Comcast is planning to shut down its regional sports network for Chicago as the company loses some of its most-lucrative sports rights to a startup broadcast television network.
This month, some pay TV platforms like YouTube TV and Comcast’s own Xfinity TV began notifying subscribers that NBC Sports Chicago will be removed from packages on October 1, the date that the channel will go off the air for good.
The decision to pull the plug on NBC Sports Chicago comes about three months after Tennessee-based Standard Media announced it was launching a new broadcast TV network called the Chicago Sports Network, which will air games from the Chicago Bulls basketball team, Chicago White Sox baseball team and Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, among others. The telecast rights to games played by all three teams were previously held by Comcast’s NBC Sports.
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This week, Chicago Sports Network President Jason Coyle revealed the Chicago Sports Network will be offered on two digital sub-channels of local independent station WJYS (Channel 62), which will convert from standard definition to high definition by the end of September. WJYS is licensed to Hammond and broadcasts a full-power signal that can be received throughout much of the Chicago metropolitan area. Comcast subscribers will need an antenna to view the channel upon launch, as Xfinity TV systems in the Chicago area do not carry the sub-channels of WJYS.
In a statement this week, Coyle said it was the mission of Chicago Sports Network to reach fans wherever they are.
“For those households who, for whatever reason, choose over-the-air as their primary viewing platform, they now have an opportunity to see the games and build even stronger connections with the teams and personalities they love,” Coyle affirmed.
The Chicago Sports Network says it will broadcast more than 300 games every year, with some events offered in ultra high-definition (UHD/4K) on supported platforms. Details on cable and satellite availability have yet to be announced, and it is unclear whether the network will offer a streaming TV app.
