Are We About to Lose BTN?
Now that we are interested in M basketball and most of our Big Ten games will be on BTN, are we about to lose it? I seem to remember that on Comcast, BTN will be available on basic until the new year, then be moved to a sports tier. While I would be willing to pay a little more for the sports tier, the digital package will probably be required first and I can't afford that. I just have plain old basic. Does anyone have information on when and where BTN will be moved?
December 8th, 2008 at 2:10 PM ^
Sitting pretty with Dish over here. Soooooooooo many more HD channels than when I had Comcrap.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:40 PM ^
Verizon FIOS, If I could have any I would choose thee...
One of my relatives has it, and it is the most elite of all the services
December 8th, 2008 at 6:23 PM ^
really? I got dish yesterday, HD, america's everything package and I can't fing the Big Ten Network anywhere...I'm really pissed off
December 8th, 2008 at 2:13 PM ^
they can move it to the Sports tier.
http://www.comcast.com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail.ashx?PRID=…
so it seems like you're okay until after basketball season.
December 8th, 2008 at 2:18 PM ^
Thanks baorao. Well, spring officially starts March 20.
December 8th, 2008 at 2:31 PM ^
would be well after the point the BTN would have any games you'd be interested in watching. Thats like first or second weekend of the NCAAs.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:07 PM ^
There's no guarantee it would move to a sports tier at that point, just that they will renegotiate, and Comcast can bump it to the sports tier.
I'd imagine that (now that people have gotten a taste of BTN), Comcast would lose so many subscriptions from moving BTN that it would make no economic sense for them to do so. Just about everyone I've talked to on the matter says they wouldn't hesitate to switch to a dish provider.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:22 PM ^
In the spring, they can move it to the Digital cable, but that is what most either now have or will have (no significant extra cost from what most of us think of as Basic). It won't be on a pay to watch Sports Tier. See the link shown above.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:26 PM ^
Inside the so-called "footprint" (ie, those states with a Big Ten school), Comcast can - and almost assuredly will - move the BTN to the digital tier. If you have anything beyond basic, you already have this.
Outside the footprint (including Philly in PA), Comcast has the option to move it to any tier, including the sports tier.
If you live in IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, PA (except Philly), or WI, you're good. Outside of those areas, you'll PROBABLY have to shell out for the sports tier to get BTN.
I don't know when "Spring" starts to Comcast, but think March-April timeframe.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:31 PM ^
I just looked at a map, and those states don't look like a foot at all. Maybe the side view of a foot, but that's still a stretch. Big Ten foot-profile.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:48 PM ^
Michigan, at least, looks like a mitten, which goes on an outer extremity. Foot --> hand --> mitten... See? It all works out in the end.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:55 PM ^
Good call. So it's more like the Big Ten Hand (with overly wide, misshapen arm) Print.
That makes a lot more sense.
December 8th, 2008 at 5:02 PM ^
U-Verse has it as a basic channel. With HD. And for much cheaper than Comcast. For the price I was paying before, I get everything but the pay per views, with better internet speeds.
Having said all of that, I think "next year" meant sometime during next year, probably during the summer. I can't see them just having it on basic for football. Then again, it IS Comcast.
December 8th, 2008 at 7:08 PM ^
that damned Rotel commercial is permanently burned into my awareness and it drives me INSANE
December 8th, 2008 at 7:18 PM ^
is the way to go.