The Big Ten Network is dedicated to covering the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions. The Big Ten Network provides unprecedented access to an extensive schedule of conference sports events and shows; original programs in academics, the arts and sciences; campus activities; and associated personalities. Sports programming includes live coverage of more events than ever before, along with news, highlights and analysis, all complemented by hours of university-produced campus programming. The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks. The Big Ten Network reaches a national audience through distribution arrangements with approximately 230 cable and satellite companies.

Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman (from left), Fox National Cable Sports Networks President Bob Thompson, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Jack Lavin announce official Big Ten Network headquarters location at the historic Montgomery Ward building in Chicago.

About The Big Ten Network
Agreement: 20-Year joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks.
Headquarters: Chicago, Ill.
Launch date/time: August 30, 2007, 8 p.m. ET
Sports televised: Football, men's basketball, women's basketball and other NCAA-sponsored sports
Programming: Approximately 400 live events, original programming, historic footage and classic games; coaches' shows; up to 60 hours per year of original programming from each institution
Distribution: The Big Ten Network has signed national agreements with AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Comcast, Cox - Cleveland, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and 230 cable operators and is available to 70 million households nationwide. Select content is distributed through alternative media platforms including Video On Demand, Internet, iPods, cell phones and other emerging technologies.

Programming: Each year, the Big Ten Network televises approximately 400 live events, plus hundreds of hours of original programming, classic games, coaches' shows and campus programming. Virtually all of the network's live event programming is available in high definition.

Frequently Asked Questions
Updated Nov. 17, 2008

Why was the Big Ten Network created?
The Big Ten Network was created to provide the conference with more national exposure for Big Ten sports while enhancing its existing television agreements with ABC/ESPN and CBS.

The conference wanted to be able to continue playing its football games on Saturdays versus moving some games to Thursday nights, control more fully the advertising environment in which its events were aired (the network accepts no alcohol or gambling advertising) and greatly increase exposure for women's sports and other NCAA sports that had not previously been widely televised.

The network launched on August 30, 2007, and is on the air 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Last fall, the Big Ten Network became the first new network in cable or satellite television history to reach 30 million subscribers within its first 30 days.

The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks. Fox has a proven track record of successfully launching other networks.

Who can get the Big Ten Network?
The Big Ten Network has distribution agreements with AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland), DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight Communications, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, RCN, Service Electric, Verizon FIOS and more than 250 cable operators across the country.

Inside the eight Big Ten states, the network is available on the expanded basic level of service with the exception of the Philadelphia area, where it is available on a digital level of service.

Outside the eight states, cable operators can make the network available on any level of service, and following are some cities where the local cable company is now offering the network. If you do not see your city or state listed here, check with your local system office to determine whether it plans to make the network available in your area.

Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM; Atlanta; Austin, TX; Bakersfield, CA; Baltimore; Birmingham & Tuscaloosa, AL; Boston; Charlotte, NC; Corpus Christi, TX; Denver; Greensboro, NC; Hartford & New Haven, CT; Hawaii; Jacksonville, FL; Kansas City; Memphis; Miami-Fort Lauderdale; Nashville; New York City (except Manhattan); Orange, TX; Orlando, FL; Palm Desert, CA; Pittsburgh; Portland, OR; Raleigh, NC; Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA; Salt Lake City; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA; Seattle-Tacoma; South Carolina; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, FL; Washington, D.C.; West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL

Reports say that Comcast can move the Big Ten Network from expanded basic to a digital level of service at the end of the basketball season. Will I still be able to get the network?
Beginning Spring 2009, Comcast may move the channel to a digital level of service in certain systems only if the vast majority of its customers already subscribe to that level of service. Comcast cannot carry the network on its Sports Entertainment Package inside the eight states. Outside Big Ten states, Comcast may carry the network on any level of service, including its Sports Entertainment Package. You should check with your local Comcast office to find out if you can get the Big Ten Network.

What about your agreements with other cable providers such as Time Warner, Charter and Mediacom? Can they also move the network after the basketball season?
Just as with Comcast, the network may be moved only if the vast majority of customers will not have to upgrade to a different level of service to receive the network. Your local provider likely will communicate its plans closer to the end of the basketball season.

I live in a Big Ten state. Does my cable company offer overflow channels?
That decision is made by each cable company's local office. If you are unsure, you should call your local cable company office, or use the Gamefinder feature on BigTenNetwork.com. (http://www.bigtennetwork.com/gamefinder/). Enter your zip code to find your game on your local cable system. Overflow channels are only available to the network on football Saturdays.

I live in a Big Ten state. Does my cable company offer overflow channels?
That decision is made by each cable company's local office. If you are unsure, you should call your local cable company office, or use the Gamefinder feature on BigTenNetwork.com. Enter your zip code to find your game on your local cable system. Overflow channels are only available to the network on football Saturdays.

Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM; Atlanta; Austin, TX; Bakersfield, CA; Baltimore; Birmingham & Tuscaloosa, AL; Boston; Charlotte, NC; Corpus Christi, TX; Denver; Greensboro, NC; Hartford & New Haven, CT; Hawaii; Jacksonville, FL; Kansas City; Memphis; Miami-Fort Lauderdale; Nashville; New York City; Orange, TX; Orlando, FL; Palm Desert, CA; Pittsburgh; Portland, OR; Raleigh, NC; Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA; Salt Lake City; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA; Seattle-Tacoma; South Carolina; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, FL; Washington, D.C.; West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL

Why isn't my cable company carrying the Big Ten Network?
At this time, the Network has deals with over 250 cable operators across the country, both inside and outside of the Big Ten states. Each of these deals has been structured under very similar guidelines. Therefore, if a provider is unwilling to agree to these terms, negotiations become difficult as the completed deals with many other providers, both big and small, show the terms are fair and reasonable for both sides. You may want to consider communicating with your cable company to let them know that there is a desire for Big Ten Network programming in your area.

How many men's and women's basketball games will the Big Ten Network air this season?
The Big Ten Network will once again televise 105 men's basketball games and more than 55 regular season women's basketball games and nine tournament games. Nearly every one of these games will be available in high definition. In addition, the network will air the Big Ten Tip-Off Show before men's double-headers on Wednesdays and Saturdays and the Big Ten Women's Show before Monday's women's games.

Does the Big Ten Network stream events via the Internet?
Yes. During basketball season, the network will stream more than 100 events, including 37 men's basketball games and 56 women's games. Additional events that could be streamed include wrestling, softball and baseball. Next year, the network plans to significantly upgrade the quality of its streamed games through enhanced technology while offering more events online that previously would not have been televised.

Why is the network streaming basketball games and not televising every game?
The Big Ten Network will once again televise more than 100 men's basketball games and more than 55 women's basketball games this year during the regular season and nearly every one of the games will be available in high definition. With overflow channels only available during the football season, the Big Ten Network made the decision to stream all men's basketball exhibition games (which, in many cases, had not been televised in recent years anyway) and also stream some non-conference games where there are conflicts with other men's basketball games and exclusive ESPN windows. Streaming of exhibition and non-conference games has become common among all major conferences, and every Big Ten team will have streamed games. The games that are being streamed also have been offered to cable operators to produce and televise in local markets, although most have chosen not to do so. The majority of games are being streamed with the assistance of the Big Ten universities through their in-arena video boards and accessing their local radio calls. This streaming initiative allows us to nearly double the amount of exposure for women's basketball.

Does the Big Ten Network make DVDs available of any of the network's programming?
The network is currently in the process of developing a system to offer DVDs of its programming to fans. When the service is available, the network will let fans know.

Why does the network air its football games at either noon ET or in prime time?
ABC currently has exclusive rights to the 3:30 ET time frame for the Big Ten Conference, and so no other network can broadcast games at that time, leaving most of the games on the Big Ten Network to take place at noon ET or in primetime at 7 or 8 PM ET. If ABC has a game on at noon ET, it also has exclusivity during that time as well and so the network must schedule its games around that window.