[NU Sports] Re: Indiana game

[Mike Nolan]

> Since the BTN began broadcasting in 2007, EVERY Big Ten home game has been
> televised either on ABC/ESPN Networks or the BTN.  As far as I know, the
> contracts give the conference all rights to home games and those rights are
> transferred to the BTN for any games not picked up by ABC/ESPN.  This is
> somewhat different than most other conferences where the home teams still
> retain rights to their home games after the networks have chosen their games
> for the week (hence opening up the chance for local syndication and/or
> PPV).  So, I think Nebraska's PPV cash flow will be ending after this
> season, although they will soon get a large and steady stream of cash from
> the Big Ten television contracts as well as the BTN.

Next year there could be as many as TWELVE home games for Big Ten
schools on a given weekend during the non-conference season.  

Even if they break them out into three different time slots with 2-3
games on ABC/ESPN (and possibly move one or two to a different day of the 
week), can they fit all the remaining games on BTN + 2 overflow channels, 
or are some of them likely to be shown in delayed form only? 

I'm not really complaining here, I did get to watch the NU-Illinois State 
game Sunday evening (which is probably better than I'll be able to do with
the Rice game), and as far as I could tell they didn't have to skip any 
plays, either.  And hopefully Time Warner cable will do something about
carrying the overflow channels by next season.  

But that's a lot of production crews, even if some of them are rent-a-crews.  
(I've heard some real complaints about the qualify of some of the Nebraska
PPV games, with announcers who couldn't pronounce the names of the
starters and coaches and camera coverage that rivaled that of a webcam
at a teenager slumber party.)  
--
Mike Nolan