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BTN inks another cable deal; Charter still on sidelines

Jeff Richgels  —  8/23/2008 6:03 pm

The Big Ten Network announced Thursday it has signed a deal with US Cable, which serves numerous small communities in Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.

US Cable, a N.J.-based company that serves seven states, will offer the network on its expanded basic level of service to the majority of its customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Communities it serves in Wisconsin include Alma, Bay City, Buffalo City, Cochrane, Ellsworth, Hager City, Nelson and Pepin.

Meanwhile, Charter spokesman John Miller on Thursday offered a rare glimmer of hope when asked the status of Charter's negotiations with BTN. "I'm encouraged," Miller said in an e-mail, adding that he couldn't comment further.

Elizabeth Conlisk, BTN vice president of communications, e-mailed a statement: "We are still in negotiations with Charter. There is nothing new to report."

The first BTN telecasts of the college football season on Aug. 30 include the University of Wisconsin's game against Akron at Camp Randall Stadium.

US Cable will add BTN on Aug. 29, according to a joint news release by the company and network.

Charter and Time Warner, the state's two major cable providers, are two of the few remaining cable companies without carriage agreements with BTN. Mediacom, the primary cable provider in Iowa, also does not have a deal with BTN.

BTN launched on Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, last Friday.

The network, which is owned by the conference's 11 member colleges and Fox National Cable Sports Networks, said it now is available to about 70 percent of all homes in the eight Big Ten states and could reach up to 55 million homes nationwide.

As it enters its second year, BTN has made advertising strides, Multichannel.com reported.

"There has been a tremendous response to our football this year -- we've doubled our year-to-year ad revenue," BTN vice president of ad sales Roy Seinfeld told Multichannel.com. "There are a number of returning sponsors; I'd like to think that means we're doing something right."

BTN also announced Thursday its announcers for this season.

The network's game-day studio show, "Big Ten Football Saturday," again will be anchored by lead studio host Dave Revsine, former Vanderbilt, Louisiana State and Indiana head coach Gerry DiNardo and former Illinois running back and two-time Super Bowl champion Howard Griffith.

Also returning is the top football game broadcast team: play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman, analyst Charles Davis and sideline reporter Charissa Thompson. Brennaman and Davis called the network's biggest games in 2007 and have led FOX Sports' coverage of the last two Bowl Championship Series' (BCS) National Championship games.

Thompson also will be a regular contributor to Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate presented by Nissan. She also is known for her work on FOX Sports Net's "The Best Damn Sports Show Period."

Veteran play-by-play announcers Wayne Larrivee, Mark Neely and Matt Devlin also come back for a second season. Analysts will again include former Northwestern defensive back Chris Martin and former Minnesota head coach Glen Mason. Both Martin and Mason will also add studio analysis for "Big Ten Football Saturday" and "Big Ten Tonight."

Several former Big Ten football stars join the network this fall as game-day analysts and sideline reporters. The list includes former Purdue offensive lineman Ian Allen, who played in the NFL and most recently broadcast games for the NFL Network and Sky Sports NFL; former Iowa defensive lineman Anthony Herron, who played professionally for the Detroit Lions; legendary Penn State wide receiver Kenny Jackson, who starred on the Nittany Lions 1982 national championship team, played eight years in the NFL and coached receivers at Penn State and for the Pittsburgh Steelers; and former Michigan tight end Tony McGee, who played 11 seasons in the NFL, most notably with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jeff Richgels  —  8/23/2008 6:03 pm