Comcast, CHSN strike deal; network debuted Friday morning

  Lands on ultimate tier [Editor’s Note: This is an article that was originally published on June 4 and has been updated to reflect recent developments. Updated June 7.] The long, local nightmare is over for Chicago-area sports fans who are Comcast subscribers – but for a price. In news surfacing late Wednesday night, the Chicago Sports Network struck a […]

Report: CHSN and WGN-TV could link up to carry games

Comes as RSN is still shut out of Comcast’s systems [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on April 20, as the CHSN app is now available on Samsung TVs.] The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Friday that a deal could be in the works for Nexstar’s WGN-TV to simulcast a limited number of White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks games.  Nothing has […]

DirecTV offers RSNs as add-ons in skinny bundles

Some relief for starved Chicago sports fans – but will they take advantage?  As hinted at when it was announced in January, DirecTV is adding regional sports network add-ons to its MySports skinny bundle, including CHSN and Marquee for Chicago-area viewers, just in time for baseball season as the former features the Chicago White Sox, and the latter for the […]

NHL Winter Classic flops with viewers, fans

Blackhawks get pummeled at Wrigley Field and in the ratings as classic moved to New Year’s Eve It’s fitting that the awful year in Chicago sports was topped off by the Blackhawks playing nothing resembling hockey in the NHL Winter Classic.  As first reported by Sports Media Watch, the NHL Winter Classic’s move a day earlier from New Year’s Day […]

The Media Notepad: All City announces cutbacks, including five on-air layoffs at CHGO Sports

Also: NBC’s RSN to be made available on Peacock;  Braves baseball return to TBS. Well, somewhat.  The podcast network and website CHGO Sports was hit with layoffs on Wednesday with five employees let go as part of cutbacks by parent company All City Sports, which eliminated seven percent of its workforce across its portals in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Phoenix, […]

Marquee, CHSN: A possible merger?

Comcast impasse with both fueling speculation According to a report from the Puck newsletter, local regional sports networks CHSN (Chicago Sports Network) and Marquee may be seeking to merge.  CHSN and Marquee have a common enemy: Comcast, the largest cable provider in Chicago, had refused to add CHSN to its network and plans to move Marquee to a higher, more […]

CHSN struggles to gain distribution foothold

The move back to free, over-the-air TV for sports is hitting road bumps You would think making all games from the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox available for free on broadcast television would be terrific for fans, right? Well, you might want to think again. Two weeks after the new Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) launched, the network is having […]

New Orleans Pelicans moves games to over-the-air TV

Follows move by Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox Monday Expected after the soon-to-be-defunct Bally Sports New Orleans and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans parted ways, the team announced a multi-year deal with Gray Television to form the Gulf Coast Sports Network to air all non-network games on Gray’s stations stretching from the Ark-La-Tex area to the Florida panhandle starting next […]

New CHSN firms up on-air talent, distribution plans

Strikes deal with WJYS for carriage The new Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) has been firming up its on-air talent and distribution plans over the last week by announcing a deal with a local TV station for carriage. CHSN will appear on the digital subchannels of religious independent WJYS-TV 62.2 and 62.3, which are currently occupied by home shopping networks Jewelry TV […]

The Media Notepad: Report: New CHSN close to deal with DirecTV

Also: WGN-TV’s Jewell Hilary gets promoted; FCC head rejects Trump ABC license revocation request Three months after its official announcement, the Sun-Times reported Thursday the new Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) is close to a deal with DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse.  This comes as an email was sent to YouTubeTV subscribers (including me) Wednesday stating NBC Sports Chicago – the […]

Marquee’s future on Comcast uncertain

Contract with Chicago’s largest cable provider expires soon At the same time the Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox are deserting NBC Sports for  Chicago Sports Network with Standard Media, now comes word Marquee – home to the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Sky, could lose their prime channel space on Comcast this fall as their contract expires. It’s a situation […]

Blackhawks replace Chris Vosters with Rick Ball as play-by-play voice

Move made as team moves to new Chicago Sports Network in October  In a surprise move, the Chicago Blackhawks have parted ways with play-by-play voice Chris Vosters after two seasons and replaced him with veteran Rick Ball, whose work included the Calgary Flames and Hockey Night In Canada. The announcement comes as the Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox are moving […]

It’s official: Chicago Sports Network to launch Oct. 1

Replaces NBC Sports Chicago, which will close The proposed new White Sox-Bulls-Blackhawks regional sports network you’ve been reading about for months now has a name: The Chicago Sports Network. And it is becoming a reality this fall.  The new Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) will be the new home of Chicago’s three sports teams beginning in October. The network will feature […]

The Media Notepad: Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox go a different direction to launch new RSN

Also: Daily Herald makes changes; CBS releases fall sked early; US 99’s Drew Walker exits  The new proposed regional sports network featuring the Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox now may have a behind-the-scenes change. In a surprising move reported by The Athletic Saturday night, the new regional sports network Jerry Reinsdorf is looking to launch will now be handled by […]