Gray Media has signed an affiliation agreement with the Chicago Sports Network that will see the television broadcaster make games from the regional sports channel available on two of its TV stations in Indiana and Illinois.
Starting this month, Gray Media will launch the Chicago Sports Network on digital sub-channels of its stations in Rockford (WSLN, Channel 19) and South Bend (WNDU, Channel 16), making games from the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Blackhawks available in those markets on free broadcast TV.
“Gray is committed to bringing local sports to our over-the-air viewers,” said Sandy Breland, the Chief Operating Officer at Gray Media. “We look forward to working with CHSN to provide the Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox to fans in Rockford and South Bend.”
“We’re committed to reaching our fans wherever they are, including areas outside of Chicago proper that may have not had the opportunity to watch games in the past,” said Chicago Sports Network President Jason Coyle. “This partnership with Gray allows us to provide more options for our Chicago fans so they can cheer on their favorite players and teams.”
Chicago Sports Network replaces NBC Sports Chicago as the regional sports broadcaster for games played by the three professional sports teams. NBC Sports Chicago signed off on Monday.
In the Chicago area, the Chicago Sports Network is available as a free broadcast channel on two digital sub-channels of WJYS (Channel 62). It is also expected to sign on affiliates in other TV markets that were covered by NBC Sports Chicago, including Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Des Moines, though broadcast partners in those areas have yet to be announced.
Regionally, the Chicago Sports Network is available on DirecTV via Satellite, DirecTV via Internet and DirecTV Stream, and is slated to be carried by Astound Broadband’s TV service in the coming days. It is not yet available on Comcast’s Xfinity TV.
