that they don't care about. I'm all about going a-la-carte for all programming, to be perfectly honest with you.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I agree. Its not the money, its the point. Whats funny, you look at threads a few mo's ago about the BTN people were all for it and ragging people who did not want it. Now, it seems 50/50.

I spend 3 out of 4 Saturdays at home, 1 my wife and I will go out and watch a couple of games to get out.

The last two years I bought gameplan and barely used it because the games were televised, so my opinion is I really dont need BTN full time.

 

[oswald]

For someone that enjoys the bar/college football atmosphere, its not the cost its the principal. Going to a game costs more, wouldnt you rather do that than watch the BTN.

Granted, ever since I bought my HDTV I dont go out as much on gameday, but I still have no interest in paying $1.10 a month for a channel I wont watch much.

Just to be clear, the average cost (someone estimated it awhile ago) is about .35 per E* subscriber, not 1.10 (since it would be carried nationally). And I understand why many people don't want it. But I don't want the Golf Network or Lifetime either, yet I have to pay for them. Also, it is pretty clear that the most viewed channels on cable (not broadcast) are Sports channels. If you look over the past year, ESPN's coverage of games (particularly football) draws the highest ratings, followed closely by USA's WWE (okay, maybe not a sport). NASCAR does very well as well. So the BTN, even if you don't want to watch it, will have alot of fans that do. I personally wish it were a sports tier channel, but I wish we had alot more freedom as consumers to pick and chose channels generally--this is not an issue isolated to sports or the BTN. Yet I fully understand why the BTN is trying to force its hand--$$$. Get on the basic tier on cable or E* and rake in the bucks.

One other point--a few people have suggested that only bottom tier games will be on this network (and if you look at the first 3 weeks of the schedule, that sentiment is confirmed). But I have read an interview where Mark Silverman of the BTN has said that there will be weeks in which the BTN has 2nd choice after ABC, BEFORE ESPN, to select games. So a number of weeks will likely have important (or entertaining) matchups that will be on the BTN.

 

[gadgtfreek]

oswald, I dont understand the .35 vs 1.10. I thought BTN wanted 1.10 per sub from providers AND that it be on the lowest national price plan.

Can you explain how the 1.10 goes to .35?

 

[oswald]

oswald, I dont understand the .35 vs 1.10. I thought BTN wanted 1.10 per sub from providers AND that it be on the lowest national price plan.

Can you explain how the 1.10 goes to .35?

That pricing structure is geared towards cable operators. They want 1.10 per subscribers that reside in the Big Ten (8) states, and .10 for subscribers outside of that region. Since you are in SC, a local cable station that wanted to add it to its cable can pick it up for .10 a subscriber. Someone did the math, estimating the # of subscribers that reside in the 8 states of the big ten region (* 1.10) and the subscribers outside of the region (*.10) and it would come out to around .35 cents for a national carriage (like E*).

 

[gadgtfreek]

Ah. Now if it works out that way, maybe not so bad. The 1.10 nationally and being carried on the lowest tier seemed greedy. I bet if E* is to add it , it could only be in the at250 if they can get away with it.

 

[tsduke]

oswald, I dont understand the .35 vs 1.10. I thought BTN wanted 1.10 per sub from providers AND that it be on the lowest national price plan.

Can you explain how the 1.10 goes to .35?

The $1.10 per sub is only in the Big Ten footprint. It's like $.10 per sub elsewhere so the average is much less than the $1.10.

 

[Hall]

The $1.10 per sub is only in the Big Ten footprint.

Weird, isn't it ?? Because some of us live in the Big 10 region, they think we'd be willing to pay 10x more than everyone else. Sorry, but odds are that the Buckeyes football will be televised on ABC or ESPN for 90% of their games. Good enough for me.

 

[oswald]

Weird, isn't it ?? Because some of us live in the Big 10 region, they think we'd be willing to pay 10x more than everyone else. Sorry, but odds are that the Buckeyes football will be televised on ABC or ESPN for 90% of their games. Good enough for me.

Care to wager? Seeing how the first 2 games are already to be televised on BTN, its already down to a maximum of 83% of Buckeye games!

Just messing with you Hall.

 

[oswald]

Sorry, didn't realize I had posted "exclusive" info