Cincinnati Bell to offer Big Ten Network to Fioptics subscribers

CINCINNATI, Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cincinnati Bell Inc., the region's leading provider of communications services for homes and businesses, is pleased to announce it will offer the Big Ten Network (BTN) to Fioptics television customers starting Sept. 1 – just in time for the Ohio State University football opener against Bowling Green State University on Sept. 3.

BTN will be available on Fipotics' "Preferred," "Elite," and "Premier" packages, as well as the "Foundation" package for Fioptics customers who choose the "MyTV" skinny bundle.

Fioptics subscribers can find BTN on Channel 606 in high definition, and Channel 206 in Standard Definition. They can also access BTN's live and on-demand content through the BTN2Go app.

BTN nationally televises over 500 live events, and streams over 900 live events. The schedule includes 42 football games; over 125 men's basketball games – including five Big Ten Basketball Tournament games; and over 60  women's basketball games – including 12 Big Ten Tournament games.

In addition to live events, BTN will also debut an array of new programming in 2016. BTN Tailgate, the largest initiative in network history,  is a live, 90-minute Saturday morning pregame show originating from a different Big Ten campus each week during conference play.

Sports Lite with Mike Hall debuts in September as BTN's first late-night offering, and Campus Eats, a first-hand look at the unique and iconic restaurants found across the Big Ten, also premiers in September. These programs join the Emmy-nominated "The Journey," a documentary-style show that follows football and basketball.

Cablefax, a nationally recognized trade publication, recently named Cincinnati Bell Inc. its 2016 Independent Operator of the Year. To learn more about Cincinnati Bell's Fioptics services, go to www.cincinnatibell.com/fioptics.

About Cincinnati Bell

With headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Bell Inc. CBB provides integrated communications solutions – including local and long distance voice, data, high-speed Internet and video – that keep residential and business customers in Greater Cincinnati and Dayton connected with each other and with the world. In addition, enterprise customers across the United States rely on CBTS, a wholly-owned subsidiary, for efficient, scalable office communications systems and end-to-end IT solutions. For more information, please visit www.cincinnatibell.com.

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 1,000 events across all platforms, 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. BTN2Go is the digital extension of the Big Ten Network, delivering live games and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones, and tablets. Events include football, men's and women's basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Olympic sports and championship events; studio shows; and classic games. 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 in more than 60 million homes across the United States and Canada, including carriage by all the major video distributors, such as DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, and approximately 300 additional video providers across North America. For additional information, go to www.btn.com.