Can I watch The Big 10 Network online?

August 29, 2007 3:17 PM

The Big 10 Network is only carried by Direct TV, not Dish Network or any local cable provider. Therefore, I can't watch the University of Michigan game this weekend from home. Is there anyplace online that streams television stations and has this network and hasn't been shut down yet?
posted by Mark to computers & internet (10 answers total)

I'm putting the odds of this being possible at 600/1.
posted by Mark at 3:17 PM on August 29, 2007

I guess no. Big ten is keeping their content as secure as possible. I would suggest calling around to local bars to find one with a Direct TV subscription.

Good Luck
posted by crewshell at 4:00 PM on August 29, 2007

Well, the best of the not-entirely-legal P2P TV applications, as far as live sports coverage goes, is probably TVUPlayer. (Though usually I avoid downloading closed-source applications from China, this one seemed to be mostly well-behaved, the last time I used it.)

You won't know whether the game is available until shortly before it starts, so if you've got to see it from start to end, I'd stick with crewshell's plan and find a bar that'll be showing the game.
posted by toxic at 4:22 PM on August 29, 2007

As a Michigan fan who doesn't even have cable, may I just say I share your pain? Stupid Big 10 Network...
posted by indiebass at 5:10 PM on August 29, 2007

heck, I live a mile from the Big House and I can't watch it either. Comcast wants it to be a pay channel... you would not believe the commercials they're running blaming the Big Ten Network for refusing to let them make BTN a separate subscription.

"The Big Ten thinks that you should pay for the BTN... even if you'll never watch it. And we, the caring, compassionate souls here at Comcast aren't going to let them do that to you."

Where was this idea when they added the hallmark channel?
posted by ulotrichous at 6:46 PM on August 29, 2007

Where was this idea when they added the hallmark channel?

Because the Big Ten network wants $1.10 per subscriber from the cable companies (in Big Ten states). Hallmark apparently gets pennies per subscriber... but wants more incidentally.
posted by ALongDecember at 8:25 PM on August 29, 2007

I second he TVU player.

Also, you may be able to find something listed here the day before the game; you'll need to install SopCast.
posted by gummi at 8:32 PM on August 29, 2007

Actually, after viewing that site again, it appears the software you'll need might depend on the stream.
posted by gummi at 8:34 PM on August 29, 2007

I really should have gotten all of this together in one comment, apologies.

I just found this in one of the site forums.

That schedule should help you.
posted by gummi at 8:55 PM on August 29, 2007

Brian at MGoBlog has been covering the whole BTN debacle pretty thoroughly from the beginning. This post covers some ideas for where to get this weekend's game if you don't have the BTN. Check the comments for further suggestions.

... And that's about it. The BTN sucks. No arguments here. The only people I know of that have it are the kids dorming at my local Big Ten school.

Oh, and Go Blue!
posted by bijou at 10:43 PM on August 29, 2007