Big Ten Network Blocked by Cable Dispute

65% of TV's in Big Ten states don't get the games, fans enraged
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 1, 2007 1:16 PM CDT
Big Ten Network Blocked by Cable Dispute
The logo for the Big Ten Network, which has alienated some of its demographic with its cost and distribution methods.   (Official Logo)

College football fans are angry, ABC News reports. A dispute between the new Big Ten Network -- devoted to the athletic conference -- and cable providers means that 65% of subscribers in the eight states which are home to the Big Ten schools don't get the network, which means missing highly-anticipated games like this weekend's between the Ohio Buckeyes and Wisconsin Badgers.

The stalemate results from the Big Ten's insistence on being included on basic cable tiers in states where college football is tantamount to religion. Many cable carriers want to carry the network as part of a premium expanded sports package, a stance the Big Ten's president says "shows a severe misunderstanding of how important the schools are to these communities." (More Wisconsin Badgers stories.)

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