Service Electric Broadband Cable, serving 21,000 customers in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and 13,000 customers in Schuylkill County, Pa., announced today that it has reached an agreement to carry the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten Network is a national network dedicated exclusively to Big Ten Conference television programming.
Service Electric Broadband Cable will launch the Big Ten Network on Friday, Sept. 4 on channel 38 for customers in Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties. Big Ten Network HD will be available on channel 538.
The Big Ten Network will carry the first three Penn State football games this season – Akron (Sept. 5), Syracuse (Sept. 12) and Temple (Sept. 19) – as well as at least one conference game this year.
“Penn State fans are among the most passionate in the Big Ten. With the football team playing in the Rose Bowl last season and current Top 10 ranking, along with the men’s basketball team’s run to the 2009 NIT title, interest will be greater than ever,” Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said. “When Service Electric Broadband Cable subscribers tune in to the network, they’ll find unparalleled coverage of Penn State and other Big Ten sports, an increasing amount of original programming about football and basketball and shows featuring entertaining stories about what’s happening at their favorite universities. We’re very pleased to welcome Service Electric Broadband Cable to our list of affiliates.”
Service Electric Broadband Cable will launch the Big Ten Network on Sept. 4 on channel 38 for customers in both Schuylkill and Luzerne counties. Big Ten Network HD will be available on channel 538.
"We are thrilled that more Penn Staters in Pennsylvania will have access to the Big Ten Network as the new school year gets under way,” stated Tim Curley, Penn State Director of Athletics, noting that there are nearly 8,000 Penn State alumni in Wilkes-Barre and Luzerne County and 5,000 in Schuylkill County.
The Big Ten Network is the first nationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With approximately 350 live events, and nearly all of them in high definition, the 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.
The network operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports and televising 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. Each year, the network offers between 35 and 40 football games, 105 regular season men’s basketball games; 55 women’s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; Big Ten Tonight, a nightly studio show; coaches’ shows; and classic games.