Asmussen | Proud as a Peacock ... to add another streaming service
Sep. 27—CHAMPAIGN — So, Peacock huh?
That's what you need to watch Saturday's Illinois-Purdue football game. And, rumor has it, the Oct. 14 Illinois-Maryland game, too.
My guess is that not all Illinois fans got the memo and realize the game won't be aired on a traditional broadcast network like Fox, ESPN or BTN.
Peacock, the streaming arm of NBC, is new for most Big Ten fans. Unless you wanted bonus coverage of the most recent Olympics, it is unlikely you have checked it out.
Here is a reminder to get your viewing option ready ahead of Saturday.
I signed up on Tuesday morning. Took about five minutes with the help of my Big Ten graduate son.
Most 20-somethings can painlessly hook you up. And I am fine with asking for help.
There are more than three channels like when I was a kid. That is all good. Any game I want to watch is available. Twenty-year-old me would have killed for the choices we have today. Sixty-one-year-old me likes it, too.
It helps if you have a smart TV. That cuts out a few steps.
Find Peacock (I promise it is there), type in your information, pay the $5.99 and wait for the game Saturday.
Seems pretty easy to cancel the service, so you can pay for one month and get out of it afterward. But remember, the Illinois-Maryland game will likely be on Peacock and some basketball games, too.
Guess that $5.99 is going to be on my bill for a while. Until the fee is bumped to $6.99 or whatever the King of NBC decides to charge. Oh, well.
Quick check
I called The Esquire, Tumble Inn and Aspen Tap House on Tuesday afternoon to see if they will be showing the Illinois-Purdue game. The answer is some version of they hope to, but aren't totally sure. Might want to call before you go.
They were mostly surprised the game isn't on BTN, which has been a frequent TV home for Illinois football in recent years.
But there are new outlets to consider. NBC has the Big Ten. CBS does again. So, each week, you have to locate the channel and make sure it is available.
Streaming services have given sports-oriented bars another entertainment piece to consider. Satellite dishes or cable no longer cover all the events.
The expectations from fans is to be able to watch all games, whether at home or in a bar/restaurant.
Planning ahead
We're down to three days before the next Illinois game. The Asmussen household is set. I will be at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind., watching in person. And just in case I want to see a replay or listen to what the announcers have to say, there is the Peacock app.
I'm a big fan of technology. Love being able to ask my phone "Braves score" and get an instant, verbal response.
Now when information isn't loading in a nanosecond, I grumble. Of course, I am, after all, a Midwesterner and that's how we roll. You have to be able to gripe at inanimate objects. The car when it breaks down. The computer screen when it crashes. DirecTV when the heavy storm temporarily turns the picture to fuzz. The key is to not take those gripes out on another person. We are talking about fun and games. Not life and death.
So you miss the first quarter of a game. Relax. They went ahead and played without you.
With all that positive reflection in mind, those who don't get the word about Peacock might be tempted to lash out Saturday at about 2:31 p.m.
A good bet that some will call The News-Gazette (be nice to Sports Editor Matt Daniels) or WDWS (ditto for Dave Leake) or WCIA (go ahead and give them a hard time. Just kidding.)
Let me know what you think about Peacock's coverage and if you have trouble getting the service.
