Since the Big Ten Network is coming to the Philadelphia area (including South Jersey) via Comcast I thought I'd provide a press release from our good friends over at Comcast that includes some of the features that will accompany BTN's launch here on Friday. For those with Comcast's Digital Classic service BTN will be on Channel 257. Penn State's opener hosting Coastal Carolina on Aug. 30 at noon is on BTN.

I'll have an additional story for Thursday's paper. Otherwise, here are some of the features:

Overflow games

Comcast will also provide BTN “overflow” channels. Fox/Big Ten Network will make all programming decisions and select the games that will be shown on the primary BTN channel and the overflows (in Pennsylvania, Penn State games that BTN has the rights to will be shown on the primary channel). Overflow channels will be found on 801, 802, 803 and 804, and will provide access to all BTN games.

Big Ten Network Online

A wide array of conference-related content will be made available through comcast. 

Big Ten Network VOD

Slated to start this fall, BTN programming will be available via Comcast’s video-on-demand platform – available at no additional cost for Digital Cable customers. On Demand content will include weekly extended highlights and condensed game replays from around the conference, classic Big Ten sporting events, bowl game coverage and coaches’ shows, plus original campus programming and nightly studio shows from Big Ten Network.

PSU-specific VOD (Pennsylvania only)

Through a first-of-its-kind partnership struck in 2007, PSU and Comcast teamed up to offer Penn State ON DEMAND, a groundbreaking collaboration that delivers the deep and diverse resources of Penn State to 2.4 million Comcast customers throughout Pennsylvania. The service, available at no additional cost to Comcast Digital Cable customers, brings hundreds of hours of provocative interviews, concise instructional and educational videos, revealing documentaries, and newly uncovered archival material to consumers on their own schedule, any time of the day or night.