Super Bowl Update

If you've been wondering where BTN is on Dish Network today, it's gone.

Negotiations for a new agreement with Dish fell through last night, leaving Big Ten football fans without a way to watch their favorite games.

Previously, Dish and BTN had agreed to an interim arrangement whereby Dish customers would continue to receive BTN while the two sides hashed out the details of a long-term contract.  Unfortuntely, it seems those negotiations failed.

"As of September 14th, BTN's distribution agreement with Dish expired despite our best efforts to finalize an agreement," said Elizabeth Conlisk, BTN's vice president for communications and university relations. "We are disappointed that Dish does not see the value in the network in the same way that so many of their customers do, including Big Ten students, alumni, fans and viewers across the country who continue to pay Dish for a channel they no longer receive."

Dish Network had no comment.

Fox Sports Radio, in conjunction with Big Ten Network, has introduced BTN Live, a daily Big Ten football show airing Monday through Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. CT on nearly 20 affiliates in the Big Ten Conference region.

Hosted by Big Ten Network personalities Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffith and others, BTN Live will take listeners inside every Big Ten campus as teams prepare for games, and provide the latest news, expert analysis and interviews with players and coaches.

The show is an extension of Fox Sports Radio’s weekly Big Ten show, which launched last year.

A list of stations carrying the new program was not immediately available Wednesday morning; Fox Sports Radio has two affiliates in the Tri-State, WVLN-740 AM (Olney, Ill.) and WMSK-1550 AM (Morganfield, Ky.).

Compass Media Networks and Learfield Sports have announced a multi-year extension whereby Compass Media Networks retains first right of refusal to broadcast any Learfield Sports home football and men's basketball games, retains the exclusive national radio rights to broadcast the Big Ten Football Championship Game and the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament, and will broadcast expanded coverage of regular season men's basketball and football games.

Learfield Sports is the exclusive broadcast and sports marketing partner to over 50 of the nation's leading colleges and universities including Indiana University, Purdue University and the Big Ten Conference.

Compass Media Networks holds an array of college and professional broadcast rights including the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders, in addition to the college sports programming broadcast through this Learfield Sports arrangement.

"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Compass Media Networks," said Greg Brown, Learfield President & CEO. "Compass provides our schools with tremendous national exposure to fans nationwide."

"Learfield Sports has been a wonderful partner," said Peter Kosann, CEO of Compass Media Networks. "We are honored to continue this partnership and will continue to expand the breath and depth of our coverage."

Compass Media Networks will have the right to select any home game from Learfield Sports partner schools to broadcast nationally. The exact number of games has yet to be determined, but the new agreement calls for a minimum of 20 football and 20 men's basketball games to be broadcast. Compass Media Networks will then produce a unique, national, play-by-play broadcast of these games including the Big Ten Football Championship Game and the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.

Learfield Sports manages multimedia rights for more than 50 collegiate institutions and associations and provides exclusive sports programming to more than 1,000 radio stations nationwide. Additionally, Learfield Sports' programming is seen on more than 160 local television stations, cable systems and Regional Sports Networks. Learfield Sports is an operating unit of Learfield Communications, Inc., which was founded in 1972.