Just got this email from my good buddy Schwib, who encouraged me to share his frustrations with the Big Ten Network with my legion of readers. This is especially timely given tomorrow's placement of the Wisconsin-Ohio State game on BTN.
Warning: Rant Commencing
Not that you care because you get the BTN, but this is UW’s response to the whole fiasco: http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/gs/headlines/story.html?sportid=200&storyid=12050 That’s a pretty strong response whether it’s all posturing or not. I also find it interesting that they’ve gotten so much feedback about this that they felt the reason to respond. It’s only going to get worse as the basketball season approaches.
I still cannot believe that the Big Ten is being so pig-headed about this. While I generally don’t side with cable companies on anything, I do here. I understand that the BTN was set up to help drive revenue, exposure and increase cachet. If that’s your goal, why wouldn’t you want to try and get it everywhere you can, increase the value and then try to negotiate for better placement? The spiteful part of me wants to see this whole thing go down in flames.
Also, what about those schools in the B10 that don’t have as much opportunity to get national coverage on ESPN, ABC, etc.? I can imagine they’re getting even less out of this whole deal than they were before.
I find it ridiculous that I am being forced to consider changing my service provider because of this. Dish and DirectTV must be really enjoying this. I’ve written the BTN to voice my displeasure multiple times and have yet to get a response. Big surprise. I’m just glad Toohey lives five minutes away and has DirectTV.
OK, rant over.
What do you think? I have a hard time weighing in definitively on the matter, sicne I've had BTN from Day One (DirecTV). But in a nutshell, I agree with Schwib. BTN shouldn't be demanding the same accommodations as ESPN or its ilk, even in Big Ten country.Hopefully for the rest of you this situation is resolved by hoops season - don't want to miss that UW-Edgewood game coming up.
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7 comments:
It is obviously very calculated that this game was selected for the BTN. They couldn't exactly choose the Ohio State-Michigan game as people would probably die.
That letter was very well written. It can't be a fun time to work in the Athletic Department and receive the misplaced phone calls. Having been on the receiving end of plenty of ESPNU and CSTV calls, fans are often irrational.
It remains to be seen if the BTN will succeed, because if the NFL can't get placed in the cable lineup do you really think the BTN will?
As a much more casual fan of Badger athletics than most of you that read Scott's blog, not having the Badger football games aired on my cable system has really decreased my overall interest in UW football. I am sure it will do the same for basketball. I don't know who to be pissed at but I do know that by not being able to see even portions of the games makes this 2x grad less likely to support UW athletics in any manner because as the saying goes..."out of sight, out of mind."
Corby's point is an excellent one that I had not considered yet. All of the media story have centered around people in situations like Schwalbach's. The thing is, if/once the BTN is coming into most homes, that should be the vehicle to turn casual fans like Jon into bigger fans - more coverage, more sports, etc. But in the interim, the fringe forgets. Great point.
Also a good point by Pintens regarding the NFL Network (which I also get). I think Will referenced a stink raised in the NY area last year when Rutgers played in the bowl game on the NFLN. Anybody have any idea if those negotiations, or the NFL's demands, were as steep as the Big Ten's?
UW didn't just send out one e-mail; it sent out three in a span of two days. One was a breakdown of facts and myths; another praised cable companies like the one in Mount Horeb that bit the bullet and picked up BTN in time for Saturday's game; and finally the letter co-signed by Alvarez, Wiley and the athletic board co-chair.
As a member of the media, I'm very tired of it all. I've gone from pro-Big Ten to blaming both sides to placing most of the blame on BTN.
Schwalbach's right: just get in on the digital tier, or better yet drop your rates to a more reasonable figure.
And hurry up. Hearing the spin from these two sides is getting nauseating.
I feel sorry for people like my parents, who looked into getting DirecTV but decided against it. Granted, if they really wanted BTN they could have gone in that direction. But these are people who watch every UW football and UW basketball game; it's been their life. Now, they're about to miss their third straight game.
Jim's comment regarding spin from both sides is right on.
The NFL Network thing is a fiasco too. Basically, NFLN wants to be on basic cable as well, but there simply isn't an available channel for it on Comcast, at least. Then, they're not on Time Warner and have taken the stance "Oh, you didn't want us when we were starting but now that we got games you do? It'll cost you double what we're charging Comcast." Like I said, a fiasco. The BTN thing is ridiculously frustrating. I got every UW basketball conference game (and many non-conf) out here in Colorado last year, through ESPN, CBS or the ESPN Game Plan package. Now I'll see a handful?
Thing is, I think in the long haul it's obviously bad for the fans, and really bad for recruiting, I'd think. You gonna sell a kid on coming to school where 75 percent of the country won't see you on TV, including places like Columbus, Madison and Chicago? Well played, Big Ten. Like the NFL they thought cable companies would fall over themselves to meet demands -- that is at least somewhat feasible for the most popular sport in the US, really, really stupid for a college sports conference.
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