Joel Maturi and Jim Delany: It's basic: Show Big Ten

Comcast wants this network on a second, costlier tier. That's illogical and inconsistent.

By Joel Maturi and Jim Delany

Last update: October 25, 2007 - 7:24 PM

An Oct. 13 Star Tribune editorial regarding the Big Ten Network and the University of Minnesota compels us to respond. The Big Ten Network -- the University of Minnesota Network -- warrants widespread distribution to provide maximum access to Gophers sports and programming to the people of this state.

The editorial takes the position that, although 150 cable operators throughout the eight-state Big Ten region carry the network at no extra cost to consumers on their expanded basic package, Comcast should instead place it on a sports tier to generate hundreds of extra dollars from each customer. The newspaper claims that the games on the network are not popular and that cable bills will go up if Comcast carries the channel. Both premises are wrong.

Minnesota football, basketball, hockey and women's basketball have proven for many years to attract broad audiences that are considerably higher than audiences for most basic-cable channels. This year alone, the network will feature 75 Gophers games covering a variety of men's and women's sports.

If you live in the eight-state region that is Big Ten Country, you currently receive 50 to 70 channels as part of your expanded basic-cable service -- and you choose none of them. Comcast owns many channels, such as Versus, Golf Network and G4, and carries them all on expanded basic. Yet these channels have much less appeal to Minneapolis viewers than a network featuring 75 Gophers games. Comcast mandates that to get cable service, grandparents must pay for MTV, the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. Cable companies' system of bundling channels together generates billions of dollars in profit for them. Given this system, and the network's local appeal, shouldn't Comcast carry the Big Ten Network within these 50 to 70 channels? While not all programming appeals to everyone, that's true of just about every channel on cable, including Comcast's own channels.

One-hundred-fifty cable operators throughout the eight-state region, as well as DirecTV and Dish Network, already carry the network on expanded basic cable so that their customers can enjoy seeing more Big Ten programming than ever before without a price increase. The network has offered Comcast and others who carry it the ability to generate revenue in several ways, including local advertising time, separate high-definition packages, Gophers video on demand, overflow game sales and the ability to put the network on a more expensive level of service outside the eight-state region.

Comcast has omitted all of these points -- and has repeatedly misstated the network's price -- in its negative marketing campaign. Why? Because the cable giant would like to take something that costs it about 90 cents per month and sell it to customers for anywhere between $5 to $15 per month, depending upon level of service. Kagan, a leading cable research and finance company, lists the Big Ten Network 30th out of 39 similar sports networks in terms of cost, contrary to Comcast's propaganda. Comcast is the second-largest owner of sports networks, and all 11 of them are carried on expanded basic.

In addition to having local appeal, the Big Ten Network presents a unique opportunity to showcase our highly respected research university throughout the state, the Midwest and the country. In fact, touting the U's successes, such as the Nobel Prize recently awarded to one of our retired economics professors, would make a great feature piece. Additionally, the network will not accept alcohol or gambling advertising and is committed to airing an equal number of men's and women's events within three years.

The Big Ten Network is an exciting and worthy endeavor that will broadly benefit the state of Minnesota. It has created an opportunity to highlight for the entire country all that is special about America's heartland: the best in competitive collegiate sports, renowned institutions of higher learning and the unparalleled passion and support of our universities' award-winning sports and academic programs.

The Big Ten Network reminds the country what is great about Minnesota and the Midwest.

Joel Maturi is athletics director at the University of Minnesota. Jim Delany is commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.

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