Can this be true? Do I really not get to watch the Sparty game?

Submitted by alabluema on

I know this can't be true. I must have misinterpreted something. But I thought I saw that next week's game against the Spartans would only be televised on the Big Ten Network, which is unavailable to us poor saps in SEC country. Am I wrong about this? How can I see the game? I might as well scoop out my liver with a spoon if I can't watch.

Fresh Meat

September 24th, 2009 at 4:23 PM ^

Sorry to hear the news, suicidal is how I would be. Does the gameplan package not give you BTN games? If it does and you don't have BTN, you pretty much have to pop for the gameplan.

madvillian

September 24th, 2009 at 4:26 PM ^

find a michigan bar with directTV

get directtv installed by gametime.

Been with DirectTV for 2 years now, never going back to cable. You get all the big10 network games even if you're out of market for that matchup, i.e. you get all the overflow channels as well as the main channel.

themoonisdown09

September 24th, 2009 at 4:57 PM ^

I've been with DirecTV since 2005 and it's so much better than cable. I just realized last week that I've had the Big Ten Network. All this time, I thought you had to buy the sports package. I'm so glad that the Big Ten Network decided to be on the regular DirecTV packages and not the special bundles.

VictorsValiant09

September 24th, 2009 at 4:28 PM ^

Yeah, I'm in California. This sucks big time. I basically got the same answer from some suit at Time Warner, they only offer ESPN Gameplan. And I don't exactly have the money to drop on that right now.

The BTN is making the claim that they're trying to go more national, but it isn't happening quick enough. Looks like I have to find a sports bar somewhere. Son of a...

ColsBlue

September 24th, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^

Time Warner is a dinosaur. I switched to DirecTV on moving to Columbus and have access to almost any televised sporting event. Sports Pack gives you every regional network - you could watch Kent Hrbek's fishing show on FSN north! If you're truly serious about watching sports, there isn't another option. Kent Hrbek fishing.

Yinka Double Dare

September 24th, 2009 at 4:48 PM ^

If you can switch to DirecTV at some point, do it and tell Time Warner the reason you switched is because they don't carry BTN.

Seriously, I didn't do cable in my current place because the building wasn't wired for HD or digital or some crap like that allegedly and my landlord (it's someone's condo) said I should just do DirecTV. I don't ever want to go back to cable now.

And I think DirecTV is a must-have for any soccer fan.

Engin77

September 24th, 2009 at 5:05 PM ^

all across the USA.
DirecTV packages

The Choice Package, currently $34.99/mo. gets you BTN; I don't know anything about Dish.

One current drawback, Versus is not on DirecTV currently, due to a fee squabble between DirecTV and Versus' owner, Comcast. I'm really hoping this is resolved before Hockey regular season starts.

bigmc6000

September 24th, 2009 at 5:36 PM ^

If you're in Big Ten Country it's on the Silver package (37.99 a month) and if you're not in Big Ten Country it's part of the $6/month sports package.

In a bit of a nerdy note here there's a reason DirecTV is the best - they use MPEG-4 compression on their video whereas cable uses MPEG-2. That's like comparing DVD vs Blu-Ray except you can actually tell the difference on any TV set (as for Dish I'm not sure, sometimes it looks good, sometimes it looks "cabel-y").

Also, there's a reason every sports bar in America has DirecTV :)

Litt1e Rhino

September 24th, 2009 at 5:09 PM ^

Call all of your local bars. I was in Texas for the eastern game and managed to find a buffalo wild wings that could get it. I was the first person there so they played my game with sound everyone else was glued to other games but they wouldn't change the sound station because i was there first.

FieldingBLUE

September 24th, 2009 at 5:27 PM ^

I'm a Dish Network man myself, mainly because I'm cheap. It's about $15 less per month than DTV for roughly the same channels. Plus, DTV pissed me off after years of being a subscriber by saying they couldn't find the signal at my new house (which is crap, there are plenty of angles) and Dish had no trouble.

Both have BTN no matter where you live.

bigmc6000

September 24th, 2009 at 5:39 PM ^

Dish has it but it's not part of the package if you're in non-Big Ten Land (just went over to a friends house who had Dish and was sorely disappointed when I called Dish and they told me you had to pay the extra $6/month to get the sports pack if you're not in the Big Ten area and you want the BTN despite what the website says - I was less than thrilled).

However it's only $6/month, I think pretty much anybody on this forum would willingly pay that to get all the games - BTN is the best for basketball, it seemed like every single UM game was televised last year - totally awesome!

madvillian

September 24th, 2009 at 5:48 PM ^

You'll never now how you lived before. It's completely worth the money IMO.

HDTV + DirectTV is probably one the greatest decisions I've ever made as far as money spent on entertainment. Legal entertainment anyways.

foreverbluemaize

September 24th, 2009 at 5:58 PM ^

I live in AR and have BTN through dish. At first it was a free trial but now I have it as part of the sports package. $6 per month and I also get Fox Detroit with it. I have almost every channel there is including ESPNU as well as a few of hte movie groups. Less than $100 per month so all in all not too bad. DVR included plus 3 rooms. When first I got it I had a lot of problems with losing signal in the rain but it has gotten a lot better and now I could not tell you the last time I lost signal. Direct may be cheaper. I would definitely shop around but the last time I checked Dish was cheaper for what I wanted.

spacemanspiff231

September 24th, 2009 at 6:54 PM ^

It just doesn't make any sense to me that the game is even being televised on BTN in the first place. I was just looking at the schedule for the noon timeslot on Saturday and there's not even any games that I can see being televised on ABC. I say ABC, b/c at the very least, the game should be televised on ABC regionally. Just doesn't make sense. There's not a single game in the Big Ten at noon that is any bigger than the Michigan, MSU rivalry. Absolutely ridiculous. The game should be on another channel. At the very least it should be regionally.

OMG Shirtless

September 24th, 2009 at 7:05 PM ^

Did you not read the posts explaining the selection procedure?

1. ABC gets first pick - They picked Illinois-PSU
2. BTN/ESPN alternate by some scheme who gets 2nd pick. BTN had the 2nd pick that week and selected UM@MSU, probably a good decision for them

It happens, it sucks (for some), deal with it

tpilews

September 24th, 2009 at 10:59 PM ^

Verizon has BTN on its regular lineup. There's no way I'd get satellite with being in the lightning capital of the US (Tampa). Storms here damn near every day. Hell, it lightnings even when it doesn't storm.