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Chicago Cubs: The confusion surrounding the future of TV broadcasts
Think you’re set to watch the Chicago Cubs next season? How do you plan to do it? Moves being made by MLB and the Chicago Cubs may just change your plans.
Well, it’s almost Black Friday. There are smart TV’s for sale and I’m already worried about how I’m going to tune into the Chicago Cubs games next season. Let’s face it, this is not a solid subject with bookends that anyone in management can talk clearly about.
In fact, there is a big question mark where once stood the words: The Plan for the Future of Cubs Media, at least in the eyes of the fans. Either that or the Cubs’ Public Affairs office needs to learn the word – Release.
ESPN announced recently that it will televise three of the first five Cubs games in 2019. There was no formal announcement of what ‘commercials’ might be broadcast during those games… I’m joking, but don’t think endorsements and contracts have nothing to do with any of this. Even our lovable Northwest Indiana friends at the Cubs Insider were thinking television this week, as they talked about the new MLB broadcast deals.
It was announced Thursday that the league and Fox Sports had agreed to a new TV rights deal that is worth a reported $5.1 billion over seven years. That’s an increase of around 50 percent in total value and 36 percent per year over the current deal that runs through 2021 and pays $525 million annually…In a subsequent announcement, it was revealed that MLB had agreed to a three-year, $300 million live digital rights deal with streaming service DAZN.
If you ask me, turning on the TV to watch the Cubs has just gotten more complicated. Between TV deals and online broadcasts, it’s easy to see why fans might be scratching their heads wondering how exactly they are going to tune in to watch their favorite team next season.
There was once talk about putting the whole regular season online, but that notion seems naive due to the high finance numbers involved with a Cubs broadcast. Currently DAZN which has only been around two years, charges $9.99 per month after a one-month free trial in the U.S., is available on connected devices including Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. This cost may be distributed through normal subscription fees but DAZN’s gonna get paid and it may be outta our pocket. So where are the Cubs on all this?
Next. Facebook and the Chicago Cubs Regional Sports Network. dark
Chicago Cubs: Facebook and the Chicago Cubs Regional Sports Network
Remember the Facebook games from last season? To tell you the truth, I don’t even know if that actually happened – I couldn’t find it online and I am considered “online friendly,” by most kids 10 and younger.
Whatever happened to the all Cubs network (still not a bad idea – resume in the mail) that was to keep fans satisfied with history, old games, interviews and reports? I was saving my duckets to be the first subscriber. We’ve got one of the top five franchises in baseball and most of the other top MLB teams already have a sports network for their diamond heroes. Even a small city like Boston has a regional sports network these days. It’s like not having Twitter – who doesn’t?
More from Cubbies Crib
- Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
- Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
- Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
- Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
- Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis
The Cubs can easily follow one of these other franchises business plans and be on air and online in no time. What are they waiting for?
Most folks thought the Cubs would fall in line with the other Chicago sports franchises like the Blackhawks, White Sox and Chicago Bulls but John Ourand of the Chicago Sports Business Journal recently reported:
The Cubs still could cut a deal to remain part of NBC Sports Chicago with the other three teams, but that scenario does not look likely, according to sources…Cubs executives have been open about their desire to control their local media rights when their current deal ends in 2020, spending much of the past three years discussing such a move publicly. The team has placed packages of games on WGN, the local ABC affiliate and Facebook.
There we go with Facebook again. This stuff is as clear as mud and no one is asking, “What is the future of Cubs broadcasts?” From what I have personally experienced this past season, I would say that the future of Cubs broadcasts is in the archive.
Next. MLB TV’s Treasure – Archived Games. dark
Chicago Cubs: MLB TV’s Treasure – Archived Games
For the second year in a row, I subscribed to MLB.TV. It was relatively painless and I liked the fact that I could pay to watch only my team’s games and not for every game. Just like that popular commercial says, why should I pay for stuff I don’t want or use? So I pay for the Cubs season and I’m even offered a discount for being a military veteran. I’m not sure if it’s because I renewed or signed up early, but I also received a free app subscription to At-Bat. For the busy working parents, this has been a life-saver. Catching games on your schedule when it’s convenient for me has helped me watch more this year than ever before.
More from Chicago Cubs News
- Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
- Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
- Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
- Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis
- Cubs might start to limit Justin Steele’s workload soon
When you can tune into an archived Chicago Cubs game hours, days and weeks later, your entire schedule just opens up and makes magic time for the Cubs game. For those outside the greater Chicago broadcast area and in the car with an hour’s drive to the in-law’s house, no problem.
I often pull up the radio feed of the game on AT BAT and link it to my car radio via Bluetooth. Instantly I am magically experiencing the sights, sounds and tastes of the ballgame.
Archived games are a gold mine for the Cubs and MLB. For families on the go and the long season, it only makes sense for Cubs fans to run in droves to the archives. Trust me, in the long run, the archives will make money for MLB. So what could be better?
Don’t forget, every silver cloud has a dark lining. While Cubs fans will undoubtedly still have an online manner in which to watch their team, it is unclear what the new contract with online distributor DAZN will mean for fans who catch 99% of the games via online media. What does this mean for At-Bat app users?
The last thing to consider in regards to the Plan for the Future of Cubs’ media or just watching the game is what the future may hold. Technology is moving at an incredible pace with apps translating more and more of our daily routines into programs.
What will be created tomorrow? What will bring the game closer to us or us closer to it? How will it change the way we watch the game? While it may not happen next season or the one after, be sure that technology will continue to change the way we watch the game in the future and how much we pay for it.