We continue to regress terribly on basketball coverage from BTN. Only 4, yes FOUR televised non-conf games this year. BTN.com does not count as TV as you watch it on a computer. This only further diminishes Iowa's exposure within our own state. We already have a dwindling fan base, the way to win them back is not by putting games on BTN.com. If I were Barta I would be furious. I'm furious as a fan. It gets worse and worse every single year. Now 8 out of 13 games on BTN.com (UNI tv TBA) Pathetic.
Iowa only has 4 non-conf games slated for TV this year
- Thread starter bud2380
- Start date
I only count three that will definitely be on TV...Clemson,Drake and Creighton.
Is this the equivalent of the NFL home blackout? If so, I hope that they get better attendance by coercing fans to come to the arena as the only way to see Iowa bb.
It is infuriating. I do not give a crap how much it costs the BTN to rent those overflow channels for bb, just do it! Barta needs to get off his butt and start advocating for Iowa bb fans! All the promotional campaigns in the world mean spit if fans cannot watch the product they are marketing. Games on tv are by far the best advertising ever for marketing the progam. This is ridiculous. This is progress? Gee, the way we are ''progressing'' with this fancy new network,in a couple of years Iowa bb will be a distant rumor,only. I cannot believe that Fran is happy with this.
I like the BTN for football...a lot. But for bb,it has been a flaming disaster.
Is this the equivalent of the NFL home blackout? If so, I hope that they get better attendance by coercing fans to come to the arena as the only way to see Iowa bb.
It is infuriating. I do not give a crap how much it costs the BTN to rent those overflow channels for bb, just do it! Barta needs to get off his butt and start advocating for Iowa bb fans! All the promotional campaigns in the world mean spit if fans cannot watch the product they are marketing. Games on tv are by far the best advertising ever for marketing the progam. This is ridiculous. This is progress? Gee, the way we are ''progressing'' with this fancy new network,in a couple of years Iowa bb will be a distant rumor,only. I cannot believe that Fran is happy with this.
I like the BTN for football...a lot. But for bb,it has been a flaming disaster.
hawkIhoops
Well-Known Member
I assume if Mediacom Connections can carry a game or two, KGAN or another local can also. Can anyone confirm this? There must be some "out" for the BTN for non conference games, but to your point, it does not help promote the conference. I hope it is not some Title 9 deal where they have to show women's volleyball instead of men's hoops to balance the scales.
storminspank
Justin VanLaere
Come join the discussion... 
http://www.hawkeyenation.com/forum/basketball/32820-iowa-releases-men-s-basketball-schedule.html
http://www.hawkeyenation.com/forum/basketball/32820-iowa-releases-men-s-basketball-schedule.html
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
If the BTN isn't going to pick up the overflow channels for hoops, then at LEAST provide free streaming. Common.
sportstalent
Well-Known Member
Well, my take on it is this, have a winning team and there will be no issues getting on TV. Yeah, there are other issues there as well, but if you aren't good you don't get on TV. The flip side of that is, I would never see any games if not for BTN living in Michigan, so I can't complain too much. Does it suck, abosutely, again if they win then maybe ESPN picks up some games.
DwayneTwill
Well-Known Member
Sucks balls.
MisterLucky
Well-Known Member
This is not what we were sold when we first learned about the BTN. We were told that the coverage would at least be as good as it was then. Turned out it gave us a network that treats our preconference games as an occasional option. I am paying for the BTN through my cable provider so they should provide the on-line menu for free.
dmShortSaledude
Well-Known Member
We try to meet up a pub, or a buddies, and watch the games once a week. It is a social thing. A great thing for an Iowa winter activity. Other buddies would get into the Hawkeyes because of it. Now that is going away.
BTN.com, Great marketing idea, if you want to Lose fans... NOW if they combined BTN.com with a cable channel, THAT would be worth doing!
BTN.com, Great marketing idea, if you want to Lose fans... NOW if they combined BTN.com with a cable channel, THAT would be worth doing!
Last edited:
TritonHawkeye
Well-Known Member
Agreed. That is s topic of the schedule, this is dedicated to the lack of TV coverage.
Here is the sad fact you will have people defend the BTN for what it is....but what is it? It's great for football but absolutely terrible for basketball. The conference sold its soul to the BTN and payment is do every basketball season!!
DodgerHawki
Well-Known Member
That's part of it...
but not everything. Indiana has sucked rocks worse than Iowa, and they are getting all their home non-conference games televised with the exception of Stetson and North Carolina Central.
I understand the rationale/reasoning of the BTN for not having overflow channels for non-conference basketball games, but at the very least make the games available free online.
but not everything. Indiana has sucked rocks worse than Iowa, and they are getting all their home non-conference games televised with the exception of Stetson and North Carolina Central.
I understand the rationale/reasoning of the BTN for not having overflow channels for non-conference basketball games, but at the very least make the games available free online.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
Re: That's part of it...
I absolutely hate saying this but a bad Indiana team will get better ratings than a decent Iowa team on TV. It is just the way it is.
I absolutely hate saying this but a bad Indiana team will get better ratings than a decent Iowa team on TV. It is just the way it is.
DodgerHawki
Well-Known Member
I agree..
the howling from Indiana would reach epic proportions if only a few of their home non-conference games were shown on TV. Iowa has been banished to the basketball wasteland as far as the BTN is concerned. How many years in a row has it been that only one Iowa conference game will be on either ESPN or ESPN2? A lot. ESPN is contractually obligated to show every conference team at least once on ESPN or ESPN2 during the conference season, and they put Iowa on only as much as they are required to. We have become an afterthought and only winning some games will change that.
the howling from Indiana would reach epic proportions if only a few of their home non-conference games were shown on TV. Iowa has been banished to the basketball wasteland as far as the BTN is concerned. How many years in a row has it been that only one Iowa conference game will be on either ESPN or ESPN2? A lot. ESPN is contractually obligated to show every conference team at least once on ESPN or ESPN2 during the conference season, and they put Iowa on only as much as they are required to. We have become an afterthought and only winning some games will change that.
I would love to know what the out of pocket cost for the BTN would be to retain the overflow channels thru the end of December...is it millions?
The BTN turned a profit of over 100 million last year. The Big Ten cut was 60 million+.
How much of a hit to the bottom line would it be for the BTN to allow student productions(isnt that already what the BTN.com production is?) of Iowa non-conference games to be shown at 3 in the morning when Iowa fans could DVR them?
Do they even try to make Iowa bb available or do they simply want the web fees?
I thought the Big Ten was the conference that treated members equally? Not in BB. IU is treated like Texas in the Big 12 while Iowa is treated like ISU. This should not stand in a conference that prides itself on equal treatment for all. Throw us a fricking bone and put them on at 3 in the morning...academic programming does not turn a profit if that is the sole mission of this network.
The BTN turned a profit of over 100 million last year. The Big Ten cut was 60 million+.
How much of a hit to the bottom line would it be for the BTN to allow student productions(isnt that already what the BTN.com production is?) of Iowa non-conference games to be shown at 3 in the morning when Iowa fans could DVR them?
Do they even try to make Iowa bb available or do they simply want the web fees?
I thought the Big Ten was the conference that treated members equally? Not in BB. IU is treated like Texas in the Big 12 while Iowa is treated like ISU. This should not stand in a conference that prides itself on equal treatment for all. Throw us a fricking bone and put them on at 3 in the morning...academic programming does not turn a profit if that is the sole mission of this network.
sportstalent
Well-Known Member
Re: That's part of it...
That was my thought exactly, Iowa's program has just fallen so far, but you don't see a 1/4 filled Assembly Hall.
Iowa is on the right path and the not being on TV thing is just a blip on the radar as is the no postseason play; this isn't a long term thing.
The one thing that I would like to see is Iowa establish a long term rivalry with some non-conference team that is good and make it appealing enough to be covered by ESPN or CBS. They had a couple at one time, but it didn't work out long term: Kansas and Missouri.
That was my thought exactly, Iowa's program has just fallen so far, but you don't see a 1/4 filled Assembly Hall.
Iowa is on the right path and the not being on TV thing is just a blip on the radar as is the no postseason play; this isn't a long term thing.
The one thing that I would like to see is Iowa establish a long term rivalry with some non-conference team that is good and make it appealing enough to be covered by ESPN or CBS. They had a couple at one time, but it didn't work out long term: Kansas and Missouri.
hawkstats1979
Well-Known Member
Agree that it is garbage that BTN isn't showing more pre-conference games. When BTN was formed and sold to the cable providers in Iowa (as elsewhere), it was touted as a way of having MORE games on "national" TV. Doesn't seem to be the case.
How much are the BTN.com games? Is there some kind of multi-game package, or is it x-dollars for each game?
How much are the BTN.com games? Is there some kind of multi-game package, or is it x-dollars for each game?