DirecTV’s streaming subscribers in the Chicago area now have access to Weigel Broadcasting’s independent station WCIU, the companies announced on Thursday.
The addition of WCIU (Channel 26) allows DirecTV’s streaming customers to watch live sports from the Chicago Sky and Chicago White Sox, along with high school football and basketball games, among other events.
The station was added to DirecTV Stream on August 28, according to an announcement from Weigel. WCIU has been part of DirecTV’s satellite service and AT&T U-verse for years, and those platforms will continue to carry the channel.
Executives said the new carriage agreement underscores WCIU’s focus on meeting audiences across all platforms.
“The move reflects WCIU’s commitment to adapting to the evolving ways audiences consume television and ensures that more households can enjoy the station’s lineup of entertainment and live sports,” Weigel said in a statement.
WCIU, branded as “The U,” is a general entertainment outlet with a strong emphasis on live sports and local programming. Its expanded availability on DirecTV’s streaming platform is part of a continuing trend among broadcasters to secure distribution on streaming pay TV platforms that resemble traditional cable and satellite TV services.
In addition to DirecTV’s streaming platform, WCIU is also available on YouTube TV and Fubo. Other pay TV providers that carry the channel in the Chicago area include Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Charter’s Spectrum TV and Astound.
