WorldLink has entered into an exclusive agreement to become the exclusive rep firm for all short-form direct-response advertising sales for the Big Ten Network.
BTN, which kicked off its rookie season on Aug. 30, is available to nearly 29 million customers via affiliate agreements with DirecTV, EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish Network and Insight Communications, as well as 140 other cable and municipal providers. The network, co-owned by the conference’s 11 member schools and Fox Sports National Cable Networks, showcases college football, basketball and other athletic contests and competitions.
“College sports throughout the Big Ten territory attracts some of the most passionate and dedicated fans in the U.S. and this network will provide a valuable service to this audience,” said World Link co-founder and CEO Toni Knight in a statement. “Through the diverse programming available through Big Ten Network, short-form DR advertisers will be able to reach a highly targeted demo in many of the Midwest’s major markets.”
BTN has been unable to secure carriage deals with Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable and Mediacom Communications, among other cable operators, which have balked at license terms and its push for expanded basic positioning within the eight states that are home to the 11 schools.
