[NU Sports] TV and sports

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> will wind up once on cable.  Let's put it another
> way.  61.6% of Columbus 
> households don't give a hoot about Ohio State
> football but still have to pay 
> the increased cable or satellite bill. 
> 
Well, I don't think it's fair to lump ALL of that on
the Big Ten. And besides, I'm sure there are a few OSU
fans who may watch for the basketball, hockey,
baseball, etc. that didn't for football.

For instance, on the basic package for the cable I
used to receive and for DirecTV, there are channels
dedicated to golf, racing, motorcross and other sports
that I have no interest in. Not to mention non-sports
channels that I rarely if ever watch. Still, it's all
in the basic fee.

I can see states outside of the midwest balking at
adding the Big Ten Network to basic cable (though I'm
thankful DirecTV has it since I'm one of many Big Ten
alums outside the midwest). But given how big the Big
Ten schools are in their home states, I don't think
it's unreasonable for the football and basketball
games that used to be carried by regional stations
(who happily paid for regional network fee because
they knew their audience wanted the games) -- along
with other sports and non-athletic programming from
these major state institutions (minus NU) should be
part of the basic package.

It's different from the NFL network because it
involves more than one sport and year-round
programming ... and in the midwest states, it will
likely have a larger audience than the sport channels
Comcast runs for the basic package (golf, versus,
comcast sports network, etc.).

NU is a bit of a different situation because of our
private status and small alumni base ... but the other
10 schools are major state institutions. Growing up in
Wisconsin -- when the Badgers stunk in football and
basketball -- people still watched the PBS
re-broadcast of games before the regional Big Ten Plus
came along and had all of the Milwaukee stations
fighting for the game rights. And in NW Indiana, the
local PBS affiliate would basically make their budget
for the year off pledge drives held during the IU and
Purdue basketball games they bought and used to ask
for more money from viewers.

All the joking from Mike Downey aside, there will be a
lot on here for midwest sports fans to see -- for NU
fans, probably more than Michigan or OSU fans -- but
3-4 football games and a dozen hoops games won't be
something easily missed in the midwest. If they don't
get agreements soon, there'll be some heavy pressure
from fans in September.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


       
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