Message from Athletic Director Bill Martin
1/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
I wanted to share with you an update from Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman on the status of distribution for the Big Ten Network. We are optimistic that we can reach agreement quickly with Comcast, and that the remaining cable companies will follow shortly afterward. We thank you for your continued support of Michigan Athletics. For more information, see U-M's Big Ten Network page. Please direct all comments and questions to bigtennetwork@umich.edu.
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Dear Big Ten Fan:
We know you have watched with interest and not a little frustration our efforts to gain broad distribution for the Big Ten Network on the Midwest's major cable systems. While we currently have agreements with over 180 cable operators, DIRECTV and DISH Network, we have yet to reach agreement with Comcast, Time Warner, Charter or Mediacom.
In late December, we submitted to Comcast our most recent proposal that illustrates our strong willingness to reach an agreement. We are awaiting their response, which we have been told is coming soon. We've addressed their issues on cost as well as each of their other concerns. We are hopeful that our flexibility will result in a reasonable deal for both parties that accomplishes the goal we have had from the outset: to provide Big Ten fans more coverage of their favorite teams and sports than ever before.
Over 30 million homes across the country (more than 60 million people) currently have access to the network. It is our hope that an agreement with Comcast will succeed in bringing significantly more subscribers -- particularly in the Midwest -- the high-quality, in-depth Big Ten programming that these many millions of people already enjoy.
Once we learn of Comcast's decision to carry the network or not, we will communicate that as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience as we work through this process, and will continue our efforts to bring this high-quality programming to you.
With best regards,
| Jim Delany Big Ten Commissioner | Mark Silverman Big Ten Network President |
