Big Ten Football: Comcast Xfinity eliminating Big Ten Network

Big Ten Football fans could be in trouble. Comcast will be removing the Big Ten Network from their channel lineups in certain regions.

In a surprising move for Comcast, the cable giant is removing the Big Ten Network from their cable packages for subscribers outside of the Big Ten footprint. When first released, the announcement was poorly delivered, leading many to believe Comcast was dropping the network altogether. It was later clarified only the out of market states would be losing the channel. Per Big Ten Network’s Twitter account, the decision appears to be solely Comcast’s.

BTN will still be available on cable packages in states where Big Ten schools reside. This includes Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Comcast is not available in Nebraska or Iowa. The company has stated the transition has already begun and they expect it to be completed by May.

This is an unfortunate move for any Big Ten alum living outside of the Big Ten states. What seems strange is when Rutgers joined the conference in 2014, it was thought at the time bringing in the New York metro market would be a big boon for the conference. While New Jersey will still be a part of it, New York state will no longer have access and there is a fairly sizable Big Ten alum base in the state.  Also the entire South will lose access to the channel, with major markets such as Atlanta and Miami.

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This move could backfire on Comcast. With cord cutting increasing in popularity all across the country, many Big Ten fans will choose to drop Comcast and move to one of their competitors, whether it is Verizon, Direct TV or any of the other streaming platforms now. It will also be interesting to see what happens to the conference’s television revenue with less subscribers.