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Big Ten Network Pulls Plug on Negotiations with Time Warner

Time Warner claims their talks are ongoing; OSU game to be unseen by many

By Doug Lesmerises -- Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/31/2007

Columbus- To the argument that the Big Ten Network is a niche channel featuring second-tier football games and minor sports, the Big Ten presents Exhibit A: the No. 1 team in the country.

Top-ranked Ohio State hosts Wisconsin at noon Saturday in a game unavailable to about two-thirds of the homes in Ohio. Time Warner Cable, with about 1 million customers in its Northeast Ohio branch, remains locked in a struggle with the Big Ten Network. Comcast and Charter, the other two largest cable providers in the Midwest, also do not have deals with the Big Ten Network.

Actually, the Big Ten Network claims negotiations are off, while a Time Warner spokesperson said talks are always ongoing. The Big Ten Network is available in Northeast Ohio on DirecTV, Dish Network and AT&T U-verse.

Either way, nothing is happening before Saturday, which leaves millions of Buckeyes fans out of luck, forced to sports bars or the home of friends. It's just one game, but it also presents the Big Ten Network with an opportunity in a public battle shaped by spin on both sides.

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