Hi folks,
I sent an email to the BTN folks about 10 days ago, asking for an update on their negotiations with Dish. I have cut and pasted part of their reply below (omitted blah,blah,blah for your reading pleasure).
Our goal is to bring the Big Ten Network to Big Ten fans. BTN will offer programming that caters to the more than 4 million Big Ten alumni and millions more Big Ten fans who live and die with their teams. An agreement with Dish Network would help us give fans more coverage and more access to the universities and teams they love than ever before.
Unfortunately, the Dish Network has stated it is unwilling to negotiate further leaving their subscribers who are Big Ten fans to seek other options. Dish Network's concerns relate to two specific areas: price and level of service. You should know that the national average price to carry the Big Ten Network is less than at least 65 other national networks. In addition, BTN is offering cable operators a dynamic video-on-demand programming service and a rich broadband video package for their high-speed internet customers. All of these offerings are available at a combined fee that is two-thirds less than what certain major national cable operators charge for their own regionalized sports services (which they also carry on expanded basic on their systems).
Of course, this can probably be expected given the nature of negotiations over carriage generally, and E*'s recent decision to appeal to the FCC. But I still think it looks pretty ominous for Dish network subscribers hoping to watch the BTN this fall. I have Directv coming by tomorrow for an install.
I sent an email to the BTN folks about 10 days ago, asking for an update on their negotiations with Dish. I have cut and pasted part of their reply below (omitted blah,blah,blah for your reading pleasure).
Our goal is to bring the Big Ten Network to Big Ten fans. BTN will offer programming that caters to the more than 4 million Big Ten alumni and millions more Big Ten fans who live and die with their teams. An agreement with Dish Network would help us give fans more coverage and more access to the universities and teams they love than ever before.
Unfortunately, the Dish Network has stated it is unwilling to negotiate further leaving their subscribers who are Big Ten fans to seek other options. Dish Network's concerns relate to two specific areas: price and level of service. You should know that the national average price to carry the Big Ten Network is less than at least 65 other national networks. In addition, BTN is offering cable operators a dynamic video-on-demand programming service and a rich broadband video package for their high-speed internet customers. All of these offerings are available at a combined fee that is two-thirds less than what certain major national cable operators charge for their own regionalized sports services (which they also carry on expanded basic on their systems).
Of course, this can probably be expected given the nature of negotiations over carriage generally, and E*'s recent decision to appeal to the FCC. But I still think it looks pretty ominous for Dish network subscribers hoping to watch the BTN this fall. I have Directv coming by tomorrow for an install.