BTN Communications, September 9, 2019

Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, BTN will debut the first episode of The B1G Story, a documentary style program produced by the Emmy-nominated BTN Originals team. Throughout the year, The B1G Story will provide a contemporary look at compelling Big Ten stories of both past and present.

Episode one, The B1G Story: Matt Millen, will take a closer look at a topic many Big Ten fans are familiar with. Millen, BTN?s lead football game analyst, was diagnosed with Amyloidosis in 2017 and subsequently underwent a lifesaving heart transplant in December of 2018. Amyloidosis had a drastic impact on Millen?s day-to-day life and forced him to step away from broadcast booth after the first five games of the 2018 season. The B1G Story will chronicle Millen?s journey from diagnosis, through his transplant and ultimately his return to the broadcast booth in 2019 for week one of the football season.

?Storytelling is one of the pillars of BTN, which is made possible by our award winning BTN Originals team,? said BTN president François McGillicuddy. ?In addition to The B1G Story, I expect there to be additional projects throughout the year providing fans unique access and perspective on the Big Ten Conference.?

The B1G Story: Matt Millen is directed by Kevin Ritchie of BTN Originals and reported by BTN?s Lisa Byington. Two additional episodes of the The B1G Story will air in December, with one highlighting the life and career of current Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and the other examining an unbreakable bond among two Big Ten wrestlers. Confirmed air dates for the December shows will be announced later this year.

?The Big Ten Conference provides no shortage of opportunity when it comes to finding compelling stories at the intersection of academics, competition, emotion and personality,? said Bill Friedman, senior coordinating producer of BTN Originals. ?We?re looking forward to bringing those stories to life for our viewers and Big Ten fans.?

Listings for The B1G Story can be found at btn.com/shows. The B1G Story can also be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through the Fox Sports app.