Looks like the Big Ten Network is finally going to get some coverage

[ChicosBailBonds]

BTN, Comcast Near Deal To Carry Net On Expanded Basic Package

 
The Big Ten Network (BTN) "appears poised to land its most significant carriage deal to date," as Comcast and Fox have "agreed on the framework of an agreement," according to sources cited by John Ourand in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. A source said that Comcast agreed to launch BTN on "expanded basic through most of the Big Ten Conference's eight-state region, as much as 94[%] of it." Ourand reports BTN "relaxed its demand" to launch the net on expanded basic everywhere in the eight-state region. BTN had been charging a "little less than $1 a subscriber a month," but it is not known how much Comcast will pay for carriage. As DirecTV and EchoStar hold "Most Favored Nation" clauses in their contracts with BTN, any Comcast deal that does not include "full expanded basic distribution within the Big Ten's entire eight-state footprint almost certainly will trigger renegotiations of those satellite deals." Sources said that the BTN deal could have been "sparked by [FSN's] move to secure the rights to the Detroit Pistons for FSN Detroit." Sources added that Comcast "supported FSN's move to pick up the Pistons rights because it meant that two of the cable operator's biggest competitors -- AT&T and EchoStar -- would not get them." Sources noted that Time Warner, BTN's "other big cable holdout, is not close to a deal with the channel" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/10 issue).

[spiral97]

interesting.. while this is just an 8 state deal, I wonder if it is setting a precedent that the NFL Network channel can use to get the same type of deployment like they want.

[TJ]

I hope talks break down at the last minute.

I don't want to be forced to pay $1 a month for that crappy channel.  Last time I saw it in a bar the channel was featuring Big 11 Women's Gymnastics at 7pm on a Thursday night.  Boring.  There is just not enough interesting programming to justify an entire channel for one conference.  Even if I gave a rat's behind about the Big 11, I wouldn't want it.  A channel for all the BCS-Conferences could work - there would be enough to show at least.  But I still think ESPN covers it pretty well and the Big 11 is just acting like a bunch of whiny, greedy pricks.

[AlumKCof93]

TJ,

I agree.  There is already so many sports on, that I don't feel the need to pay extra every month for the option to watch the Penn St. -Northwestern LaCrosse game.  True, there football, bball games on that I might have interest in seeing from time to time, but most of those games are already on other stations.  And this does reek of greed, I saw each Big 11 school was guaranteed $1.5 million in annual revenue as a result of the BTN Network.  No thanks.