Specifically geared to Penn State, but most of the information is generally applicable. I suppose it rubs me a little the wrong way to see volleyball lumped in with "olympic sports", but at least we're listed.
[Geek alert: Bet you didn't know that Roger Williams, founder of the Rhode Island colony, went on to graduate from PSU and become ED of our alumni association!]
On August 30, a new television network dedicated to showcasing the Big Ten will be launched nationwide. The Big Ten Network is a first-of-its-kind partnership between the 11 Big Ten universities and a major television provider. Through the network, fans will get to see an unprecedented number of Big Ten sporting events, including football and basketball. Penn State and the other Big Ten
universities will receive increased regional and national exposure while also establishing a stable source of funding to supplement our existing Big Ten contracts with CBS (basketball) and ABC/ESPN (football).
As a strong supporter of the Nittany Lions, the most important thing you can do to get the network is to contact your cable or satellite company to ask that the Big Ten Network be added to your basic package. Please call 1-866-WANT-B10 to tell your cable operator that you want the Big Ten Network on your basic cable package.
This additional revenue will provide substantial assistance to Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics and the operation of our 29 men’s and women’s varsity programs. Our mission of providing a broad-based athletic experience for all of our student-athletes, while remaining completely self-supportingno student tuition or state-appropriated dollarsremains more
realistic as a result of the Big Ten Network. While still facing real financial challenges, Penn State Athletics is better positioned to pursue the Success with Honor that Nittany Lions worldwide have come to enjoy and expect.
Programming that will be featured on the network and/or on other alternative platforms, like the Internet, mobile/wireless, interactive, and on-demand includes:
75 Nittany Lion events this season, including:
Four football games;
Approximately 22 men’s basketball games;
Women’s basketball;
Olympic sports including soccer, baseball, gymnastics, and volleyball;
A nightly studio show including segments from each campus;
Big Ten championship events, classic games, and coaches’ shows;
60 hours of campus programming produced at Penn State.
The wide appeal of Penn State sports calls for widespread distribution of the Big Ten Network. If you live in the state of Illinois, then you should receive the Big Ten Network among the 70 or so channels included with your standard or basic level of service. That service typically includes channels such as the Travel Channel, the Jewelry Channel, the Food Channel, the Golf Channel, Versus, and a regional sports network. Many cable operators own these regional sports networks and all of them are carried on the basic level of service.
The Big Ten Network
is in discussions with all cable and satellite providers nationwide. National agreements have been reached with DirecTV and AT&T, and regional agreements are in place with more than 75 other cable providers. All agreements call for the network to be offered on the standard or basic level of service. DirecTV has designated 220 as the Big Ten Network’s channel and also has committed “overflow” channels at no additional charge to subscribers to accommodate the many occasions when the network produces multiple games simultaneously.
I encourage you, as a Penn State alumnus, to voice your support and concern. Call 1-866-WANT-B10, and then go to http://www.BigTenNetwork.com to join Fans First, our fan loyalty program, to receive regular updates on the Big Ten Network.
Thanks
for your support of Penn State Athletics. And go Nittany Lions!
Roger L. Williams '73, '75g, '88g Executive Director, Penn State Alumni Association
Specifically geared to Penn State, but most of the information is generally applicable. I suppose it rubs me a little the wrong way to see volleyball lumped...
This is an interesting story. Just read an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the strategy of the network, which is two-fold: 1) Get the network...
I would prefer to see the network stick to their demand for placement on a basic tier, and back down on how much they want to charge. Couldn't they make up the...
... placement on a ... they ... lot more ... subscribe to a ... I have been extremely disappointed in how the BTN has gone about marketing this whole deal. It...
Well stated Pablo. This is another reason why this is one of those rare times where I will disagree with my good friend Chris. He has a good argument in that...
Seems that we have a good many marketing thinkers in this discussion group. I wonder how much would you pay to have the BTN be a premium channel? And then the...
rosejelly@...
Aug 23, 2007 1:45 pm
I am not a marketing maven but the program I experienced in Wisconsin sure works. The Badgers have a phenomenal cross section of the community at each vb home...
... Wisconsin sure works. What about beyond the university, though? What's the media coverage like in Madison? More specifically, from my perspective, how...
I agree with you but I think you have a "chicken and an egg" problem. If vb can self promote like Purdue has done in the last few years the fan base will...
At Michigan State the problem is different. Like you, I would estimate that we also have 1,000+ non-university-related fans show up, but that is practically...
... estimate that ... to ... volleyball ... That is strange. If nothing else, you'd figure that a bunch of college guys would come to watch chicks in spandex...
At Madison if you have a football game stub or ticket you get into the volleyball match free (it doesn't work the other way however!!). They have dorm...
Sorry but leveraging the media is NOT simple. Look at all the hype that women's soccer had a few years ago and now what do you see. Look at all the tennis that...
rosejelly@...
Aug 23, 2007 4:03 pm
Actually, women's soccer had to re-group, but the women's professional league will be re-launching this year. But, Roger is right, the media only goes by...
... of volleyball and a handicap it might always have in fan support in this country. Volleyball is *the* sport where there's the biggest difference between...
<<disagree 100% here, Doug. I see the volleyball players doing it just much "more skillfully" as in the other sports (how you can put football in this...
... between the most casual kinds of volleyball, and high-level volleyball, is much greater than that for other sports, indeed including football. For pete's...
<<I think it is time to defend Doug. Even the "not serious" baseball players of fans, know "balk" and "infield fly rule". >> Thanks, Daryl. Although when...
Actually most baseball fans have no idea what a ground rule double is, and neither do most play-by-play announcers, because they inaccurately use that term to...
The reason why the casual fan is more volleyball ignorant than he/she is about baseball, basketball, football, etc. is because of the lack of media coverage....
There. Not their. There. Darnitall. I don't have a clue why I do that. The Pioneer Press has one of their (!) rare VB articles today, on the opening day, and...
Matt, The PP actually has not one, but two (!!) VB articles today. The other one concerns Lauren Gibbemeyer (freshman MB). ...
Steve Pearson
skpearson@...
Aug 24, 2007 4:16 pm
Steve, how does this help my argument? ;) I will mention that Roysland's above the fold on page 1 of the sports section. ... other ... lot ... said ... the ......
Steve, how does this help my argument? ;) I will mention that Roysland's above the fold on page 1 of the sports section. ... other ... lot ... said ... the ......
Matt, Alas, it probably does not your argument. Sorry! ;-) Never the less, I didn't want you or the list to miss the other article. From:...
Steve Pearson
skpearson@...
Aug 24, 2007 4:45 pm
Here in St. Louis, the tier on which BTN would (hopefully) appear is $4.99/mo. I'd certainly pay that - not necessarily for BTN itself, but everything else on...
After having worked with both the broadcast and print media over many years, both in the VB and career contexts, I agree that the media will cover what they...
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