University of Minnesota Athletics
Big Ten Network to Launch on Comcast Friday
8/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Comcast, the nation’s largest cable television provider, launches the Big Ten Network Friday. With the launch, Golden Gopher fans with the network will be able to watch up to 70 Minnesota events in both high definition and standard definition plus approximately 400 live Big Ten events overall this year.
The Big Ten Network will be available on Comcast’s expanded basic level of service. The specific channel number in each community will vary by Comcast system and the 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 Thursday, Aug. 21, the network will air two hours of Minnesota football programming. At 5:30 p.m. (CT), the Big Ten Tonight: Minnesota Football Preview will give fans all the information they need to get ready for the 2008 season. At 8 p.m. (CT), the network will replay Big Ten Tonight: Minnesota Football Practice. The show takes fans to camp with the Gophers for interviews with coaches and players, team and individual drills and observations from host Dave Revsine and analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith.
The Big Ten Network will also televise several of the Gophers’ football games this season, including Minnesota’s season opener on August 30th.
Additional programming this fall includes Big Ten Tonight, the only nightly sports show dedicated to covering the Big Ten, airing at 9 p.m. (CT); Big Ten Friday Night Tailgate presented by Nissan, the irreverent, off-beat program that airs Fridays at 7:30 p.m. (CT) and captures the excitement of game week on campus; as well as the Big Ten Network series, “The Big Ten’s Greatest Games".
Minnesota will have a big presence in the series this season with five great Gophers games from the past being featured, including 1981 Ohio State at Minnesota (airing on Sept. 23); 2003 Michigan at Minnesota (airing Oct. 7); 2005 Purdue at Minnesota (airing Oct. 16); 1996 Illinois at Minnesota (airing Oct. 30); and 2003 Wisconsin at Minnesota (airing Nov. 11).
The network is offered in both standard and high definition by Comcast. All football games that the network produces will be available to Comcast to place on “overflow” channels. In addition, many new features will be available on Comcast video-on-demand.
With its launch on Comcast, the network is now available to about 70 percent of households within the eight Big Ten states.
