Why is “Penn State White” on Peacock?

Following one of the highest-rated weekends of the college football season, Penn State will host its biggest branded game on the streaming service. So why will Saturday’s Penn State-Washington game, which will become the annual White Out game, be played in Peacock? Here are several options for watching the Penn State vs. Washington game, including a unique IMAX experience.

So what is Peacock?

Quick refreshment. Peacock is NBCUniversal’s streaming-only subscription service that airs a variety of sports, including Big Ten football. To watch Saturday’s Penn State-Washington game, fans will need a Peacock subscription (or a friend who has one) as the game will not air on NBC or cable. So yes, fans must register and pay at least for month of peacock service to watch the game. Plans start at $7.99, although students can get a discount. Subscriptions, including the monthly plan, can be canceled at any time.

Do your cable providers include Peacock? Xfinity Clients You should check your subscription for a promotional offer. Bottom line: Penn State fans who aren’t in Beaver Stadium need Peacock to watch the game at home.

Why doesn’t Pennsylvania have rights to Peacock?

It seems ridiculous, doesn’t it, that a game from the program’s biggest brand won’t be available on basic cable? Penn State is not alone. Nearly every Big Ten team played a game that was only available via streaming as part of a huge media rights deal the conference signed in 2022.

That same year, the Big Ten moved away from ABC/ESPN and signed deals with FOX, CBS and NBC to broadcast the conference’s football and basketball games. As part of a seven-year agreement worth $7 billion. according to ESPNNBC has taken over Saturday night primetime with Big Ten Saturday Night. But NBC will also host the games especially for Peacock. The streaming service hosted eight Big Ten games exclusively in 2023, with nine scheduled for 2024.

The Penn State-Washington game was not one of Peacock’s preseason announcements because the game was placed within a six- or 12-day window of the Big Ten schedule. Before the season begins, Big Ten affiliates are conducting a project to select weeks to select games to broadcast (Fox Sports’ Michael Mulvihill). explained the process well, on the Joel Klatt show).

Before the season began, Penn State convinced the Big Ten and its broadcast partners to schedule the Penn State-Ohio State game on Nov. 2 as its annual primetime Whiteout. It didn’t work out as FOX Sports picked that week and made sure to televise the game in the Big Noon window. Although Penn State fans who battled traffic. associated with record crowd didn’t like it, FOX definitely liked it. The Penn State-Ohio matchup was watched by nearly 10 million people, making it the most-watched game of the Big Ten season, according to Nielsen Media Research.

As a result, the University of Pennsylvania resorted to the “White Exit B” plan, which, in its opinion, consisted of the following: game of the week vs. Washington. Since NBC was scheduled to broadcast Notre Dame’s game against Florida State on Saturday night and FOX had the Ohio State-Purdue game, Penn State-Washington had three options: 3:30 p.m. on CBS or in prime time on Peacock or the Big Ten. Net. CBS will air Indiana-Michigan in the 3:30 window, while NBC moved the White to Peacock.

How else can you watch the Pennsylvania-Washington game?

If you can’t make it to Beaver Stadium and don’t want to subscribe to Peacock, here’s a unique option. More than 20 IMAX theaters across the country, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Washington, will show the game on the big screen. NBC Sports and IMAX said in a press release that this is the first American football game to be presented live in this format.

“Enjoy one of the most exciting games in college football in an incredible IMAX format,” the companies said. stated in the press release.

Ticket prices vary by location, but some locations start at $16.99.

No. 6 Penn State (7-1) will take on Washington (5-40) at 8:00 pm ET Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.

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Penn State on SI is your destination for Penn State news, opinion and perspectives on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of remarkable stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.