Why is the ‘Penn State White Out’ on Peacock?

After riding one of the biggest viewing weekends of the college football season, Penn State will host its biggest branded game on a streaming service. So why is Saturday’s Penn State-Washington game, which will serve as the annual White Out, on Peacock? Here are your options for watching the Penn State-Washington game, including a unique opportunity in IMAX.

So what is Peacock?

A quick refresher. Peacock is NBCUniversal’s streaming-only subscription service that offers 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 with a subscription), as the game will not be on NBC or cable. So yes, fans should sign up and pay for at least one month of Peacock service to watch the game. Plans start at $7.99, although students can get a discount. Subscriptions, including the monthly subscription, can be canceled at any time.

Do any cable providers offer Peacock? Xfinity customers should check their subscription for a promotional offer. Bottom line: Penn State fans not at Beaver Stadium will need Peacock to watch the game at home.

Why is Penn State White Out on Peacock?

It seems incongruous, right, that the show’s biggest branded game won’t be available on basic cable? Penn State is not alone. Nearly every Big Ten team has played a streaming-only game, which was part of the massive media rights deal the conference signed in 2022.

That year, the Big Ten moved away from ABC/ESPN, signing contracts with FOX, CBS and NBC to broadcast conference football and basketball games. As part of the seven-year, $7 billion deal, according to ESPNNBC captured the Saturday night prime-time slot with Big Ten Saturday Night. But NBC would also post games specifically for Peacock. The streaming service exclusively hosted eight Big Ten games in 2023 and will host nine games in 2024.

The Penn State-Washington game was not one of Peacock’s preseason announcements because the game was placed in the Big Ten’s six- or 12-day scheduling period. Before the season, the Big Ten’s broadcast partners have a draft in place where they select weeks in which they can choose games to broadcast (FOX Sports’ Michael Mulvihill explained the process good on the Joel Klatt Show).

Before the season, Penn State lobbied the Big Ten and its broadcast partners to schedule the Nov. 2 Penn State-Ohio State game as the annual “White Out” in prime time. That didn’t work because FOX Sports selected that week and arranged for the game to be televised in the Big Noon window. Although Penn State fans fighting traffic associated with a record number of visitors didn’t like it, FOX certainly did. Nearly 10 million people watched the Penn State-Ohio State game, making it the most-watched Big Ten game of the season (according to Nielsen Media Research).

As a result, Penn State went to White Out Plan B, which it was decided would be this game of the week against Washington. Because NBC’s Notre Dame vs. Florida State had booked to air on Saturday night, and FOX had the Ohio State-Purdue game, Penn State-Washington had three options: 3:30 PM on CBS or prime-time on Peacock or Big Ten. Network. CBS will air Indiana-Michigan in the 3:30 window, and NBC shifted the White Out to Peacock.

How else can you watch the Penn State-Washington game?

If you can’t get to Beaver Stadium and don’t want to subscribe to Peacock, this is a unique option. More than two dozen IMAX theaters in multiple states 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 release that this is the first college football game presented live in this format.

“Experience one of college football’s most exciting games in life-size IMAX,” the companies said said in a press release.

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

No. No. 6 Penn State (7-1) takes on Washington (5-40 at 8 p.m. ET) on Saturday night from Beaver Stadium.

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Penn State on SI is the home for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has been covering Penn State for more than two decades, maintaining three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.