BTN strikes deal w/Time Warner & Cablevision

[AZHuskiePop]

There is joe-fan and then there is Frank: a thoughtful, relatively unbiased CR analyst who has collected a wealth of information by being one of the few web beacons who didn't come into his quasi celebrity through wild rumor mongering.

If Frank has to set the expectations floor so be it we have plenty among us to set the ceiling.

Frank in the past has proved uninformed when it comes to
UConn. Hopefully his association with the BY has rectified this problem.
My problem with him is he comes from the Reactionary element of the B1G.
One or two post telling us about our unworthiness were sufficient for me.
After two of these posts,unless he is providing a different slant, he becomes a troll.

 

[OkaForPrez]

@AZHuskiePop @ConnHuskBask

I get it. I share your sensitivities. I've had more than one "I can't take it anymore" meltdown on various boards (Once on the Wisconsin Football board I believe and once on CSNBBS). And it's one thing when its elsewhere and another when its in our living room.

I don't want to hear it from TexanMark or ndfan2014 or anyone else who has picked and chosen which CR conventional wisdom best fits the need-scope of their school and passed it back to us like its courtroom substantiated law. UConn fans are probably the most motivated CR info consumers and therefore the most knowledgeable to every theory under the sun. We've seen every brand of contradictory speculation. It's about money, recruiting geography, football, academics, markets, travel budgets, glad handing from Jurich, TCU/Texas coffee talks, a personal vendetta from a 10 year old lawsuit, espn made it happen, espn didn't make it happen, ... Such is the life of the once insiders now outside looking in.

But @frankthetank is not here to wipe his feet on our carpet. If we disagree its civil and we learn from each other. He brings value. So while I've had my moments of wanting to wall up and keep everyone else out and have a collective pity party, that's not going to keep up current on the latest minutia. I'm still interested in adding to our CR cork board which is now equivalent to Carrie's terrorist hunt on homeland. I'd rather not burn up one of our field agents.

Respectfully, turn off his tap with your own filter, don't make him a martyr to our misery and ruin it for the rest of us who enjoy his company.

 

[The Funster]

I was watching softball on BTN two weekends ago. I live in Ffld county and have Uverse u300 package.

FTT is one of the better outside posters to come here. Sure there was a period where he was consistently negative to UConn and it was hard to take but he was a net plus to the board, IMO. Good to see him back, really.

 

[JayRU09]

Big Ten Network website says it is for Manhattan.

 

[upstater]

Big Ten Network website says it is for Manhattan.

Where does it say Manhattan in that link?

The only mention of Manhattan is that there was a meeting there. In fact, Comcast doesn't even have a cable system there.

 

[sportsart]

Where does it say Manhattan in that link?

The only mention of Manhattan is that there was a meeting there. In fact, Comcast doesn't even have a cable system there.

Deals for TW and Cablevision...no mention of Comcast

– and also was able to confirm that deals with Time Warner and Cablevision for broader distribution in Manhattan have been completed.

 

[upstater]

Deals for TW and Cablevision...no mention of Comcast

– and also was able to confirm that deals with Time Warner and Cablevision for broader distribution in Manhattan have been completed.

That's the same link as above. It also mentions Comcast. But doesn't mention Manhattan other than the meeting occurring there.

What in the world are you guys reading?

 

[Rappin'Rodney]

That's the same link as above. It also mentions Comcast. But doesn't mention Manhattan other than the meeting occurring there.

What in the world are you guys reading?

Upstater, you're reading the wrong article (NJ.com). Check out the third paragraph from the article on the BTN website link. Here's the exerpt: "(Mark Silverman) talked with them about some of our coverage plans...and also was able to confirm that deals with Time Warner and Cablevision for broader distribution in Manhattan have been completed."

 

[CTMike]

Upstater, you're reading the wrong article (NJ.com). Check out the third paragraph from the article on the BTN website link. Here's the exerpt: "(Mark Silverman) talked with them about some of our coverage plans...and also was able to confirm that deals with Time Warner and Cablevision for broader distribution in Manhattan have been completed."

Yes, but if the link to the NJ.com article was meant to provide proof of distribution in Manhattan, it doesn't even talk about it.

 

[Stinger92860]

Actually, I think it might be less than 10%, although I can't find a source for that. Here is a map of it. Even if the NYC DMA included just Fairfield County and the five boroughs, Fairfield County wouldn't represent 30% of the total. Add in New Jersey and the number drops further.

http://www.newportmedia.com/maps/countyinfo.php?m=1

From what I can tell, Fairfield county is a little less than 5%.

 

[SAMCRO]

BTN getting on basic tier NYC could be what Dienhart (sp?) was refering to when he mentioned Delaney said we should expect big news from the east in the next 60 days.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Does broader distribution deals in Manhattan not make sense to anyone besides me?

Brooklyn, Queens, etc. ?

I'll admit it looks bad, but I've been on this board long enough I'll wait to hear the full story.

 

[djct1999]

How is this so bad for UConn? Seriously. Was this not expected? I mean, who knows. Maybe the BTN got NYC distribution because the cable companies were told UConn will be included. Just saying.

 

[kibblesnbits]

It appears from a quick scan of cable company websites that BTN is currently on the top tiers in NYC. Even if these deals do include "wider distribution" east of the river, that does not mean they will suddenly be on basic at full in league rates. There is no way they are taking that margin hit without a fight. I'd bet on a lower tier in NYC at a rate that looks far closer to out of league than in league. What leverage does the Big 10 have? Wealthy and passionate Manhattan alums will pay, but with cord-cutting a real threat, they aren't going to force that extra cost on the price sensitive and those that just don't care. I'll bet they've hardly been inundated with a torrent of calls in the city for the BTN just because Rutgers was added.

Remember, these guys took on the Yankees, arguably the most valuable local sports property ever. They'd risk pissing off a few Rutgers fans in NJ any day before submitting to extortion on higher rates in NYC.

 

[mws192]

Add in RCN for Manhattan and Queens:

With Rutgers set to officially join the conference in July, Big Ten Network continues to buttress its distribution roster in the New York DMA, as RCN will add the service to its lineup.

BTN officials said the deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, will position the network on RCN’s signature and premium packages. RCN currently serves the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Queens. RCN already carries BTN in its service areas in the Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington D.C. DMAs. The latter is also becoming a much more important market for the conference, which is also adding the University of Maryland to its ranks, also beginning with the 2014-15 academic year.

The RCN Big Apple agreement comes on the heels of BTN president Mark Silverman saying the service has scored accords that will widen its penetration on Cablevision and Time Warner Cable systems in the New York DMA. Whereas those MSOs have been offering BTN on their sports tiers, the new pacts will afford the network a wider berth.

- See more at: http://multichannel.com/news/distri...-joins-conference/374708#sthash.OgVWtMHk.dpuf

 

[mws192]

What leverage does the Big 10 have?

They have the leverage of Fox and all their sports properties. I don't find it coincidental that at the same time this deal was reported that there were similar reports that Fox Sports 2 would be getting wider carriage in NYC (See http://www.newsday.com/sports/colum...hings-straightened-out-on-fox-cable-1.8072843 -- " FS2, which is in about 2.3 million homes in the New York area -- a figure that will rise to 3 million this summer".

Fox also owns YES, so I will not be shocked to see new YES renewals leak out next.

 

[kibblesnbits]

That's reverse leverage. They would have no trouble telling Yankee fans that seeing their team was being held hostage to get coverage of Minnesota - Rutgers volleyball. Unless the BTN was being bundled at a greatly reduced rate (see below) that could easily backfire.

The RCN deal convinces me they are not charging in league rates. We had them at a corporate (not nearly as nice as it sounds) apartment in the Forest Hills area. Signature is really their first cable tier (basic was pretty much over the air channels). We paid about $100 for TV and Internet. At those rates and with the big money they are paying ESPN, Yes, MSG, etc. there is no way they are taking another big margin hit on the Big 10. These deals sound focused on market share rather than peak royalties.

 

[Stinger92860]

They have the leverage of Fox and all their sports properties. I don't find it coincidental that at the same time this deal was reported that there were similar reports that Fox Sports 2 would be getting wider carriage in NYC (See http://www.newsday.com/sports/colum...hings-straightened-out-on-fox-cable-1.8072843 -- " FS2, which is in about 2.3 million homes in the New York area -- a figure that will rise to 3 million this summer".
Fox also owns YES, so I will not be shocked to see new YES renewals leak out next.

Is this a positive or negative for us?

 

[Sea Goat]

If Rutgers was the reason for the deal, couldn't they just have added a soap opera channel? Plain and simple - the content emanating from Piscataway will be awful, except when Julie Hermann holds a presser. If the B1G wants some quality content within their mission statement then UConn is a cinch to be added now. If alleged "looney tunes" Gray was right with his prognostication two days ago then this all makes sense.

 

[upstater]

The thing about the BTN blogger is that she links to an article stating Rutgers now has coverage outside NJ state lines. Did she assume that meant Manhattan, because the article she links to says nothing about that. Of course BTN gives them coverage outside NJ state lines. BTN is all over America.

The RCN deal just puts BTN on premium, it is not basic, so the B1G was unable to place the channel on that part of Manhattan.

 

[JayRU09]

How is this so bad for UConn? Seriously. Was this not expected? I mean, who knows. Maybe the BTN got NYC distribution because the cable companies were told UConn will be included. Just saying.

I take it you missed the months of UCONN/Syracuse/ACC/hell ANYONE in the world saying that we couldn't pull this off even in New Jersey because no one cares about us. And it was even worse for NYC where people like the former BE commissioner saying that St. John's is a bigger NY brand than us.

Well guess what, we did it. I don't care how any opposing fans rationalize it either, because it's happening and *bleep* Syracuse.

 

[upstater]

I take it you missed the months of UCONN/Syracuse/ACC/hell ANYONE in the world saying that we couldn't pull this off even in New Jersey because no one cares about us. And it was even worse for NYC where people like the former BE commissioner saying that St. John's is a bigger NY brand than us.

Well guess what, we did it. I don't care how any opposing fans rationalize it either, because it's happening and *bleep* Syracuse.

You're totally wrong here. We've been saying for months that you would easily get New Jersey but New York City would be a very tough nut to crack. Nothing has changed. The article you linked to was a misreading by a blogger. The other info above about RCN shows they put BTN in a premium sports package, not on basic.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Leave it to UNJ people to think they're responsible for accomplishing anything here, other than having a campus and a football program for the big 10 conference to bend over and abuse, close to the Manhattan island.

 

[JayRU09]

Yes, the official website of the Big Ten Network who has access to every member of the BTN is wrong and misreading things. Because there is no possible way that they just called their boss to clarify what has actually happened.

And Carl, like I said, I don't care how opposing fans rationalize this. Because it has happened. That's it. You can try to come up with any reason as to why this happened, all that matters is that it has.

 

[JayRU09]

You're totally wrong here. We've been saying for months that you would easily get New Jersey but New York City would be a very tough nut to crack. Nothing has changed. The article you linked to was a misreading by a blogger. The other info above about RCN shows they put BTN in a premium sports package, not on basic.

Read the post. It will go on RCN's 'signature' package. After having a quick look at RCN's website, 'Signature' is the lowest tier they sell.