Big Ten Conference openers won’t be aired on local cable

By BRAD BAUER

The college football season kicks off in a month, but Ohio State’s first game and five other Big Ten Conference openers aren’t expected to be aired on local cable television.

It doesn’t get any better for the second week of Buckeye and Big Ten football action. Those games won’t be on local cable systems either.

The Big Ten Conference is launching its own network later this month. Suddenlink Communication, the area’s main cable provider, says it does not plan to carry the network. It isn’t the only cable company to turn down the network, leaving millions of football fans across the nation in the dark.

It has created a unified battle cry across the Big Ten nation, said local Buckeye fan and alumnus Neal Watson.

“A lot of fans are pretty upset about this,” said Watson, 36, of Williamstown. “The whole idea is to get the games to the fans. When you take everything to a private network and cable companies will not or cannot reach an agreement, it hurts the game especially from the perspective of the fan.”

The Big Ten Network plans to air 17 football games during the first three weeks of the season, according to a news release. The network plans to air a total of 35 games this season. In addition to football, the network intends to carry more than 100 regular season men’s basketball games.

Officials with the Big Ten Network could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

According to the network’s Web site, the channel is being offered to all cable and satellite providers nationwide. It says the network currently has national agreements in place with DirecTV and AT&T and also a local agreement with Buckeye CableSystem in Toledo, which includes more than 150,000 subscribers in northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan.

Additionally, the network claims to have agreements pending with more than 40 other cable operators within the eight states with schools in the Big Ten.

Cable companies in talks with the Big Ten say the network wants to be part of an expanded-basic package and seeks $1.10 per month, per subscriber.

Gene Regan, spokesman for Suddenlink, said most of the company’s 1.4 million subscribers are far removed from areas that include Big Ten universities. He said the bulk of the Suddenlink network includes Texas, Missouri, California, West Virginia and Oklahoma.

Regan said Suddenlink is the largest cable provider in West Virginia. That system spills over into small portions of Ohio, including Marietta.

“We have less than 7,000 subscribers in Ohio and in the whole Big Ten area, we have fewer than 12,000 subscribers,” Regan said. “Out of a base of 1.4 million subscribers, we’re talking about less than 1 percent. That could be why there is little interest (by) Suddenlink.”

Tom Schaad, co-owner of Shadix TV Sales and Service in Marietta, said satellite provider DirecTV will carry the Big Ten Network, which is set to launch Aug. 31.

“If fans find out they can’t get their games anywhere else, I expect we’ll be getting some calls” for satellite installation, Schaad said.

Schaad said DirecTV is the only satellite system set to offer the network, which would be part of the service’s basic subscription package.

well ... much as u would expect they are having some deals working.. and others not... any new network will have growing pains.. the direct TV deal is big.. for them.. Sounds like alverez's out of the box school would likely be either tex... or WV.

I figure if having the BTN as part of your basic package is important for you, then you better have a good view of the satellites, and Direct TV.

Otherwise, you're just S.O.L...

the only thing keeping those games off of the fan's televisions is the Big Ten's own greed.