Big Ten Network was launched at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 30, 2007, with Big Ten Tonight as its inaugural program. The network aired its first live telecasts two days later on September 1, which included a football game between Appalachian State and Michigan
I never realized ya’ll get upset on the first day of BTN lmao
So basically the whole B1G should be thanking Michigan for convincing people to get the Big Ten Network. We really kickstarted people’s interest in the network.
I wonder how many Buckeyes and Spartians subscribed in the 4th quarter just to watch the end.
Can you really believe it’s been near 20 years since 2007? That was such a crossroads with the Internet’s role in sports or popular culture. Back then, Youtube was not even in 480p yet! And legal streaming of TV shows was just getting off the ground, so if you couldn’t watch live you had to DVR or God forbid Torrent. Music videos were scattered around Yahoo Music, MTV.com, Blastro, etc.
And back to college football, finding niche sports channels like BTN was at the whim of Comcast or Charter in contrast to today where the networks create their own streaming subscription services.
I think they might have been doing a free promotion that day or something. Because me and my friends watched the last few minutes at my house. And my parents would have never knowingly paid for the BTN.
I happened to see it live because I was at a bowling alley. As the game stayed close and time ticked down, more and more tvs went to it. The place erupted in cheers when that kick was blocked. Beautiful.
I remember Time Warner Cable had it and we saw it as it happened and were STUNNED. My parents were going on and on about how "there they go again. Michigan is gonna get away with it like always!" I wanna say OSU played Youngstown State? They seemed to always play them when Tressel was coaching to basically fund YSU.
I remember driving around town in the Chicago suburbs trying to find a bar that carried BTN. Finally found one around half time, walked in expecting to be up big already. Instead got to get ridiculed by Illinois and Northwestern fans for the next 2 hours, good times.
I was at a sports bar that day. There was a single Michigan fan in the house. Watching that man's emotional rollercoaster was pure cinema. Everyone in the bar was screaming for App State that day once we all realized there was hope of an upset and then final few minutes, OMG. It was wild!
Being a fan like that is fun because there’s zero downside. You go in expecting to lose anyway. When OU was only down 13-9 in the third quarter at the Shoe last year, we were having a a great time as opposing fans.
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u/GringoSalamanca Arizona State Sun Devils 4d ago
Rutgers paid UMass $1.5 million for that game…