August 2007 rings in the beginning of the Big 10 Network, an exciting new network being launched by the Big Ten Conference. While this is an exciting new venture, many fans who were previously able to watch college football on their local and cable networks will no longer be able to see their favorite teams heat up the gridiron.
GOOD NEWS FOR DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS!
DIRECTV will be broadcasting the Big 10 Network as a part of regular programming for customers who subscribe to the Choice Package or above!
GOOD NEWS FOR DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS!
DIRECTV will be broadcasting the Big 10 Network as a part of regular programming for customers who subscribe to the Choice Package or above!
The answer is NO.
MICHAEL ROSENBERG: We all lose in Big Ten Network greedfest
August 30, 2007
BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
So whose side are you on in this Big Ten Network-Comcast showdown?
Are you with the guys trying to make money?
<table id="articlead"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"> Advertisement
<script language="JavaScript"> OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1'); </script> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> Or are you with the guys trying to make money? "The reality," Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman said Wednesday, "is you have two entities trying to work through a situation to solve their own best interests."
Silverman said he "would side with a best interest ... of course bringing an increased financial return to these 11 universities, but (also) the reality of bringing more programming than people have ever seen before." But he acknowledged Comcast was just trying to run its business and do right by its shareholders.
There are no angels or devils here.
Big Ten bigwigs can talk about evil Comcast taking away your precious games. The truth is that last year you got a lot of those games. The Big Ten wants more control, more exposure and, most of all, a bigger slice of the pie.
Public universities perform many noble services. This is not one of them.
And Comcast execs can blather all day and night about looking out for their customers' best interest, but come on. This is a large, aggressive, money-hungry company. I'm not saying Comcast would push you out of a tree to install another cable line, but I'd make sure it doesn't have any trucks around before you climb up there.
This feud is already ugly, and it is about to hit Big Ten fans hard. The network debuts tonight.
Three of the first six Michigan football games are likely to be on BTN. At least four of 12 Michigan State games are expected to be on BTN. It is possible, though unlikely, that the Michigan-Michigan State game will be on BTN, too.
And once men's basketball season rolls around, watch out. This hasn't quite resonated yet, probably because it is only summer, but 64 of 99 conference games will be on the new network.
Comcast has expressed outrage at the Big Ten's reported asking price of $1.10 per subscriber per month. But the real sticking point is that the Big Ten wants to be on expanded basic cable and Comcast wants it to be on a premium "sports tier."
That $1.10 fee is too high for a channel that will be of limited interest from April to August. But by all accounts, the sides haven't even negotiated on a figure.
Instead, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has called Comcast sexist for saying people don't want to watch women's volleyball. And Comcast has skillfully made people think Delany wants to steal from the poor and show it on TV.
An automated Comcast message tells customers, "If you are calling about the Big Ten Network, be sure to ask your sales associate for information." Consumers are also encouraged to visit its propaganda site, puttingfansfirst.com, which is funded by Comcast.
Here is what your sales associate won't tell you: Comcast puts the Golf Channel and Versus on your expanded basic tier because Comcast owns those channels.
If Comcast was really interested in "putting fans first," the company would at least admit that more Michiganders want the Big Ten Network than the Golf Channel.
And Comcast would acknowledge that it puts Comcast/Charter Southeast Sports on expanded basic in the South -- even though that network is less attractive, for its customer base, than the Big Ten Network is here. Comcast/Charter Southeast Sports does not show Southeastern Conference or ACC football games live, and it doesn't have as many basketball games that pique the locals' interest, but so what? Comcast owns a piece of it, so almost everybody gets it.
And the sales representative won't tell you that when the Southeastern Conference inevitably tries to create its own channel, Comcast will want to own a chunk of it. And that Comcast's hard-line stance with the Big Ten Network might induce the SEC to join forces with Comcast instead of Fox, which has partnered with the Big Ten.
The Big Ten overplayed its hand here. That's why some other providers, notably Dish Network and Time Warner, still haven't agreed to terms with the Big Ten.
But only Comcast is playing the little-man card. I can't believe I even have to say this, but your cable company is not your friend.
And the Big Ten is not trying to save the ozone layer. It is trying to rake in cash.
Someday, the standoff will end. Comcast will carry the Big Ten Network. And everybody will shake hands and go off in search of other revenue streams.
"We never had any intention of this getting to be as acrimonious as it's been," Silverman said. "It just kind of played out that way."
MICHAEL ROSENBERG: We all lose in Big Ten Network greedfest
August 30, 2007
BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
So whose side are you on in this Big Ten Network-Comcast showdown?
Are you with the guys trying to make money?
<table id="articlead"> <tbody><tr> <td style="text-align: center;"> Advertisement
<script language="JavaScript"> OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1'); </script> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> Or are you with the guys trying to make money? "The reality," Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman said Wednesday, "is you have two entities trying to work through a situation to solve their own best interests."
Silverman said he "would side with a best interest ... of course bringing an increased financial return to these 11 universities, but (also) the reality of bringing more programming than people have ever seen before." But he acknowledged Comcast was just trying to run its business and do right by its shareholders.
There are no angels or devils here.
Big Ten bigwigs can talk about evil Comcast taking away your precious games. The truth is that last year you got a lot of those games. The Big Ten wants more control, more exposure and, most of all, a bigger slice of the pie.
Public universities perform many noble services. This is not one of them.
And Comcast execs can blather all day and night about looking out for their customers' best interest, but come on. This is a large, aggressive, money-hungry company. I'm not saying Comcast would push you out of a tree to install another cable line, but I'd make sure it doesn't have any trucks around before you climb up there.
This feud is already ugly, and it is about to hit Big Ten fans hard. The network debuts tonight.
Three of the first six Michigan football games are likely to be on BTN. At least four of 12 Michigan State games are expected to be on BTN. It is possible, though unlikely, that the Michigan-Michigan State game will be on BTN, too.
And once men's basketball season rolls around, watch out. This hasn't quite resonated yet, probably because it is only summer, but 64 of 99 conference games will be on the new network.
Comcast has expressed outrage at the Big Ten's reported asking price of $1.10 per subscriber per month. But the real sticking point is that the Big Ten wants to be on expanded basic cable and Comcast wants it to be on a premium "sports tier."
That $1.10 fee is too high for a channel that will be of limited interest from April to August. But by all accounts, the sides haven't even negotiated on a figure.
Instead, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has called Comcast sexist for saying people don't want to watch women's volleyball. And Comcast has skillfully made people think Delany wants to steal from the poor and show it on TV.
An automated Comcast message tells customers, "If you are calling about the Big Ten Network, be sure to ask your sales associate for information." Consumers are also encouraged to visit its propaganda site, puttingfansfirst.com, which is funded by Comcast.
Here is what your sales associate won't tell you: Comcast puts the Golf Channel and Versus on your expanded basic tier because Comcast owns those channels.
If Comcast was really interested in "putting fans first," the company would at least admit that more Michiganders want the Big Ten Network than the Golf Channel.
And Comcast would acknowledge that it puts Comcast/Charter Southeast Sports on expanded basic in the South -- even though that network is less attractive, for its customer base, than the Big Ten Network is here. Comcast/Charter Southeast Sports does not show Southeastern Conference or ACC football games live, and it doesn't have as many basketball games that pique the locals' interest, but so what? Comcast owns a piece of it, so almost everybody gets it.
And the sales representative won't tell you that when the Southeastern Conference inevitably tries to create its own channel, Comcast will want to own a chunk of it. And that Comcast's hard-line stance with the Big Ten Network might induce the SEC to join forces with Comcast instead of Fox, which has partnered with the Big Ten.
The Big Ten overplayed its hand here. That's why some other providers, notably Dish Network and Time Warner, still haven't agreed to terms with the Big Ten.
But only Comcast is playing the little-man card. I can't believe I even have to say this, but your cable company is not your friend.
And the Big Ten is not trying to save the ozone layer. It is trying to rake in cash.
Someday, the standoff will end. Comcast will carry the Big Ten Network. And everybody will shake hands and go off in search of other revenue streams.
"We never had any intention of this getting to be as acrimonious as it's been," Silverman said. "It just kind of played out that way."
Those of you that want HD/DVR or HD receiver call and tell them you want to cancel the NFL Sunday Ticket and they will offer you a bunch of shit for free to keep it, including any piece of hardware they have (HD DVR included). If you don't have the Sunday Ticket, try and call to cancel service alltogether, I imagine they will throw shit at you for that too.
One of the best channels on DTV.
