Comcast has reached a tentative deal to bring the Chicago Sports Network to its pay television service in the Chicago region, according to a report published late Wednesday evening.
The deal will bring locally-televised Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Blackhawks games to Comcast’s Xfinity TV and Xfinity Stream in the Chicago region.
Comcast customers have been unable to watch the games since the network launched last October, unless they installed an antenna or purchased a version of the Chicago Sports Network available over streaming.
Comcast’s regional sports network, NBC Sports Chicago, previously offered Bulls, Blackhawks and White Sox games on television. Comcast and the Chicago Sports Network have not formally commented on the agreement. The tentative deal was first reported Wednesday evening by WMAQ (Channel 5), the Comcast-owned NBC station in Chicago.
The agreement will relegate the Chicago Sports Network to the “Ultimate” tier of Xfinity TV, the most-expensive pay TV package offered by Comcast, WMAQ reported. By contrast, NBC Sports Chicago was offered on the “Popular” tier until it shut down last year. The Popular tier is less-expensive than the Ultimate plan. Marquee Sports Network, which offers Chicago Cubs baseball games, is expected to stay on the Popular plan.
Comcast subscribers who pay for the Ultimate tier of Xfinity TV will be able to watch games through their set-top boxes, and will also have access to the Chicago Sports Network app with their Xfinity TV credentials.
Frugal sports fans can watch the Chicago Sports Network in the Chicago area on two digital sub-channels of WJYS (Channel 62) when they install an antenna in the back of their TVs. They can also purchase a standalone subscription to the streaming version of Chicago Sports Network, which costs $20 per month.
