Rejoice
Fall Saturdays in Columbus before the dealThere’s nothing that will stress a Buckeye fan out quite like telling them they won’t get to see the team take to the field on Saturday and the 95% of Columbus that does not have tickets for the Youngstown State game got the news they needed last night when Time Warner and the Big Ten Network agreed to terms.
Although details are light, the channel will be carried on extended basic (which is basically the 2nd least expensive tier) and Video-on-Demand is thought to be part of the package. Although an HD broadcast is a given, it’s not know whether Time Warner will expose an overflow channel like Comcast provides.
So if you notice a calmer, happier workplace over these next four days, you may owe a bit of thanks to Gene Smith. It was a pretty bold move out of an AD, but it appears as if his letter to fans did more to move the negotiations along than anything that had come before it. If nothing else, it certainly ratcheted-up the urgency.
At any rate, help your brothers out and post the channel number in the comments when it’s available.
The Big Ten wasn’t the only conference celebrating with TV executives on Monday. The SEC and ESPN struck that monster deal and will for here on be known as ESECPN. Boo-yah!
The deal is thought to extinguish any plans for a conference network similar to the BTN, but with that much money, who cares? I’m still convinced that conference networks are the new black, but time will tell.
What will be interesting however, is to see how the SEC spends this new-found cheddar. Will they expand athletic departments to the point where they are more on par with the offerings of Big Ten schools by funding non-revenue sports (I know Florida is a separate animal, but they’re the exception rather than the rule down there) or will that money go into gilded stadiums and $8m coaching compensation packages?
The University is attempting to take food off of our tables by offering a web page tailored to the fan. There’s a Facebook page, birthday party packages and even a YouTube channel. What’s next, ESPN blogging?
Finally the unholy union of the SEC and Espn is official. I hear a memo went out last night stating official company policy on OSU will now be headed by Mark May. This from the memo, “Ohio State, regardless of their record, quality of players, etc., must not be referred to without bringing up the last two national championship games and their 0-whatever record against the ESPNSEC.”
God save us.
I strongly doubt that Gene Smith’s letter did anything at all – in fact, I think it was as counterproductive as possible. Pending a good look at the terms, I think Time Warner’s counteroffer – an offer they fully knew OSU and the BTN could not accept – painted BTN into a corner. Don’t discount the deal between the SEC and ESPN playing a little havoc, too.
I’m dying to see the terms, and see just whose maneuver worked best. My money’s on Time Warner. That Smith letter was a big, juvenile mistake.
I am with Kyle: there is a clear conflict of interest with ESPN and SEC. Kind of like if Fox News signed a formal contract for a strategic alliance with the Republicans.
It is hard to take at face value anything ESPN says, in terms of not only the commentary (could be clearly biased), but also in terms of the way football “news” is framed or covered. (Kind of like Fox ;))
SEC partisans are already in love with the deal. After complaining about Big 10 bias for so long out of ABC/ESPN, it’s amazing to watch them come around.
And you guys are right, college football is the new politics.
After being away for a week, I was surprised the “heat” Gene Smith has taken for interfering in business matters that don’t pertain to him. Good for him, he did what he had to do and it worked. Can you imagine his inbox on a daily basis? This had to change before the season started, there is no reason people in Ohio should not be able to watch the Bucks. As for the BTN, it is much improved from a year ago, at least from a production standpoint.
For some reason ESPN-Deportes doesn’t cover Buckeye football very well and the BTN is not in Mexico…WTF? It was sensory overload today at work, trying to catch up on 10 days worth of Buckeye info. It is good to get back and realize it is game week though, I have that feeling in my stomach I get every year and due to the timing of my return, I know it is not from the Mexican water.
Word on the street that the BTN will be channel 78. Don’t know whether that is HD or not (those are normally in the 700s). Don’t quote me on this, but keep an eye out.
http://www.timewarnercable.com/MidOhio/products/cable/Big10.html
Here’s the official Time Warner word on channel listings by location.
Great news, unfrotunately this only applies to Big Ten states, us new yorkers still waiting….but I dont have to drive to the bars so I guess its cool…
what is the channel that it will be on because i cant find it
nevermind just found it