Cord cutters who live in the Chicago market could soon have a new way to watch the Bulls, White Sox, and Blackhawks on Chicago Sports Network (CHSN).
According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, WGN-TV is interested in expanding its sports lineup by offering CHSN programming on the network.
From the Chicago Sun-Times report:
The sides would have to sort out a lot of details, such as how many games would be included and who would sell advertising for them. Though WGN isn’t positioned to pay a substantial rights fee — the teams would have to treat it as a marketing expense — it could deliver the teams their largest TV audience since they launched CHSN in October.
Back in 2024, CHSN replaced NBC Sports Chicago as the trio’s RSN, but it isn’t carried by Comcast, the region’s largest TV distributor. Since its launch, CHSN has been free to watch over-the-air in the Chicagoland area and offers those who live in-market a direct-to-consumer streaming app. If the RSN and WGN can reach a deal, that would bring CHSN to around 1 million subscribers in the market, including on Comcast’s Xfinity cable, per the report.
The report clarifies that WGN could air a limited number of games featuring all three teams, and it “might include 10 or 15 Bulls and Hawks games and 25 Sox games.” These games would likely be simulcast of the CHSN feed, per the report. As a CW-affiliate station, WGN also airs CW Sports, including NASCAR and ACC football and basketball.
Since 2019, WGN has been without NBA, NHL, or MLB broadcasts after carrying Chicago sports since its inception in 1948. The Cubs, which left WGN after the 2019 season, launched their own RSN, Marquee Sports Network, in 2020. Marquee has had its issues with Comcast, as the cable giant has relocated its RSNs to higher-priced tiers.
Both RSNs have been trying to work out carriage disputes with Comcast, and there were even reports that CHSN and Marquee could merge, which would bring the four teams from the three leagues under one roof.
Credit: Chicago Sun Times