The Big Ten will announce Wednesday that it is about to enter into the television business, forming its own network that will launch in 2007.
Sources said the conference also will announce the ABC/ESPN family will remain the exclusive carrier of some of its signature events. The current deal, set to expire in June 2007, is said to be worth up to $50 million per year.
So while ABC/ESPN continues to get all the choicest cuts–think Michigan-Ohio State football and high-profile basketball games–league officials believe there will be plenty left on the menu to attract viewers to the Big Ten Channel.
What kind of programming should fans expect? The meat of it figures to come from non-revenue sports–volleyball matches, wrestling meets and women’s basketball games. But also look for lower-profile football and men’s basketball games that can’t find a home on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. Coaches shows would be a natural, as would spring football games.
Bottom line: The Big Ten Channel will give many sports significant exposure, and that will be a boon for recruiting. And, if successful, the conference should make significant money.
Sources said the Big Ten will partner with DirecTV in forming the Big Ten Channel. Fox’s parent company, News Corp., owns a sizable share in DirecTV, so Fox will play a significant role in the operation and distribution of the network.
DirecTV reaches just 15.4 million homes, so one of the keys will be Fox’s negotiations with cable distributors such as Comcast, Cox and Time Warner. Talks will play out over the next year.
For now, conference officials have to be thrilled with the prospect of finding a home for their sporting events that often get overlooked. Andthey continue a relationship with ABC/ESPN that has helped both entities grow over the last 20 years.
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tgreenstein@tribune.com
