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Message: [QUOTE="huskymedic, post: 2790773, member: 549"] BTN discussion: [MEDIA=twitter]1021888290142789632[/MEDIA] >>The nearly 11-year old Big Ten Network was a genius idea, creating a channel for original programming and then jamming it on the basic cable packages of every house inside the Big Ten footprint. A decade ago, nearly everyone had at least basic cable, so the network served as a Big Ten tax of sorts. People were paying nearly $10 a year even if they never watched it, knew it existed or could tell a Badger from a Boilermaker. That led the league to expand its membership in search of additional homes – Nebraska came first, then the odd fits (other than money) of Maryland and Rutgers.<< >>But what if conference television networks are no longer such a smashing success? Cable television is not a growth industry, with cord-cutting dropping the number of basic cable consumers blindly paying in, and cable providers mindful of keeping bills low as to not scare away existing customers.<< >>Comcast isn’t just the No. 1 cable provider in the country; it’s No. 1 in the 11 Big Ten states – five of those (Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and New Jersey) rank in the top 11 nationally and have a combined population alone of 56.1 million. If the channel stops being carried, not only will fewer fans be able to watch games through cable television, a lot fewer dollars will come into the Big Ten.<< and then... [/QUOTE]