Satellite and streaming television platform DirecTV has become the first pay TV provider to confirm its intent to distribute a regional sports broadcast network for Chicago teams in October.
Starting October 1, DirecTV will carry the Chicago Sports Network on its various services, including DirecTV via Satellite, DirecTV via Internet, U-Verse (formerly AT&T U-Verse) and DirecTV Stream, making the channel instantly available to satellite TV subscribers and streamers in the Chicagoland area.
“We have always prided ourselves on being a sports leader and intend to remain at the forefront,” Rob Thun, the Chief Content Officer at DirecTV, said in a statement on Wednesday. “The most important element in the media landscape today is consumer choice, and that means ensuring the most loyal fans can always connect with their favorite teams, while other homes with equally-as avid interests can avoid those extra costs.”
Related: Comcast to shut down NBC Sports Chicago
The last part appears to refer to DirecTV’s battle with the Walt Disney Company earlier this month, when channels like ABC and ESPN were removed from DirecTV after its agreement with Disney expired. While programming-related disputes typically revolve around fees paid by distributors like DirecTV to broadcasters like Disney, the battle with Disney this month largely centered on better distribution terms for sports, entertainment and news channels.
To that end, DirecTV said it wanted to offer Disney-owned channels in new genre-based programming packages, allowing entertainment fans to avoid having to pay for high-priced sports networks by dropping them from their TV plan. On the flip side, sports fans who wanted access to those networks without entertainment or news channels should be allowed to pay for just those channels — an idea Disney itself embraced when it announced plans to team up with Fox Corporation and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) for a streaming service called Venu Sports, DirecTV affirmed.
After nearly two weeks, Disney-owned channels were restored to DirecTV and its associated platform U-Verse last week. Both companies affirmed the new deal allows the company to distribute channels through genre-based bundles that could launch in the future, if DirecTV is successful in negotiating that type of arrangement with other broadcast and cable network owners.
It wasn’t clear from DirecTV’s announcement on Wednesday if the Chicago Sports Network is on board with the plan, though both sides seem pretty happy that DirecTV and U-Verse will offer the channel when it signs on early next month.
“This agreement establishes an immediate foundation for CHSN and aligns us with one of the foremost innovators in sports media,” Jason Coyle, the President of the Chicago Sports Network, said in a statement. “We are excited about DirecTV’s commitment to Chicago and its fervent fans, which is evident in our collaborative efforts to deliver upon our fan-first approach, commitment to quality, and engaging game-day experiences for everyone who loves Chicago sports.”
The Chicago Sports Network will assume the channel spot that NBC Sports Chicago is vacating on DirecTV and U-Verse when it shuts down on October 1. Accordingly, the Chicago Sports Network will be distributed on DirecTV via Satellite and DirecTV via Internet on Channel 665, while U-Verse will carry the network in standard definition on Channel 741 and in high definition on Channel 1741. NBC
