Comcast/South Florida Launches Big Ten Network

MIRAMAR, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast/South Florida announced today that it is launching the Big Ten Network as part of its Sports and Entertainment Package. The Big Ten Network is a national network dedicated exclusively to Big Ten Conference television programming.

“We know South Florida is one of the top Big Ten markets in the country. We have a large concentration of graduates from Big Ten schools that now call this area home,” said Comcast’s Regional Senior Vice President for South Florida, Filemon Lopez.

In making the announcement, Lopez said the cable system believes the network, dedicated to showcasing the nation’s premier athletic and academic conference, will be an instant hit with all Big Ten fans in the area. “We’re really very pleased that our customers are able to have access to the Big Ten Network,” Lopez continued.

The Big Ten Network can be accessed as part of Comcast’s Sports and Entertainment Package on channel 742 in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties. The Big Ten Network will also be available On Demand after the Conference’s football season begins on August 28^th.

Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said in agreeing to carry the network, South Florida is in tune with its customers – the passionate Big Ten fans who live in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties. “Comcast South Florida believes that the network is compelling and attractive to its subscribers, who will enjoy unparalleled coverage of Big Ten sports, as well as campus programming featuring entertaining stories about what’s happening at their favorite universities,” he said.

The Big Ten Network produced more than 400 live events during its first year. The network launched August 30, 2007, and quickly became the premier destination for Big Ten fans across the country. The Big Ten Network was the first network in television history to ever surpass viewing in 30 million homes in its first 30 days on the air.

Operating 24-hours a day, 365-days a year, the Big Ten Network showcases a wide array of classic-to-current sports, in addition to original programming produced by the network and by the conference’s 11 member institutions. Each year, the network produces approximately 40 football games, 140 regular season men’s basketball games, 55 women’s basketball games, dozens of Big Ten Championships, 170 NCAA Championship sporting events, coaches’ shows, classic games, and original programming, such as the critically-acclaimed reality series, The Journey. Additionally, the nightly studio show, Big Ten Tonight, produces and airs more highlights, interviews and analyses than any other network, with more than 600 hours of campus programming including showcases, activities, and accomplishments of some of the nation’s finest universities.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. With 24.6 million cable customers, 14.4 million high-speed Internet customers, and 5.6 Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten Comcast SportsNets networks, and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team, and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

Comcast's South Florida Region, which employs more than 2,200 people, encompasses Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Its regional offices are located in Miramar, FL.

About the Big Ten Network

The Big Ten Network is dedicated to covering the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions. The Big Ten Network provides unprecedented access to an extensive schedule of conference sports events and shows; original programs in academics, the arts, and sciences; campus activities; and associated personalities. Sports programming includes live coverage of more major men’s and women’s events than ever before, along with news, highlights, and analysis, all complemented by hours of university-produced campus programming. The network is available to all cable and satellite carriers and television distributors nationwide, with nearly all programs offered in stunning high-definition television (HDTV). The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks. For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit www.BigTenNetwork.com.

Comcast/South Florida Region
Spero Canton, 954-534-7419 (office)
954-931-2906 (wireless)
spero_canton@cable.comcast.com
or
Big Ten Network
Elizabeth Conlisk, 312-665-0726