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Big Ten Network (BTN)

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OSU SPORTS;867058; said:
Then why is Comcast willing to pay $1.97 for a station that revolves around one city, Philadelphia?
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You keep making this point without explaining the service. What is it providing? Aren't they based out of Philadelphia?
Don't forget that the BTN covers more than just football.
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Do you believe that most of the other content is worth watching? Or is it much like those 75 channels you wish you didn't have to pay for?

It's not like the football content is that compelling either. How interested is a casual midwesterner going to be when OSU & YSU play?
Don't be deceived by Comcast's spin. They aren't asking for ESPN type of money.
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So you really think they're worth #2 cable money? To a casual TV viewer in the midwest?
 
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The $1.97 figure for the Comcast Philly sports station keeps getting reintroduced into the conversation with frequency.

If this is Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia then the $1.97 charge is little better than a pass through, for that channel is itself part of the Comcast organization.
 
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This is the final time I will make this point. ESPN is valued at $2.91, the BTN is $1.10. This is not "ESPN" money, it's not even close. I gave you another example, Philly Comcast. I can provide another in the Comcast cluster, Mid Atlantic, which is valued at $1.95. The point is that it's not that pricey when you compare it to other sports properties. You can't compare it to the weather channel, it's not a valid comparison. Sports channels are pricey, and the cable industry is well aware of that. For those that contend it's lackluster or even "shitty", as an OSU fan I would not agree. The BTN will have 25% of the season in football and a lot of OSU basketball. It will also have old OSU games to record, something I am looking forward to a lot. The biggest concern of the major cable comanies isn't the BTN, it's the trend toward even more of these conferernce TV deals. That's why you see Comcast drawing this line in the sand. I'm done debating the merits of the cost of the BTN.
 
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Just to let you know, Directv has stated that they will carry all the BTN games on "overflow" channels. So even if there are 4 or 5 games on at the same time, Directv will have them. The debate will center around cable providers who offer the BTN. If your cable provider in Illinois has the BTN, will you be able to watch OSU play?
 
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This is the final time I will make this point. ESPN is valued at $2.91, the BTN is $1.10. This is not "ESPN" money, it's not even close.
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So the BTN will generate 38% of the revenue as ESPN? That seems a bit high, which is what we're arguing.
I gave you another example, Philly Comcast. I can provide another in the Comcast cluster, Mid Atlantic, which is valued at $1.95. T
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Again, what is this mysterious Philly Comcast channel (or Mid Atlantic)? What is it providing? Without that info, it's not very useful for debate.

If it's owned by comcast, I'm not sure you can fairly argue 'well Philly Comcast is also ripping off Comcast, so the BTN can too.' As sandgk suggested, is the money ever leaving the company?
Sports channels are pricey, and the cable industry is well aware of that. For those that contend it's lackluster or even "shitty", as an OSU fan I would not agree.
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The BTN will have 25% of the season in football and a lot of OSU basketball. It will also have old OSU games to record, something I am looking forward to a lot.
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OSU is also an elite team worth watching in football & basketball, as well as classic games. Most schools (& states) cannot say that.

I'm still not convinced that average viewers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana & the UP will find the B10 network to be as worthwhile as Ohioans.
 
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OSU SPORTS;867297; said:
Here is something new to discuss(or complain about), 4 games at the same time on the BTN


TheWolverine.com - Michigan opener on Big Ten Network
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Actually, there are five games on at the same time on Sep 8th:

Saturday, September 8

Akron at Ohio State, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Nevada at Northwestern, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Bowling Green at Michigan State, Noon EDT/11a.m. CDT
Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Eastern Illinois at Purdue, Noon EDT/11 a.m. CDT
Western Illinois at Illinois, 7 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. CDT
Syracuse at Iowa, 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT


OSU SPORTS;867304; said:
Just to let you know, Directv has stated that they will carry all the BTN games on "overflow" channels. So even if there are 4 or 5 games on at the same time, Directv will have them.
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Seems no different than GamePlan...works for me.
 
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My original post on this thread was one of skepticism. The only reason the conference would go into a tv deal would be to benefit all the teams and while I support that notion I fear that Indiana, Northwestern and others may look at this a a leveling tool against OSU, Michigan and Penn State.

Why would they agree to something that put OSU, UM and PSU games into more markets?

After the fiasco over last year's OSU - Indiana game, after the many foot dragging responses by Time-Warner to add new services at anything other than their cost, I fear that my days of being able to see virtually all OSU games may fast be coming to an end.
 
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I'm done beating this dead horse, but I will offer you an explanation. Mid Atlantic is a regional sports network, like the BTN. I only used it as an example because I knew what the stated value was of this sports property. Usually these contractual values aren't easily available to the general public. Mid Atlantic is also called MASN, and is primarily owned by the Baltimore Orioles(90%). It carries college football and basketball(I have watched OSU on it several times). Oriole games are blacked out unless you buy a season pass, same with the Generals.. So when you exclude the seasonal premium packages for the Orioles and Generals, you have a similiar product as the BTN. This station is not owned by Comcast, it's a separate entity. In fact Comcast has sued this company twice, and lost both times over contractual issues.
 
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holybuckeye33;867347; said:
I hope that this is the case. Not to be a smartass, but Link???
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This is great news if true...thanks OSU for filling me in as this has been my question a number of times in this thread.

As to the pricing question, I think it's been fairly well laid out that, regardless of the pricing of a Philadelphia station, BTNs price far exceeds MOST other networks and has yet to prove what it's viewership will be. The price is high, we should agree with that. And it's just peculiar that the price is high when BTN states they want to be on the basic subscription tier.
 
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