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The Progress of the Big Ten Network

The Progress of the Big Ten Network. John A. Fortunato, Ph. D. Fordham University College Sport Research Institute Conference University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill April 18, 2009. Big Ten Network Facts.

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The Progress of the Big Ten Network

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  1. The Progress of the Big Ten Network John A. Fortunato, Ph. D. Fordham University College Sport Research Institute Conference University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill April 18, 2009

  2. Big Ten Network Facts • 20-year joint venture Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks (Big Ten 51% ownership) • Launch Date: August 30, 2007 • First network to reach 30 million subscribers within first 30 days on air • Programming 24 hr/day, 365 days/year • Created to provide the conference with more national exposure

  3. Why Start the Network? • Economic Business Model: • Advertisers and Cable Subscription Fees • ESPN • $4 per month per subscriber • Outreach 98 million homes • Approximate subscriber revenue $4.7 billion

  4. Why Start the Network? • Brand Exposure/Outreach • Public Relations • Nature of the Sports Fan

  5. Criteria for Success • Brand Exposure/Outreach: Agreements with cable companies • Viewership: Ratings • Public Relations/Brand Building

  6. The Sports Brand • Sports teams/leagues thought of as brands • Brand Quality/Image • Brand Awareness • Brand Equity

  7. The Sports Audience • Loyal • Satisfaction of emotional needs • Fan Identification • Consistent in Behavior • Interest in favorites teams’ games • Interest in games when rival teams are playing

  8. Public Relations Literature • Advocates for the organization • Most Positive Light • Control Image • Eliminate Media Gatekeeper

  9. Big Ten Network Outreach • Distribution agreements with more than 250 cable operators (Comcast $.70/month) • Inside the 8 Big Ten states: expanded basic level (Philadelphia: digital service level) • Outside the Big Ten states: cable operators can make it available on any level • Video-on-Demand • Online Streaming

  10. Big Ten Exposure: Programming • Approximately 400 live events annually • Football: 35-40 games (each team guaranteed 2 appearances per year) • Men’s Basketball: 60-65 in-conference games (each team approximately 15-20 appearances per year) • Women’s Basketball: 50-60 games, plus as many as 9 Big Ten Tournament games (each team approximately 8-10 appearances per year)

  11. Programming • NCAA Sponsored “Olympic Sports” • 17 Big Ten Championships/Tournaments • Original Programming • Big Ten Tonight • Friday Night Tailgate • The Journey (Illinois Football; Minnesota basketball) • Big Ten Football Saturday • Big Ten’s Greatest Games • Big Ten Legends

  12. Big Ten Brand Exposure: Football 2008 total gamestelevisednational TV Big Ten 88 87 86 Big 12 96 76 67 ACC 96 80 64 Big East 69 66 44 Pac-10 76 66 47 SEC 97 62 46

  13. Big Ten Brand Exposure: Basketball 2008-2009 total gamestelevisednational TV Big Ten 262 214 208 Big 12 263 214 104 ACC 259 185 105 Big East 343 243 120 Pac-10 226 138 67 SEC 287 173 76

  14. Big 10 Network Ratings • Increase for football 113% from 0.8 in 2007 to 1.7 in 2008 • Doubled household impressions in some markets • Columbus, Ohio: avg. 10.3 HH in 2007 to 24.4 HH in 2008 • Detroit, Michigan: avg. 2.4 HH in 2007 to 6.2 HH in 2008

  15. The Sports Fan: Would it work for other Conferences Big 10 v. SEC

  16. Big 10 v. SEC Enrollment • Big 10 Universities (11): 444,000 • 8 of top 15 university enrollments • Ohio State University – 1 • University of Minnesota - 4 • Michigan State University – 8 • Penn State University – 10 • University of Wisconsin – 12 • University of Illinois – 13 • University of Michigan – 14 • Purdue University - 15

  17. Big 10 v. SEC Enrollment • SEC Universities (12): 320,000 • 1 university in the top 15 • University of Florida - 3

  18. Big 10 v. SEC Television Market Size • Big 10: 7 of top 25 TV Markets • Chicago - 3 • Philadelphia - 4 • Detroit - 11 • Minneapolis/St. Paul - 15 • Cleveland/Akron - 17 • Pittsburgh - 23 • Indianapolis - 25

  19. Big 10 v. SEC Television Market Size • SEC: 2 of top 25 TV markets • Atlanta – 8 • Orlando/Daytona Beach - 19

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