Star Offical Sites: Big Ten Network | Big Ten Conference
Star Big Ten Network Fact Sheet
Star Schedule of U-M Programming on the BTN
Star U-M Video on the BTN Website


Big Ten Network Headlines

• 9/29/08 - Big Ten Network to Televise Two Football Games Oct. 11
• 9/1/08 - SEC's New TV Deal Partially Thanks to Big Ten Network
• 8/28/08 - Joint Statement from Mediacom Communications and the BTN
• 8/27/08 - Joint Statement from Charter Communications and the Big Ten Network
• 8/25/08 - Joint Statement from Time Warner Cable and the Big Ten Network
• 7/9/08 - Verizon's Rapidly Expanding FiOS TV to Carry Big Ten Network
• 6/19/08 - Comcast, BTN Reach Broad Multimedia Agreement for BTN Content
• 8/7/07 - Part of BTN Money Going to U-M General Scholarship Fund

• Messages from Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin
    1/10/08 | 10/30/07 | 10/16/07

 
Big Ten Network Q&A

  1. What is it?
  2. What will be on the Big Ten Network?
  3. Who carries it?
  4. How many Michigan football games will be placed on the BTN?
  5. How are football games selected by the networks?
  6. What if two or more games are broadcast by the Big Ten Network at the same time?
  7. What if I live outside of Michigan but inside the Big Ten "footprint" (the 8 states home to Big Ten schools)?
  8. What if I live outside of the Big Ten "footprint" (the 8 states home to Big Ten schools)?
  9. What about men's basketball? How many Michigan games will be on the BTN and when will we know what games will be on TV?
  10. What about women's basketball and other sports?
  11. How about hockey, will that be on the BTN?
  12. How have the new media contracts helped the conference and Michigan?
  13. How does the University benefit from the Big Ten Channel?


StarWhat is it?
The Big Ten Network is a new national cable/satellite programming service dedicated to covering both the athletic and academic content of the Big Ten Conference. The network will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It launched August 30, 2007.

The Big Ten Network is majority owned by the Big Ten Conference with Fox Cable Networks holding a minority interest.

The president of the network, Mark Silverman, is a U-M grad (MBA in 1991).

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StarWhat will be on the Big Ten Network?

» 60+ Michigan games on the network
» 35+ football games per season
» 105+ regular-season men's basketball games
» 55+ regular-season women's basketball games
» Big Ten championship events
» Archived Big Ten events, including bowl games
» 170+ Olympic sporting events
» Coaches' shows
» 660 hours of campus programming

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StarWho carries it?
The Big Ten Network has distribution agreements with AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland), DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight Communications, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, RCN, Service Electric, Verizon FIOS and more than 230 cable operators across the country.

Inside the eight Big Ten states, the network is available on the expanded basic level of service with the exception of the Philadelphia area, where it is available on a digital level of service.

Outside the eight states, cable operators can make the network available on any level of service. Check with your local system office to determine whether it plans to make the network available in your area.

Last fall, the Big Ten Network became the first new network in cable or satellite television history to reach 30 million subscribers within its first 30 days.

To find out which operators in your area carry the Big Ten Network, use the zip code feature on www.BigTenNetwork.com.

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StarHow many Michigan football games will be placed on the BTN?
Typically, two to four Michigan football games will appear on the Big Ten Network each season.

The Big Ten Conference has entered into long-term agreements with ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 and the Big Ten Network for its home football games. As part of this agreement, the Big Ten Network will be able to air over 35 football games per year. In football, for example, ABC will still have the national game each week, and the Big Ten Network will rotate selection of the other games with ESPN and ESPN2. Half the time, the Big Ten Network will choose the second or third game.

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StarHow are football games selected by the networks?
The games held the first few weeks of the season, as well as selected games later in the season, are picked prior to July 1. As the season goes on, ABC, ESPN and BTN will select their televised games under a rotation where half the time BTN gets the second selection and ESPN gets the third selection. ABC will always get the choice for the first game televised per week under either a twelve or six day window. After that, either ESPN or the BTN get the second pick.

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StarWhat if two or more games are broadcast by the Big Ten Network at the same time?
Each week the Big Ten Network will determine a main game to show in states that are not represented in any of the games played at that time. Nevertheless, the Big Ten Network will produce all of the games not carried by ABC or ESPN and split feeds. Use the GameFinder feature on BigTenNetwork.com to determine which game is covered on the main channel in your area.

Some satellite and cable distributors offer all of the games we produce somewhere in their channel lineups on "overflow channels". If you are unsure, you should call your local cable company office.

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StarWhat if I live outside of Michigan but inside the Big Ten "footprint" (the 8 states home to Big Ten schools)?
Because all fans want to be able to see their teams, the Big Ten Network will produce all of the games not carried by ABC or ESPN and split feeds, so that if you live in Iowa you will see the Iowa game and if you live in Pennsylvania you will see the Penn State game, even if they are being played simultaneously. Every home Big Ten game will be broadcast.

If you live outside your university's state - say you are an Michigan fan living in Indiana - some satellite and cable distributors offer all of the games we produce somewhere in their channel lineups on "overflow channels." If you are unsure, you should call your local cable company office, or use the GameFinder feature on BigTenNetwork.com.

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StarWhat if I live outside of the Big Ten "footprint" (the 8 states home to Big Ten schools)?
Customers of DIRECTV and DISH Network have access to the network regardless of where they live. Verizon FiOS and AT&T's U-Verse are rolling out the network across the country.

Comcast, Time Warner and Charter are in the process of determining how they will carry the network outside the eight states. The Big Ten Network is interested in working with all television distributors nationally. To find out which operators in your area carry the Big Ten Network, use the zip code feature on www.BigTenNetwork.com.

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StarWhat about men's basketball? How many Michigan games will be on the BTN and when will we know what games will be on TV?
Similar to football, once all the schools' schedules are set, the national network (CBS) will get the first selections of games. After CBS, ESPN and the Big Ten Network will alternate selections. The TV schedules for men's basketball are typically released by September.

In prior years, Michigan basketball was not carried often on regional television for games not selected by CBS and ESPN. In the future, many more Michigan basketball games will be available to watch via the Big Ten Network. For the 2008-2009 season, at least 15 men's basketball games will be on the BTN.

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StarWhat about women's basketball and other sports?
Similar to football and men's basketball, other sports may be subject to selection by other networks, including ABC/ESPN, and CBS. We anticipate that the vast majority of other sports will be carried via the Big Ten Network.

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StarHow about hockey, will that be on the BTN?
Hockey is not a Big Ten conference sport and Michigan hockey is a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. However, Big Ten hockey is available to the BTN but after other Central Collegiate Hockey Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association television contract scheduling commitments are honored.

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StarHow have the new media contracts helped the conference and Michigan?
In addition to more Michigan events on the Big Ten Network, the new ABC/ESPN conference TV contract will place more basketball games on ESPN throughout the season and will also result in more viewers being able to watch national football games on ABC/ESPN (as opposed to "regional" games in the past).

The Big Ten Network enables Michigan fans across the country to have an easier time following the Wolverines. Particularly in the eight state "Big Ten footprint," fans will be able to see more football, basketball, and Olympic sports than ever before. In addition to live action, the BTN will have programming that includes a nightly sports recap, classic games, coaches' shows and hundreds of hours of campus programming from Universities to showcase their excellence.

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StarHow does the University benefit?
The revenue each athletic department will earn from this is important for the long-term financial stability of our athletic programs. The upcoming financial needs for Michigan athletics include major facilities renovations such as Crisler Arena, as well as other facility renewal on our athletic campus, and scholarship support for our student athletes. Revenues from our broadcast contracts enable us to maintain our goals of academic and athletic excellence.

In addition, The University of Michigan Athletic Department will help the U-M General Scholarship Fund's need-based scholarship program, sending $1.5 million to the program by way of the money generated from the Big Ten Network rights deal. The money will be applied to M-PACT, a financial aid program for Michigan residents created to increase the amount of aid students receive in the form of grants and reduce the amount of loans they need.

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For more information, visit the official Big Ten Network site.