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Big Ten Network (BTN)

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BuckeyeNation27;941125; said:
I thought the Big Ten was no longer on GamePlan.
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I thought the same thing before the season started. The MSU vs. Wisky game is on gameplan this Saturday as well. That game will be available on ABC throughout Big Ten country, so probably not as big of an issue as the following week when NoD is the other regional game opposing ours vs. Purdue. I think we've been sold a bill of goods by BTN.
 
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heisman;941278; said:
I thought the same thing before the season started. The MSU vs. Wisky game is on gameplan this Saturday as well. That game will be available on ABC throughout Big Ten country, so probably not as big of an issue as the following week when NoD is the other regional game opposing ours vs. Purdue. I think we've been sold a bill of goods by BTN.
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Yep. You knew they were in trouble when the games you wanted to see, Penn state - Notre Dame, Michigan - Notre Dame, MSU - Notre Dame, Purdue - Notre Dame, OSU - Washington, Penn State - Michigan etc. Were offered up to the networks first.

Outside of we Buckeye fans who cared if OSU - Akron was not available in the mainstream market?

The product wasn't seen as "worth it" to cable carriers. It didn't help that the Big 10 is having a very down year.

The SEC, especially given the regional appeal of those teams, may succeed where the BTN fails.
 
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cincibuck;942067; said:
The SEC, especially given the regional appeal of those teams, may succeed where the BTN fails.
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I totally agree that the SEC will have a more rabid appeal locally and will put more pressure on the carriers, but I do not agree with your assertion that the BTN is failing. Maybe I missed some of your other points.

Sure, the games being carried this season are not compelling, but that trend will change year over year as more games move away from ESPN/ABC. When the MBB season starts up, the pressure will pick back up on the cable companies who have not decided to carry the network.

This time around, those companies will not have near the strength of argument that "the BTN is too expensive and will result in a higher cable bill and that it is a niche' channel". Although some may still agree with this, the fact that every carrier who signed with the BTN was able to do so without raising rates, shoots a big hole in that argument.
 
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heisman;941278; said:
I think we've been sold a bill of goods by BTN.
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There are other varsity sports besides football.

When up to 15 mens basketball games, per program, get moved over to BTN, plus the Big Ten Tournament, the cable companies will finally fold.

BTN made a reach with football, underestimating the resourcefulness of the fans to find a way to view three preferred games over three months. Fans in markets such as Illinois, Indiana, and East Lansing, I'm sure, were never terribly concerned about having 1/4th of their football season blacked out anyway. These basketball schools will lead the charge come December, though.
 
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