I hate ****** cable and the BTN!!

[I am a huge CUNT]

I don't exactly think there are many Big Ten fans on here, but I'm seriously pissed with this conference right now.

The Big Ten has created a TV station called the "Big Ten Network". A lot of Big Ten sports will be shown on this channel. At first, I was excited thinking, yeah I may get to see some big ten baseball or more of my team. Wrong.

The Big Ten decides to charge people for the network, so basically if you liked watching your team for free on Saturdays like I did, you're now screwed. Not only do make you pay for it, but they only have it on Direct TV!!!!

I used to watch my MSU football games on ESPN plus, but I can't anymore. I only get to watch them on national tv, which as I'm sure you know, MSU football doesn't deserve much of that lately.

The same goes for basketball. Either pay for the BTN or just don't watch your favorite team. Awesome. i really feel sorry for teams like Indiana and Northwestern who probably won't see a lot of their teams games at all.


Sorry for the rant, but I'm pissed. I have to pay to watch my own team play away from the stadium now.

[Sportsbuck]

Time Warner is supposedly close to working out a deal.

Ohio State's first two games are on it, not to mention a few Big Ten games. It pretty much kills any hope of watching your team when your out of the Midwest.

[Loki]

Wow...Penn State too? I don't see how this can be helping the Big Ten at all financially.

[I am a huge CUNT]

I don't know, I just miss the days of turning on simple ESPN+ and watching every one of my teams games. I didn't see what the big problem with that was. I don't see why the BTN would have to come in an ruin that.


BTW Sportsbuck, on the website it said you might have to pay a subscription if you live outside the Big Ten region.

[robino2001]

Sucks to be y'all - i'll be getting it the minute it turns on.

Their goal it to force the local cable networks to carry it for free as part of basic cable. A good bit of them have from what I understand. If you're in B10 country - you'll have it soon enough as soon as most people bitch. It might require missing the first weekend or so, but once people complain, it'll happen. It's similar to Time Warner and the NFL network. When the cowboys played on the NFL network last year, Time Warner made damn sure in Texas to stick it on tv because of the wrath they knew they'd face.

The B10 network will lead the way to all of the majors having their own channels in the next few years.

***Quick edit - Time Warner is a horrible, poorly run company, and I do feel sorry for anyone stuck with it. In my area, they are the only cable company which led me to jumping to satellite as soon as I bought my house.

[Sportsbuck]

Spartan, the subsrciption is not really my issue right now.

It's the fact that it's on comcast and there is no way in hell I'd switch over to that just because of football games.

Looks like I'll be forced to listen to the 1st two Buckeye games on the radio..

[I am a huge CUNT]

Comcast is the one the BTN is not on. I'm pissed because Comcast doesn't have it.

[Sportsbuck]

Woops, my bad. I've seen so much bitching over this topic that I confuse the providers now.

[detroitbasketball]

Comcast is the devil, Hitler, and Matt Millen rolled into one. Their services work about as often as the Lions win.

[Freak93]

I will be getting the channel. I <3 Directv.

[Maize]

I am in the exact same spot you are in Spartan. Since Comcast has a monopoly on most of the area at the moment, and BTN and DirecTV agreed to an exclusive license for its first year, I'm pretty much going to miss out on the network. I do have DirecTV only for the NFL Sunday Ticket, but to get BTN you have to order their "Premium Sports Package".. just not worth it.

[Chief Bstn]

Sign up for DirecTV and get a $100 GameStop gift card. Just saying.

[D-Mac]

ha lol, metro sports is the shit, Bearcat will know what im talkin bout

[robino2001]

maizeandblue15 said:

I am in the exact same spot you are in Spartan. Since Comcast has a monopoly on most of the area at the moment, and BTN and DirecTV agreed to an exclusive license for its first year, I'm pretty much going to miss out on the network. I do have DirecTV only for the NFL Sunday Ticket, but to get BTN you have to order their "Premium Sports Package".. just not worth it.

Where did you get any of this? I talked with directv a last week about this (and their HD stuff coming next month). They don't have an exclusive agreement at all - the BTN is already with tons of smaller cable providers. And you don't need the premium sports package from what I was told. That's the BTN's whole goal is to have it on BASIC cable everywhere.

[Maize]

I think it might be different in Michigan, Robino. We have one major cble provider, Comcast, and AT&T has just started its cable service and hasn' branched out of Metro Detroit. From what we were told by DirecTV about BTN, is for the first year they had it as a part of its premium sports package in our area.

[bearcat]

kcswagga816 said:

ha lol, metro sports is the shit, Bearcat will know what im talkin bout

Bah, MS is pro-kU and KSjUco. Not bad otherwise.

I don't think those clowns realize Manhattan is further away from KC than is Columbia, and yet, they include kSU.

[I am a huge CUNT]

It's official. Comcast will not be carrying the BTN for the first week of the season. Luckily my game is on ESPN 2.

[detroitbasketball]

I'm getting a kick out of the advertising wars I'm seeing. I've seen commercials from Comcast saying the B10N is trying to steal consumers money, and I've seen B10N commercials asking you to call your cable company and ask for B10N for basic cable.

[I am a huge CUNT]

My uncle is a Illinois season ticket holder and he got this e-mail about the BTN.

God this pisses me off!


Dear Fighting Illini Fans:

With A FEW DAYS remaining before the launch of the Big Ten Network on August 30, I want to update you on the progress of the network's negotiations with Comcast/Insight and the other large cable providers.

We do not want you to miss Fighting Illini games which will be televised on the Big Ten Network, including 5-7 football and 18-21 men's basketball games. Therefore, we feel compelled to alert Comcast/Insight customers that the Big Ten Network will NOT be available on its systems and it is now time to consider finding another cable or satellite provider that has agreed to carry the network.

As of today, the Big Ten Network has national agreements with DIRECTV and AT&T U-Verse and completed deals with nearly 100 cable companies across the Midwest. However, some large cable providers have not yet agreed to make the Big Ten Network available on expanded basic cable.

Conversations in the last few weeks with some of the nation's largest cable providers have been productive. The negotiations with Comcast/Insight are the notable exception to that trend.

You do have options. Visit BigTenNetwork.com and enter your zip code to find a cable or satellite provider in your area that carries the network.

We need your help today. If you don't want to miss any of the action, please take the following steps today and every day leading up to the launch of the network:

* Call 1-866-WANT-B10 right now and let Comcast/Insight know that you want the Big Ten Network as part of your basic cable package. Illinois fans shouldn't have to pay extra to see your favorite teams.
* Tell a friend. Forward this email to your family, friends and colleagues and ask them to get involved. The cable companies need to hear from Illinois fans today.

Sincerely,

Ronald E. Guenther
Director of Athletics \

[detroitbasketball]

B10N? You should be blaming Comcast. It's always their fault.