The Big 10 Network

[wadc45]

MLive.com: Everything Michigan

Intern posed as fan to criticize Big Ten commissioner
Thursday, August 23, 2007
BY JIM CARTY News Sports Reporter

A Lansing public relations firm employed by Comcast Cable has apologized for an employee posing as a fan unhappy with the Big Ten Network and criticizing Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany on the Web site SpartanTailgate.com and sites that cover Michigan and Northwestern sports.

Comcast and the Big Ten are in a protracted dispute that may keep conference football games off the cable network's system throughout the Midwest starting Sept. 1.

The post compared Delany to "the emperor who wore no clothes,'' and asked: "How delusional is Delany and these other Big Ten greedmongers who want to charge us for the games we'd be able to see on our local cable station?''

Continued...

[wadc45]

New network's football openers won't be on most local cable | IndyStar.com

August 24, 2007

Comcast wants BTN on extra-pay sports tier; conference demands it be on basic cable

By Mark Alesia
mark.alesia@indystar.com

There's no chance the Big Ten Network will reach a deal with Comcast before it launches Aug. 30, a top executive of the new channel said Thursday.

"It's hard to negotiate when only one side is willing to negotiate," said Bob Thompson, president of Fox Sports National Cable Networks. Fox owns 49 percent of the Big Ten Network.

The comments are the latest in a contentious battle between the league and Comcast, the largest cable company in the Indianapolis area and the nation.

Continued...

No Big Ten Network for Comcast subscribers

August 23, 2007
By MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Editor's note: Story updated 6:50 P.M., as the quote that read "Now, I'm officially pessimistic," is attributed to Bill Connors.

Big Ten fans, brace yourselves if you’re a Comcast subscriber.

The football season begins Sept. 1, but the season-opening games on the Big Ten Network will not be available to Comcast customers, according to Bob Thompson, president of Fox’s national cable sports networks.

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[Big Papa]

Originally Posted by wadc45

For those of us with Time Warner, we wait patiently...

Still waiting patiently? I'm pretty pissed off at this point. But who to direct my anger at? BTN or Warner? Seems like a two way cluster eff to me.

['BusNative]

I'll be honest, I was pissed at the B10 network, however fortuitous timing on a move allowed me to get Direct TV just in time for the season. The B10 network has been suprisingly pleasing - take this past weekend, for example. PSU/UI, Mich/NU and Iowa/IU were all on at the same time, and the PSU game was in HD. I was definitely much more interested in those three games than whatever they were playing locally out here in Cali. Their post game analysis isn't earth shattering, but it's not offensively idiotic (Lou Holtz) either.