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Comcast To Launch 'Oregon Sports Network' on Expanded Basic Cable
Comcast SportsNet Northwest Costs Operators $2 per month

PORTLAND - Promising to bring more local sports programming to Oregon sports fans than ever, Comcast SportsNet Northwest launches November 1. The channel will broadcast Portland Trail Blazers' and Oregon Ducks' basketball games as well as coverage of local college sports like soccer, track and hockey that "otherwise might not be televised," according to The Oregonian.

From a programming perspective, there are striking similarities between the Comcast network and the Big Ten Network.

"This is going to be Oregon's sports network. We really want to try and become a fabric of Oregon sports," executive vice president of Comcast sports programming David Manougian told The Oregonian on Oct. 18.

Those are the similarities. For Big Ten fans, here are the unfortunate differences.

According to Sports Business Journal, Comcast will charge operators $2, more than double the Big Ten Network's rate, and will place the network on expanded basic cable. Comcast has refused the Big Ten's proposal to be on expanded basic saying they must "protect" customers who aren't sports fans.

I'm on the BTN side on this one. I think Comcast needs to pick it up eventually.