The Progress of the Big Ten Network

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)
• Mens Basketball 60-65 in-conference games (each
  team approximately 15-20 appearances per year)
• Womens 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 Tens Greatest Games
• Big Ten Legends

12
Big Ten Brand Exposure Football 2008

• total games televised national 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 games televised national 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