Report: Comcast, Big Ten Network close to a deal

  • 06/16/2008 8:48 am in

I know, I know, you heard rumblings that a deal could be close all of last season. Meanwhile, you grew tired of the posturing from both sides and got a dish or switched to RCN because you wanted to see Eric Gordon and D.J. White from the comfort of your living room instead of a bar stool. I don’t blame you.

According to a report late last night by Teddy Greinstein of The Chicago Tribune, a deal between Comcast and the Big Ten Network should be announced this week:

Comcast, which had been losing customers to DirecTV, the Dish Network and RCN Cable, will have video-on-demand features that will allow customers to access their favorite team’s greatest games and replays of condensed, “snap-to-snap” games, according to sources.

The BTN completed the deal without caving on its central demand: that the channel be placed on expanded basic, rather than a sports tier, in the eight-state footprint. Only Philadelphia will be excluded.

So not only will Comcast carry the Big Ten Network, they’re going to have some on-demand features and condensed games for your viewing pleasure. Probably not enough to get you to climb up on your roof and take down the dish, but for those of you still left in the dark due to this fiasco, this is good news. Better late than never, right?

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