Zampelli Electronics in Lewistown, Pa., and Zito Media in Coudersport, Pa. both announced this week in conjunction with the Big Ten Network that they will offer the network to their customers before the start of the college football season.
Zampelli Electronics will carry the network on its standard service. Zito Media will offer BTN on its expanded basic package. Specific channel numbers for both carriers will be announced at a later date.
General Manager Joan Zampelli and Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman made the announcement of the addition to the Zampelli Electronics lineup, which provides cable service in central Pennsylvania.
"Zampelli Electronics is excited to partner with BTN in providing our customers with outstanding college sports programming, especially Nittany Lions athletics," Zampelli said. "Penn State is important to the fabric of our community here in central Pennsylvania and we're happy to begin carrying the network to our customers."
Silverman said, "We're thrilled that Zampelli Electronics is joining the long list of affiliates that offer BTN to their customers. When fans tune in, they'll find unparalleled coverage of Big Ten sports, including hundreds of events and a wide array of compelling studio and original programming."
James Rigas, Zito Media President, and Silverman announced the addition of BTN to the Zito Media lineup.
Silverman said, "We're very pleased to add Zito Media to our list of affiliates. Zito Media subscribers will now have access to the ultimate destination for Big Ten and Penn State sports, plus our extensive schedule of studio programming and original programming, bringing Penn State fans closer to their favorite university than ever before."
"Zito Media is happy to be carrying BTN," Rigas said.
Zito Media provides basic cable, digital cable, high-speed Internet and phone service.
Two Penn State football games are already slated to air on BTN this season and additional games may be selected. The Nittany Lions' Sept. 3 season opener vs. Indiana State (noon) and the Oct. 22 primetime clash at Northwestern (7 p.m.) are among the more than 40 football games BTN will air this season.
About BTN: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, BTN is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 800 events, all in HD, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. Events include football, men's and women's basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; studio shows; coaches' shows; and classic games. The network televises and streams more Olympic sporting events and women's sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation's finest universities. The groundbreaking Student U initiative provides real-world experience for students interested in careers in sports television. The network is available to more than 80 million homes across the United States and Canada, and currently has agreements with more than 300 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Atlantic Broadband, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Rogers Cable (Canada), Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct (Canada), Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information on BTN, go to BTN.com.