With several Ohio State games on Peacock, Big Ten's Tony Petitti says prepare for change
MINNEAPOLIS – There’s no doubt that the ongoing migration of live college sports to streaming-only viewing is a challenge for some.
At Big Ten basketball media days inside the Target Center, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti acknowledged as such. But as basketball fans prepare for their favorite teams to play multiple games on Peacock, the new commissioner was quick to point out the obvious: change is coming, and this isn’t the first time its arrival has impacted watching sports.
“I think there’s been a long history in the media space of change,” he said Monday. “Not to go in the wayback machine, (but think) radio to TV. This is part of that evolution. This is what is happening overall for all entertainment, so live sports wants to be where people are going to be. It has to start somewhere.”
Having games only available via streaming is not a new experience for basketball fans. Ohio State played two games last season that were carried only by BTN+, the Big Ten Network’s subscription streaming service, one of which was an exhibition. When the Big Ten unveiled its 2022-23 league schedule it noted that all 140 games would be broadcast nationally.
This year, the league’s new media partnerships mean the Ohio State men’s basketball program will play games on seven different channels or platforms with the possibility of adding an eighth depending on how it fares in the Emerald Coast Classic. Five games will be streamed exclusively on Peacock, three others will be on BTN+ and one could be on FloSports.tv.
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It means fans will have to be nimble with their remote controls and willing to either subscribe to streaming options, listen to the radio or buy a ticket.
“There’s always going to be some disruption in terms of how people find it, but it’s happened before and live sports, fortunately for everybody in college athletes, is something that drives engagement,” Petitti said. “I look at it that way. It’s a continuous evolution.”
This season, the Buckeyes men’s basketball team will have its first two games available via streaming only. The Nov. 6 season opener against Oakland will be on BTN+ and the home game with Texas A&M on 10 will be on Peacock. Four Big Ten games will be on Peacock, including ones against Indiana and Illinois.
Coach Chris Holtmann said he hasn’t heard much uproar yet from fans but that he expects there will be some turmoil this weekend as the football team’s noon game at Purdue will be on Peacock. It could help when basketball season rolls around.
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“I think we’ll hear this week,” he said Tuesday. “I think we’ll hear about 11:45 on Saturday from fans regarding the streaming, and that will help educate them on how to find it here moving forward. Purdue has six games on Peacock, Michigan State has five, we have five. There’s a lot of good games.”
That’s what Petitti said should help further drive consumers toward the streaming world.
“When you think about the future is in terms of where streaming is headed, national reach, big events are things that really matter,” he said. “The obligation is to make it as easy as possible to help people understand where it’s moving. It’s happened before. The great thing is these games are so important and mean so much that people want to learn how to find them.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Big Ten streaming 'has to start somewhere,' commissioner says
