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It appears there are at Least 4 Channels available at same time on BTN TV

Franisdaman

HR King
Nov 3, 2012
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Heaven, Iowa
Check this out. If the BTN can broadcast up to 4 football games at the same time on 4 BTN channels, why can't they do the same thing for basketball? Instead, we get games shoved to BTN Plus, which is an extra subscription ($10/month), of course.

Tomorrow's football schedule:

11:00 am CT, on BTN


AK State at tOSU
Western Illinois at Minnesota

3:00 pm CT on BTN

Akron at MSU
ISU at Iowa
Indiana State at Purdue
Wagner at Rutgers

7:00 pm CT on BTN

Hawaii at Michigan
Idaho at Indiana



 
What is the viewership for football v basketball? My first guess would be, football draws far more viewers for a single game than basketball does. If that's the case, that would be a pretty big reason why they handle the sports differently.
 
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I think you nailed it, MONEY
This!! BTN offered explanation years ago but I can’t remember the specifics of their rely. It all comes down to revenue needs to exceed expenses and BB apparently doesn’t do that
 
Iowa will play on the regular Bigten channel, not on one of the overflow channels.
 
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What is the viewership for football v basketball? My first guess would be, football draws far more viewers for a single game than basketball does. If that's the case, that would be a pretty big reason why they handle the sports differently.
If I remember correctly it had more to do with other commitments to NHL and NBA that these "overflow" channels are use for other subscribers during the winter.
 
There are on YouTube TV.
Iowa will play on the regular Bigten channel, not on one of the overflow channels.

He’s asking why we can’t have the overflow channels for basketball like they do for football.

BTN doesn’t use the overflow channels in basketball and never have. You have to purchase BTN+ to watch the basketball games that are not aired on BTN (or other channels). OP rightfully wants to know why.
 
I did remember it correctly...



He’s asking why we can’t have the overflow channels for basketball like they do for football.

BTN doesn’t use the overflow channels in basketball and never have. You have to purchase BTN+ to watch the basketball games that are not aired on BTN (or other channels). OP rightfully wants to know why.


Yeah, it's confusing to me, even reading that article.

BTN is using 4 channels at 3 pm CT tomorrow.

How many channels does BTN have available to use for winter sports? 4, and they only use 1? Or just 1, and all other games at the same time get put on BTN Plus?
 
Yeah, it's confusing to me, even reading that article.

BTN is using 4 channels at 3 pm CT tomorrow.

How many channels does BTN have available to use for winter sports? 4, and they only use 1? Or just 1, and all other games at the same time get put on BTN Plus?
Has nothing to do with BTN. If football was in winter they wouldn't have access to use them then either
NBA and NHL use these control facilities
 
Yeah, it's confusing to me, even reading that article.

BTN is using 4 channels at 3 pm CT tomorrow.

How many channels does BTN have available to use for winter sports? 4, and they only use 1? Or just 1, and all other games at the same time get put on BTN Plus?

I skimmed the article but I think it’s talking about two different things. The article seemed to touch more on games running over / OT / etc and not airing the second game. We’re talking about airing a full basketball game on the overflow channels.

IIRC, I remember the Big Ten saying they didn’t have enough broadcast trucks for basketball when it overlapped with football season (Nov and early Dec). I believe I had also heard that there are only so many channels and B1G doesn’t actually own the overflow channels outside of football season, even though they’ll still show up on your guide as Big Ten overflow. Like @2432Hawk was saying.

I have no idea why it is, but it’s very frustrating. I’m not a TV technical expert. I find it strange that they can stream the basketball games, sometimes using student commentators, but can’t find a way to get the product on TV. It’s also kind of a slap in the face to the customers that they’re making a $#%+ ton of money every year, but feel the need to charge their fan bases even more to watch some out of conference games. Hopefully with all of this extra money coming in they’ll figure something out in regards to airing more non conference Bball games. IMO, it’s only hurting their product and pushing the common fan away. I doubt many people who aren’t die hard fans are going to be paying $10 a month for BTN+. I also believe we’re seeing the similar thing happen with the MLB and their blackouts.
 
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I skimmed the article but I think it’s talking about two different things. The article seemed to touch more on games running over / OT / etc and not airing the second game. We’re talking about airing a full basketball game on the overflow channels.

IIRC, I remember the Big Ten saying they didn’t have enough broadcast trucks for basketball when it overlapped with football season (Nov and early Dec). I believe I had also heard that there are only so many channels and B1G doesn’t actually own the overflow channels outside of football season, even though they’ll still show up on your guide as Big Ten overflow. Like @2432Hawk was saying.

I have no idea why it is, but it’s very frustrating. I’m not a TV technical expert. I find it strange that they can stream the basketball games, sometimes using student commentators, but can’t find a way to get the product on TV. It’s also kind of a slap in the face to the customers that they’re making a $#%+ ton of money every year, but feel the need to charge their fan bases even more to watch some out of conference games. Hopefully with all of this extra money coming in they’ll figure something out in regards to airing more non conference Bball games. IMO, it’s only hurting their product and pushing the common fan away. I doubt many people who aren’t die hard fans are going to be paying $10 a month for BTN+. I also believe we’re seeing the similar thing happen with the MLB and their blackouts.

Agreed, the referenced article is about why games aren't shown elsewhere when the previous televised game fails to finish in allotted time slot. Not exactly the issue at hand---why are some non-conference Iowa men's basketball games and other B1G men's basketball games not shown when there are plenty of BTN allotted overflow channels available.

The answer is likely to be economics or to promote some other perceived social goal like increasing viewership of women's sports and promote non-profitable sports. BTN would be in big trouble with core fans if they didn't stream alll football games---so they do. Men's basketball preseason vs cupcakes doesn't have as much viewership. With men's b-ball as a carrot, BTN hardcore fans are forced to sign up for the BTNgo streaming service at a extra charge to see men's basketball games they used to be able to see fo free before BTN came along. As a side benefit, maybe those same BTNgo subscribers stream some of the less popular sports, like women's sports--so the social good aspect.

The issue about BTN streaming of men's basketball taking away viewership from other sports channels is somewhat valid. However the BTN holds all the cards in negotiating, so they can set whatever terms they want and not be subject to constraints. They choose not to provide overflow channels because they have BTN subscribers by the balls and can do whatever maximizes total revenue.
 
He’s asking why we can’t have the overflow channels for basketball like they do for football.

BTN doesn’t use the overflow channels in basketball and never have. You have to purchase BTN+ to watch the basketball games that are not aired on BTN (or other channels). OP rightfully wants to know why.
YouTube TV just adds them, so it's not the reason. The B1G and its contracts are what decides whether something will be on overflow vs another network. In the case of basketball, I assume its money (advertising) that drives whether they give the game away or make it ppv.
 
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I skimmed the article but I think it’s talking about two different things. The article seemed to touch more on games running over / OT / etc and not airing the second game. We’re talking about airing a full basketball game on the overflow channels.

IIRC, I remember the Big Ten saying they didn’t have enough broadcast trucks for basketball when it overlapped with football season (Nov and early Dec). I believe I had also heard that there are only so many channels and B1G doesn’t actually own the overflow channels outside of football season, even though they’ll still show up on your guide as Big Ten overflow. Like @2432Hawk was saying.

I have no idea why it is, but it’s very frustrating. I’m not a TV technical expert. I find it strange that they can stream the basketball games, sometimes using student commentators, but can’t find a way to get the product on TV. It’s also kind of a slap in the face to the customers that they’re making a $#%+ ton of money every year, but feel the need to charge their fan bases even more to watch some out of conference games. Hopefully with all of this extra money coming in they’ll figure something out in regards to airing more non conference Bball games. IMO, it’s only hurting their product and pushing the common fan away. I doubt many people who aren’t die hard fans are going to be paying $10 a month for BTN+. I also believe we’re seeing the similar thing happen with the MLB and their blackouts.

what game was it last season where Iowa was supposed to be on BTN Plus but it got moved to regular BTN TV? I forget the circumstances but I think the game involving Michigan got postponed, allowing the Iowa game to be moved from BTN Plus to regular BTN TV.

so, you can still have the crappy student production on a regular BTN channel, IF those channels are available. I am inferring here, but it appears those extra channels are not available in the winter because they are used for all of the basketball and hockey games that are being broadcast
 
I though the article was pretty clear that there is not enough control rooms

"During football season, we have access to an extra control room that's in a facility in Houston that enables us to show another game on that feed," the president of the Big Ten Network Mark Silverman told SB Nation. "That doesn't exist during basketball and hockey season because there's all these other networks showing basketball and hockey. We don't have that available to us. So we can't show a second game while another game's going on once football season ends."

Now why exactly that matters I would leave to a tech expert.
 
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what game was it last season where Iowa was supposed to be on BTN Plus but it got moved to regular BTN TV? I forget the circumstances but I think the game involving Michigan got postponed, allowing the Iowa game to be moved from BTN Plus to regular BTN TV.

so, you can still have the crappy student production on a regular BTN channel, IF those channels are available. I am inferring here, but it appears those extra channels are not available in the winter because they are used for all of the basketball and hockey games that are being broadcast

I believe that’s the case too. I remember that happening too (the game being added), but I can’t recall exactly which game. I think you’re right it was Michigan and their game was canceled/postponed due to Covid and Iowa got added.


YouTube TV just adds them, so it's not the reason. The B1G and its contracts are what decides whether something will be on overflow vs another network. In the case of basketball, I assume its money (advertising) that drives whether they give the game away or make it ppv.

I don’t believe it’s exclusive to YouTubeTV. DishNetwork, Direct, Mediacom, and likely Hulu all just add them (when needed). If you look at the guides for DishNetwork and Mediacom you’ll see BTN overflow channels all year long. If they’re going to be shown/aired on an overflow channel it would be aired on most services YTTV, Mediacom, Dish, Direct, etc. It wouldn’t be just on YTTV. You could be right that money is driving whether basketball on BTN or BTN+, but I’m guessing It goes beyond that like not having access to those overflow channels at certain times of the year. If you’re correct and it’s just about money, that’s pretty crappy of the Big Ten but I guess that’s why the schools are raking in the cash.
 
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I believe that’s the case too. I remember that happening too (the game being added), but I can’t recall exactly which game. I think you’re right it was Michigan and their game was canceled/postponed due to Covid and Iowa got added.




I don’t believe it’s exclusive to YouTubeTV. DishNetwork, Direct, Mediacom, and likely Hulu all just add them (when needed). If you look at the guides for DishNetwork and Mediacom you’ll see BTN overflow channels all year long. If they’re going to be shown/aired on an overflow channel it would be most services YTTV, Mediacom, Dish, Direct, etc. You could be right that money is driving whether basketball on BTN or BTN+, but I’m guessing It goes beyond that like not having access to those overflow channels at certain times of the year. If you’re correct and it’s just about money, that’s pretty crappy of the Big Ten but I guess that’s why the schools are raking in the cash.
What I like about YouTube TV is that they don't have numbered channels like cable TV providers, they just name them what they are. So if they add new streams, they or you can put them anywhere and can reorder them as you see fit. It just makes more sense.
 
What I like about YouTube TV is that they don't have numbered channels like cable TV providers, they just name them what they are. So if they add new streams, they or you can put them anywhere and can reorder them as you see fit. It just makes more sense.

It does give the viewer more control. You can group your channels together from like news, sports, superstations, cartoons too. You can rearrange them however you like.

What I really like about YTTV is they know what you watch or have been watching. If there’s a football game on, it will be the first thing suggested to watch on the “live” guide. It’s pretty cool that it sort of knows or tracks what you like to watch.
 
what game was it last season where Iowa was supposed to be on BTN Plus but it got moved to regular BTN TV? I forget the circumstances but I think the game involving Michigan got postponed, allowing the Iowa game to be moved from BTN Plus to regular BTN TV.

so, you can still have the crappy student production on a regular BTN channel, IF those channels are available. I am inferring here, but it appears those extra channels are not available in the winter because they are used for all of the basketball and hockey games that are being broadcast
Finally somebody gets it
 
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I understand times change and we must change with them, but I miss the old days where every Iowa bball game - save for maybe the exhib. game - was ALWAYS on regular/satellite TV, even if only in SD and broadcast quality was subpar.

eh-meh.gif
 
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I understand times change and we must change with them, but I miss the old days where every Iowa bball game - save for maybe the exhib. game - was ALWAYS on regular/satellite TV, even if only in SD and broadcast quality was subpar.

eh-meh.gif
I do not miss the older days when NONE of the Iowa basketball were on TV!
 
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That has to go back to the late 70's. I have games on videotape with Ronnie Lester as a Junior and when Kevin Boyle was a freshman.
Indeed. I only got to the watch Miller's 6 pack play a couple of times.
 
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Because they get $10 out of me and other suckers like me on a yearly basis. Then, a lot of people forget they subscribed and end up paying an extra $10 the following month, shake their fist in the air and yell, "**** YOU BTN+ I'M NOT DOING THIS AGAIN"

And then they do it again next year.

I may or may not be speaking from experience.
 
I understand times change and we must change with them, but I miss the old days where every Iowa bball game - save for maybe the exhib. game - was ALWAYS on regular/satellite TV, even if only in SD and broadcast quality was subpar.

eh-meh.gif

These days almost every Iowa game is on TV for everyone living anywhere BTN is available. Which is a huge improvement from when I was growing up and could see them if they were on national TV. Which was maybe once per year. Otherwise it was listening on the radio wherever my dad was stationed.
 
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