Fancy WCMH-4 graphicIn response to Gene Smith's open letter to OSU fans urging them to disconnect Time Warner in favor of other cable or satellite providers carrying the Big Ten Network, several local news outlets are reporting Time Warner has offered to show games covered by the Big Ten Network live and charge customers on a per game basis.
Time Warner Cable Executive Vice President Terry O' Connell's letter further indicated they'll let Smith set the price for the games and will allow OSU to keep all the revenue.
Of course, none of this is really up to Smith so he has forwarded the letter to the Big Ten Network honchos for review. Stay tuned...
Comments
Are you sure you didn't mean "Comcast" for your headline?
[...] In response to Gene Smith’s open letter to OSU fans urging them to disconnect Time Warner in favor of other cable or satellite providers carrying the Big Ten Network, several local news outlets are reporting Time Warner has offered to show games covered by the Big Ten Network … Go to Source [...]
Well played TWC. Not only do they look like the good guy willing to give away the games, they forced Gene Smith (who called them out in public) to admit he doesn't have any power what-so-ever in this whole mess.
I will pay per game, no problem.
Note to Time Warner ---Bite Me
You guys are missing the point here. Although TWC is the villian in most of these situations, I think Moneygrubbing bastards at The Big Ten are to blame this time. Where does the Big Ten get off wanting to take more money from the people of the midwest. Most of the confrences members are PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS who receive funding from the taxpayers of their respective states. Now they want to charge TWC much more than any other non-premium channel to air BTN, any of you who think because it's on a basic package that you aren't paying extra for BTN are out of your gords. I can't believe The Big Ten is being allowed to pull this crap on us. If BTN wants to stick it to people who live out of the area, so be it, but they already get enough of Midwesterners money. Times are hard enough without them taking our college football from us. Jim Tressel, Gene Smith, Ohio State, and the rest of the Big Ten should be ashamed of themselves!
Chuck, I couldn't agree more - preach on brother.
It sounds like TWC gave the BTN exactly what they wanted: control and all da money, and f*cked them at the same time. I like their style.
Imagine if this whole affair was a football game, it would go kinda like this:
[Announcer 1]: **yawn**....
[Announcer 2]: Well, here we are in the final seconds of the 4th quarter, score tied 0-0, no first downs by either team, and total yards for both teams is zero. What a yawnfest. We knew these teams were evenly matched, but this is ridiculous.
[Announcer 1]: ...zzzzZZZZZzzzzz....
[Announcer 2]: The home team has chosen to take their final timeout, and prolong our misery before we go to overtime. Guys, it's not that hard. Snap the ball and fall on it. Let's see if moving the ball to the other end of the field won't get some points on the board.
[Announcer 1]: *snort* *cough cough* ...zzzZZZzzz...
[Announcer 2]: Surely we thought special teams would be a factor in this POS game. We were wrong. Every punt, and there has been 40 of them, was signaled for a fair catch. No turnovers either. BORING!!
[Announcer 1]: thumpThumpthumpThumpthumpThumpthumpThump...
[Announcer 2]: ...HEY!! WTF??? Put that thing back in it's holster ... and don't touch me until you wash your hands!
[Announcer 1]: Sorry. I always do that when I'm bored and frustrated.
[Announcer 2]: I think we can take some time here to replay the one exciting thing that happened back in the 2nd Quarter. Jimmy! Playback the squirrel running across the ... what's that? ... Sorry, my producer informs me that our affiliate stations pulled the plug on us at the end of the 1st quarter. It seems their viewers are watching reruns of Nanny and the Professor. Fuck! I can say that know, because, technically, we're not broadcasting anymore. HEY FCC! SIT ON THIS AND SPIN!
[Announcer 1]: Can I get you some corndogs?
[Announcer 2]: Sit tight asshole, you're not going anywhere. When the 1st overtime period starts, *I'LL* get the corndogs, and you can call the %$T@#)*(&#*& game.
[Announcer 1]: Balls!
[Announcer 2]: They're finally coming back from the sideline. Like I thought, they're lining up for a final play to kill the clock then go to overtime, where surely they .... wait a minute a sudden shift .... TRICK PLAY!! quarterback BTN takes the snap and flips it to the running back Gene Smith, off right tackle, HE'S IN THE SECONDARY! to the 25 30 ... WHOA!!! He's hammered by the middle linebacker TWC ... THE BALL IS LOOSE!!! TWC scoops it up! sloughs-off a tackle! to the 25 20 15 10 5 TOUCHDOWN!!!!
[Announcer 1]: thumpThumpthump ... what's that? what happened! What's going on? eeeh ... What's Up Doc?
[Announcer 2}: The Away team won the game on a last second forced fumble returned for a touchdown! TWC is going berserk! He's dancing, running ... uh oh ... he's running back to Gene Smith, still layed-out on the turf. OMG! He's shoving that ball up his ... OWWW!!! That's got to hurt! Wait a minute, he's picking up Gene Smith, he's carrying him towards BTN! Watchout! ... OMG!!! That's gonna leave a scar!! I did NOT need to see that! The crowd is going crazy, they're storming the field! Heading to the end-zone, surrounding the goalposts! Everyone get out of the way!! This is getting ugly!!!
[Announcer 1]: It's not often you see the home crowd celebrating the visitor's last-second victory....
[Announcer 2]: ...they're going past the goalposts ... aaaand out the endzone ... to the parking lot. GODDAMMIT!! I was hoping someone was gonna die! SHIT! This is gonna kill my career! I'M RUINED!!!!
... so there you have it. BTN hands-off to Gene Smith, Smith fumbles, TWC scores. The rest of us are headed to the nearest bar for beer, or cyanide, whatever....
Honestly, the lines blurred a long time ago between institutions of higher learning and corporate America. That is to say, a long time ago there were blurry lines. Now, there are no lines, no difference between education and corporation. It's all the same thing. It's all about 'da money.
Kudos to TWC for forcing the issue. Gene, please be our Athletic Director, and not the BTN's spearchucker. BTN, the spotlight is on you. Whatcha gonna do?
Chuck,
I for some reason get 7 home shopping networks, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, FSN that only plays Pac10 games, and wretched HD programming. I'd give up the first 4 for the Big Ten Network.
No one asked me though.
Let's hope TW makes this available in other places besides CMH... and to their puppet cable provider Bright House. A pox on everyone's house... especially Delaney's and the BigTen(11).
Go Bucks
How is this a good move by TimeWarner? EVERY cable provider in Big Ten country EXCEPT for TW has the Big Ten Network, yet TW is being proclaimed the good guys? Gene Smith made a simple statement, if you are a Buckeye fan and want to watch every Buckeye game, you better have a provider that carries the BTN. TW responds by saying the BTN can price the games on a per game basis (not perfect, but fine by me), however, you have to get a special box to recieve the BTN....bullshit!
NO one is right in this scenario, but the fact is that at least 3 Buckeye games are going to be shown on the BTN this year. Time Warner needs to get their collective shit together and get the deal done. I will trade about 30 of my current channels (starting with BET) for the BTN.
And Ron, epic fail.
Just as they did last year, Time Warner is playing rope-a-dope with Buckeye fans. They have been negotiating with the Big Ten Network for over one year. Director Smith is doing a service for Buckeye fans but telling us that, at this point, it is unlikely a deal will be cut in time for the first game. Time Warner's offer for a "pay per view" deal is horse crap. What a hassle. Why can't they just figure this out and add the BTN? They have had ample time. We are looking at satellite and the other providers and will be switching from Time Warner.
If Gene Smith gets to set the price why not just set the price at zero and let us watch the game as if it's on the cable package we already pay for?