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President of growing Big Ten Network says key challenge is “making sure people can watch us”

Yahoo Sports
Mark Silverman

"The Big Ten Network has grown significantly over the years," says Mark Silverman, president of National Networks at Fox Sports and president of the Big Ten Network. "We're always looking to add more games, show some interesting stories, and do all we can to represent our schools and our conference in a way that viewers, alumni, fans and students will enjoy. The network has enjoyed growing ratings, numerous awards, and become a key part of football Saturday to Big Ten fans."

Comcast viewers may have trouble finding the Big Ten network soon.

"We're very concerned that we're just weeks away from football season and we're not in any kind of negotiations actively with Comcast. They took our network off the air a few months ago outside the Big Ten region.” Learn more at KeepBigTen.com.

What are the challenges and opportunities facing the Big Ten Network and sports television in general?

"The number one challenge for our network is making sure people can watch you," Silverman says. "And as we go forward I think we need to keep being innovative. We need to keep coming up with new programming, coming up with new digital content, making sure we give fans a new reason to keep tuning into the network to be able to follow their teams. We're evolving, we're constantly trying to redo things and do things differently and better, looking for more talent, and for new stories."

Silverman adds that BTN continues to evolve.

"There are providers carrying BTN that didn't even exist when we launched the network. By being carried on digital providers such as Hulu and Sony PlayStation Vue and YouTube TV, DirecTV now, we're available on all these digital providers that didn't even exist. So the positive is consumers have more options than ever before. They don't have to have cable. They don't have to go to satellite if they don't want cable. They have digital companies, they have a variety of satellite and digital and cable companies, so there are more options. So my job is to make sure that if they want to watch it they can. So by having all these different options, it really enables the consumer to be able to make it as easy for them as possible to be able to watch their favorite team's games.

"We're constantly working to produce top notch content. We want you to be able to see it. Some things are outside our control. As we sit here a few weeks away from the Comcast deal with FS1 and BTN expiring, I'm hoping people will follow this, and the last thing we want is for fans to turn on their TV, ready to watch their game, and then realize that BTN's no longer on. Just go to KeepBigTen.com to follow how this story evolves, and we look forward to bringing you more of your team's games and content.”

MSU Today airs Sunday afternoons at 4:00 on 105.1 FM and AM 870.

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