BTN close to deal with Comcast, no really this time
The Big Ten Network vs. Comcast drama captured the hearts of Big Ten fans last summer. In the end, it was ultimately the fans who lost when the two couldn’t come to an agreement.
It now appears that the two have come to a truce and are close to reaching a deal. There are several media reports that a deal will be announced sometime this week. Most refer to this Chicago Tribune story about the potential Big Ten Network and Comcast deal.
There were times when a Big Ten Network-Comcast union appeared as likely as uncovering scratchy footage that showed Woody Hayes screaming “Go Blue!”
But that day is here. Almost.
Comcast and the BTN are prepared to put nearly two years of bitter negotiations aside to announce a long-term partnership, the Tribune has learned.
“For all intents and purposes, it’s done,” one source close to the negotiations said Sunday.
The Detroit Free Press had some additional specifics about the deal including how much Comcast is rumored to be paying per month for the network.
Comcast would pay BTN around 70 cents per subscriber for the channel, well below the reported $1.10 BTN was originally asking. The channel is initially expected to be located on the expanded basic level in Big Ten-member states. Still under discussion, though, is the possibility that Comcast could move the channel to another part of its lineup, possibly a digital tier, later in the multi-year deal.
The Philidelphia Enquirer mentions that the Big Ten Network will start out on Comcast’s basic tier, but will eventually move to the digital cable tier.
Comcast, the nation’s largest cable company, would provide the Big Ten programming on a preview basis on its main channel package, then reposition the network to its more expensive digital tier next spring, after the football and basketball seasons, the sources say.
Customers with enhanced basic service would have to upgrade to digital when the preview ends to keep the Big Ten Network.