More than eight months after it launched in the locale, the Chicago Sports Network has reached a carriage agreement with Comcast, granting users within the Xfinity Ultimate TV package access to programming. As the official home of the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox, sports fans using the Comcast service have been unable to view local game broadcasts unless subscribing to another service, watching on an over-the-air platform or subscribing to a direct-to-consumer plan. Outside of the game broadcasts, the network also contains studio shows and simulcasts two hours of the Mully & Haugh morning program.
“On behalf of the entire CHSN team, we’re proud to welcome Comcast’s Xfinity TV customers to a network built exclusively for Chicago sports fans,” Jason Coyle, president of the Chicago Sports Network, said in a statement. “With more than 300 live Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox games each year, along with original programming that highlights Chicago’s pro, college, and high school sports, CHSN delivers the most comprehensive and locally focused coverage available. This deal allows us to reach even more fans across the city and suburbs, deepen connections, and reinforce CHSN as the home for Chicago sports all day, every day.”
On Friday’s edition of the show, co-hosts Mike Mulligan and David Haugh discussed the deal that will further broaden the distribution and reach of the network. Mulligan sported Chicago Sports Network gear in the studio and explained part of the agreement before Haugh divulged that the channel is now accessible to users. In addition to his role with 670 The Score, Haugh also works directly with Chicago Sports Network appearing on The Chicago Lead and The Big Pro Football Show.
“This is a huge day for the Chicago Sports Network,” Haugh said. “It’s a great day for sports fans in the city. It just widens the reach and expands the scope of what they want to do. A lot of good people worked very long and hard on getting this deal done, and finally today, it’s arrived.”
The show subsequently welcomed Chicago White Sox broadcasters Connor McKnight and Brooke Fletcher onto the airwaves where they discussed the significance of the Friday night all-access broadcasts. Chicago Sports Network has been offering fans distinctive access to players and personnel surrounding the team during the Friday night games. As the White Sox prepare to face the Kansas City Royals on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CST, the broadcast will welcome manager Will Venable and pitching coach Ethan Katz as part of the guest lineup. Starting pitcher Adrian Houser is also going to join the presentation, and outfielder Joshua Palacios is going to wear a microphone throughout the game.
“All the on-air talent and the people behind the scenes just work really hard just to put this production together,” Fletcher said. “It’s Chris Withers, our producer – it’s kind of his baby, the Friday night all-access, and he’s just done a fantastic job, and the White Sox, we just appreciate all the access that they’ve given us, right? The future of this organization – there’s a lot of young stars on this team, and so we want to be able to give the White Sox fans an opportunity to get to know these guys.”
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No, this is a dark day for CHSN Chicago Sports Network. This news does not “widen the reach”. Just the opposite actually. This news announcement forgets to tell you at the same time that CHSN no longer airs on FREE over-the-air TV stations: flagship Channel 62-2 / 62-3 WJYS Hammond-Chicago (transmitting from Willis Tower). 10,000,000 viewers gone! And they did this with the baseball season is already in progress! Also cancelled are affiliates in: Rockford (Channel 19-3 / 19-4 WSLN Freeport), South Bend (Channel 16-2 / 16-4 WNDU-TV), Fort Wayne (Channel 12-3 WINM Angola, 12-3 WEIJ-LD Fort Wayne), Peoria (Channel 19-4 WHOI), Cedar Rapids (Channel 20-05 KWKB Iowa City). This article is total propaganda. The teams (White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks) caved in to Comcast’s exclusivity demand and to terminate the OTA TV stations(. The teams would be much better off without carriage on Comcast which charges money to watch! For viewers who prefer to pay to watch television which is available for Free, pay options were already available with DirecTV, AT&T U-verse, Fubo, RCN Astound, and CHSN’s own app. This news is VERY disappointing(.