Broadcast rights for 70% of the conference's football inventory were already held by BTN, Fox or FS1GETTY IMAGES
Big Ten Network President Francois McGillicuddy said that one "significant change this year is that all BTN content will be on the new Fox Sports app," meaning that streaming service BTN2Go "will no longer exist," according to Angelique Chengelis of the DETROIT NEWS. McGillicuddy said that the shift will be "complete by mid-August." McGillicuddy: "Between BTN, Fox and FS1, we're talking about the broadcast rights for over 70 percent of Big Ten football inventory. So with so many games now in our family of networks, it no longer made sense to drive fans to separate locations." Meanwhile, Chengelis notes BTN Tailgate, the Saturday morning football show, will be "live and on-site each week during the upcoming season." It is the "first time the Tailgate show will be featured each week" (DETROIT NEWS, 7/19).
RETURNING TO ITS ROOTS: McGillicuddy said that the BTN pregame show will be in Piscataway for Rutgers' Aug. 30 opener against UMass in an "effort to celebrate college football's 150th anniversary and Rutgers' place in the history of the sport." McGillicuddy added that BTN officials are still "ironing out the details on how the live pregame show will work." In Newark, Keith Sargeant notes in '14, a set was "built outside the North entrance" of HighPoint.com Stadium. It would "make sense for Rutgers officials to encourage a similar set up" this year (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 7/19).
LONG ROAD BACK: In Pennsylvania, Josh Moyer reports BTN analyst Matt Millen is "heading back to the broadcast booth this fall" after "undergoing a heart transplant in December." McGillicuddy said Millen will be "ready to join his partner Kevin Kugler in the booth for Week 1." Penn State football will open the season against Idaho on Aug. 31, and BTN "will air the matchup" (CENTRE DAILY TIMES, 7/19). Also in Pennsylvania, Mark Wogenrich notes Millen returned to BTN in April, after a "seven-month hiatus, for the network's coverage of Penn State's Blue-White spring scrimmage" (Allentown MORNING CALL, 7/19).
GETTING THE TREATMENT: McGillicuddy said that BTN plans to "dig into" Michigan and Michigan State's football and men's basketball programs "with a documentary entitled 'Divided We Stand.'" There is "no planned air date as of yet." But McGillicuddy said that the documentary "will air" on both BTN and FS1 (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/19).
