Aug. 14, 2008
CHICAGO – Comcast, the nation’s largest cable television provider, launches the Big Ten Network on Friday. Hawkeye fans with the network will be able to watch up to 70 Iowa events in high definition and approximately 400 live Big Ten events overall this year.
Channel numbers will vary by Comcast system and level of service customers receive. Beginning Friday, Comcast subscribers within the Big Ten’s eight-state footprint can find their Big Ten Network channel number by using the ChannelFinder tool at www.BigTenNetwork.com. On the website, viewers can enter their zip code and select their provider and level of service to determine their local channel assignment. Subscribers outside of the eight-state footprint should contact their local Comcast office.
On Tuesday, Aug. 19, the network will air two hours of Iowa football programming. At 6:30 PM ET, the Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Football Preview will give fans all the information they need to get ready for the 2008 season. At 9 PM ET, the network will replay Big Ten Tonight: Iowa Football Practice. The show takes fans to camp for interviews with coaches and players, team and individual drills and observations from host Dave Revsine and analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith. Big Ten Tonight is taking viewers to a preseason football practice at each Big Ten school this month.
Additional programming this fall includes Big Ten Tonight, the only nightly sports show dedicated to covering the Big Ten, airing at 10 PM ET; Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate presented by Nissan, the irreverent, off-beat program that airs Fridays at 8:30 PM ET and captures the excitement of game week on campus; and Illinois Football: The Journey, the network’s all-access show that takes Big Ten fans deep within the Illini football program under head coach Ron Zook, airing Tuesdays at 9:30 PM ET.
The network is offered in both standard and high definition. All football games that the network produces will be available to Comcast to place on “overflow” channels. Comcast will determine how it will offer those games. In addition, many new features will be available on Comcast video-on-demand.
The network is now available to about 70 percent of households within the eight Big Ten states.