Big Ten Network (BTN)

[Buckeye Nut]

Of course, in defense of TW, if we were playing, say Texas Tech or Vanderbilt or Kentucky or even Navy or Air Force; anybody other than an in-state Division subliminal team, ESPN might carry the game and we wouldn't need BTN.

That maybe true, but Big Ten Network is still guaranteed three Ohio State games a year, including one conference game, so sooner or later you're going to have to switch if you want to see those three games without leaving your home.

 

[Dryden]

Time Warner Cable: Big 10 Network

Big Ten Network Update

Columbus, OH (Aug. 20, 2008) - Time Warner Cable issued the following statement regarding the Aug. 20 letter to Buckeye Fans from OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith:

"We were disappointed to see the University falsely report that we've made a 'decision' not to carry Big Ten Network. We are actively negotiating with Fox for BTN's carriage on Time Warner Cable.

It appears the University is not being fully briefed on the status of the negotiations. We've had positive discussions with Fox in recent days -- including the active exchange of proposals. There's no stalemate or breakdown in discussions as Smith's letter would have our customers believe. On the contrary, talks are moving in the right direction.

We have every intention of continuing to work through the negotiations with Fox until we are able to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. We are ready to carry the Big Ten Network."

My bullshit-to-english translator reads:

Dear Ohioans and Buckeye fans, please don't switch to Direct TV en masse. Our bad. We fucked up. We'll get BTN on here in a week, just don't leave.

 

[exhawg]

Time Warner Cable: Big 10 Network



My bullshit-to-english translator reads:

Dear Ohioans and Buckeye fans, please don't switch to Direct TV en masse. Our bad. We fucked up. We'll get BTN on here in a week, just don't leave.

The thing is TW probably doesn't even know the effect yet since most people that have switched to DirecTV like myself won't cancel TW service until the DirecTV gets setup in a week. They'll probably strike a deal this weekend and wonder why so many people cancel next week. "But we have the BTN, why are you leaving".

 

[Dryden]

I think TW understands that having OSU's AD advising your customers to switch is bad news, and they certainly had to see an effect from last year. The only thing that would have been worse is for Tressel to say it himself. There is also the bundled services like internet and phone that former TW customers are canceling, so TW probably has some preliminary numbers.

The larger point in this spat is that the University is a BIG advertiser. The OSU Medical Center alone has had an advertising budget of over $5M in recent years. Why pay for commercial time on TW when the target customer is on DirecTV? If a good bit of Central Ohio jumps ship from TW, just consider what that does to advertising services. All these 18-35 year old football-watching males that would impulsively switch from TW to DirecTV for one channel of football are the coveted demographic!

There's more to it than the nickels and dimes to add a channel or the $100 per household per month that TW stands to lose. There's tens of millions of dollars in annual, recurring ad revenue walking out the door.

 

[cincibuck]

I think TW understands that having OSU's AD advising your customers to switch is bad news, and they certainly had to see an effect from last year. The only thing that would have been worse is for Tressel to say it himself. There is also the bundled services like internet and phone that former TW customers are canceling, so TW probably has some preliminary numbers.

The larger point in this spat is that the University is a BIG advertiser. The OSU Medical Center alone has had an advertising budget of over $5M in recent years. Why pay for commercial time on TW when the target customer is on DirecTV? If a good bit of Central Ohio jumps ship from TW, just consider what that does to advertising services. All these 18-35 year old football-watching males that would impulsively switch from TW to DirecTV for one channel of football are the coveted demographic!

There's more to it than the nickels and dimes to add a channel or the $100 per household per month that TW stands to lose. There's tens of millions of dollars in annual, recurring ad revenue walking out the door.

Hmmmmm, I like the concept, but do you buy ad time from the cable company or from the station you advertise on? I think, don't know, that the cable company is merely a middle man, taking the product from the producer and putting it through their own transportation (transmission) system.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Time Warner Cable: Big 10 Network



My bull[censored]-to-english translator reads:

Dear Ohioans and Buckeye fans, please don't switch to Direct TV en masse. Our bad. We [censored]ed up. We'll get BTN on here in a week, just don't leave.

My corporate translator reads slightly differntly:

Dear Ohioans and Buckeye fans, please don't switch because we're going to string you along and hint that a deal is just around the corner until half way into the season when it will be too late. That way, we'll have you at least until next Summer without having to give in to the BTN. At which time, we can go through this whole song and dance again.

 

[Dryden]

Hmmmmm, I like the concept, but do you buy ad time from the cable company or from the station you advertise on? I think, don't know, that the cable company is merely a middle man, taking the product from the producer and putting it through their own transportation (transmission) system.

You (well, your marketing firm) buys both. TW is very aggressive about selling advertising packages directly that cross multiple channels based on time slot.

The firm representing OSU Medical Center, Northlich, might buy their time on some stations, such as the local ABC, NBC, or CBS affiliates directly, while buying the slots for the non-over-air cable stations through Time Warner Media Sales. The reason for this is that, while national cable channels may have the technical capability to offer regional feeds, those regions are still proportioned into too large of segments for local advertisers. TW Media Sales is who you go to if you want to advertise your discount tire company during a break in SportsCenter.

I don't go 15 minutes without seeing some commercial for The James on whatever channel I'm watching. It's viral.

Northlich isn't buying that kind of time at a national or even regional (Great Lakes) level, so the bulk of it is probably through TW Media.

EDIT: According to TW Media Sales, there are 905,690 TV households for the Columbus, OH market that are reached through their sales dept. Columbus, OH ranks #32 in the country by penetration, and is immediately trailed by #33, Cincinnati, at 904,340 TV homes. Cleveland-Akron is #17 with 1,533,710. All three are TW. Add Toledo (72) and Dayton (62) in that's five markets just in Ohio out of the top 72 nationwide.

http://www.cablemediasales.com/pages/mkts/?cp=mkts&sp=list&ord=2

Gene Smith just told over 4M TW subscribers to switch.

 

[Tlangs]

DTV>Time Warner

 

[Telekinesis]

DTV>Time Warner

Agreed. I've been so much happier with DTV than I ever was with TW. Plus, they can't touch the HD programming. Best thing since sliced bread.

 

[daddyphatsacs]

My corporate translator reads slightly differntly:

Dear Ohioans and Buckeye fans, please don't switch because we're going to string you along and hint that a deal is just around the corner until half way into the season when it will be too late. That way, we'll have you at least until next Summer without having to give in to the BTN. At which time, we can go through this whole song and dance again.

Bingo........that is exactly what I was thinking.

 

[OSUsushichic]

Just added BTN today. Yay! (It is in fact available on Comcast Bootytown!)

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Ohio State football: Despite Smith's letter, all sides still at fault in Big Ten Network dispute

by Doug Lesmerises Thursday August 21, 2008, 12:07 PM

AP fileGene Smith
As we said last week, the negotiations between the Big Ten Network and Time Warner Cable are no longer business as usual. Athletic directors aren't usually in the business of advising you on your choice of cable provider. Can you imagine Gene Smith extolling the virtues of gas heat over electric?
Smith dove into the cable battle with his letter to Time Warner customers telling them to move to another provider. That includes nearly 1 million Time Warner customers in Northeast Ohio. He believes no deal will be reached between the Network and Time Warner in time for Ohio State fans to see the Buckeyes' first game of the season with Youngstown State on Aug. 30. Three of Ohio State's first five games will be on the Big Ten Network.
"We remain disappointed in Time Warner's decision," Smith wrote in part - as if the Big Ten Network has nothing to do with it.
Cont...

 

[shetuck]

WCMH: Time Warner Makes Ohio State An Offer

Time Warner Makes Ohio State An Offer

Friday, Aug 22, 2008 - 02:00 PM Updated: 03:48 PM

By Denise Yost

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The battle between Central Ohio's largest cable provider and the Big Ten Network has taken another turn.

NBC 4 has learned that Time Warner has made an offer to The Ohio State University to offer the Big Ten Network on a pay-per-view basis.

The proposal from Time Warner would guarantee that Buckeye fans who want to pay to watch the games would have the option to do just that.

cont'd...

 

[CCI]

WCMH: Time Warner Makes Ohio State An Offer

How much and when can tw get the ball rolling? I'm in and I'll pay for it.

 

[Dryden]

How much and when can tw get the ball rolling? I'm in and I'll pay for it.

I'm going to guess this doesn't happen. It's a play by TW to throw the ball back into Gene Smith's court, knowing full well he cannot break lockstep with the Big Ten and sign an independent deal. Once the BTN says, 'Hell no' to the offer, Time Warner will have a press release at the ready pushing the blame for the stalemate on Gene Smith.