Chicago Cubs: Cubs TV Network Marquee still silent on details

Chicago Cubs: What we know about the Cubs Network now

Hopefully, the few things I’ve learned about the new network will help shed some light on Marquee. For instance, did you know the name, Marquee didn’t come from some small Vegas hotel outside of Reno? Marquee appears to be the generic name for the Cub’s big marquee outside of Wrigley or the ‘Big red sign’ as my kids used to say.

The logo design is the word, “Marquee” in white surrounded by red (like the Cubs marquee…) swerved at the top like the Wrigley marquee. A miniature version of that famous marquee sign is also just inside the gates of Sloan Park, in Mesa Arizona. So I like the branding and the name because of what a marquee is; a sign with lights moving around it, that tells us who the Cubs are playing or what’s the latest news of the Cubs; just like the Marquee Sports Network will hopefully do.

There have also been whispers but not a press release, for those who weren’t paying attention too closely, that Cubs broadcasters Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies have been tapped as the on-air talent for the new Cubs Sports Network according to several reports.

Marquee started a well… let’s call it ‘placeholder’ website at www.marqueesportsnetwork.com that boldly says upfront, Future TV home of the Chicago Cubs, coming in February 2020 and then a link to contact them ( I actually did and asked about programming outside of Chicago – no answer yet of course!) There is also a quick link blurb about the Marquee Sports Network Studio Experience which we’ll talk about shortly but that’s it! That is a pretty scarce website for a network going hot in five months.

Additionally, Marquee also recently developed The Marquee Sports Network Studio Experience at Gallagher Way. In a July Press Release, Marquee stated:

Cubs fans have the opportunity to test their sports broadcasting skills by jumping behind the anchor desk to produce their own Cubs highlight reel. A director will prep fans on how to read from a teleprompter and with a quick countdown, fans will experience the rush of a live taping by announcing exciting Cubs highlights.

I really like this too! It’s like going the extra mile for fans. You could have them sit in the seat and then move on with nothing but memories but to give patrons a clip or a highlight reel of themselves, well that’s ‘Disney quality.’ So Marquee is doing some nice things for fans and thinking about how to innovate the experience of being a Cubs fan; all good stuff to know.

There still isn’t much talk about how out of state fans are going to see the channel and what about subscriptions and online viewing? Will that change now?

Chicago Cubs: Subscriptions for the new channel out of state?

We know that nationally, MLB controls the streaming of games through its MLB site and its MLB.tv streaming operation. Unless the Cubs were abandoning MLB as well WGN and ABC-7, the chances of not seeing Cubs games via those MLB streaming options is almost zero. Of course, depending on where you live, you’re games will still be subject to blackout but at least there’s an archive. So fans outside of Illinois, as far as Hawaii, can still see Cubs games with Len and Jim on Marquee every day but through MLB.tv, which is also good to know.

Right now, MLB.tv is offering an unbelievable (gotta see the fine print) deal to see out-of-market games. Actually, it’s:

Watch EVERY 2019 out-of-market regular season game LIVE or on demand Watch on your favorite supported devices (includes MLB At Bat Premium app) Choose home or away feeds in HD Follow Your Team now available by signing up for all teams, all games ..this product will not allow you to view live games of any in-market team.

Right now that will set you back $26.99  for 2019 (yes I know the season is almost over), but then you are locked in yearly to that price for eternity. The regular full-year price is a well-known $118.99!

For a single-team subscription – you used to pay $91.99 but right now it’s just $15.99 and then $15.99 yearly and to eternity as well. Same rules and benefits. This has got be for signing up at the end of the season but well worth it if you are out of market.

Additionally, subscribers to T-Mobile were entitled to another year of free subscription to MLB.tv in 2019 through their T-Mobile Tuesdays program. The company has not yet announced its 2020 plans. On either platform, the MLB.tv subscription is for games only and does not include all the fresh 24/7 content being promised by Marquee. So how can out of state Cubs fan get the 24/7 experience?

Marquee has not alluded to any streaming content that fans can pay and watch online, but of course, they are shopping the program among satellite carriers around the nation for a carriage fee. The question is; how many satellite providers are willing to pay for the content? In markets like Indiana, Ohio and Iowa. The Cubs believe they can do very well because of the minor league following, but nothing is guaranteed.

Although Cubs fans are nationwide, there may not be ‘enough’ fans to justify the carriage fee that the Satellite provider will have to pay Marquee to carry the network. For instance, how interested do you think the State of Texas will be in a Cubs channel?

Obviously, not very interested in considering all the Texas teams. So this can be tricky for Marquee and the possibility of losing revenue if no one’s buying their channel. We know for sure that Chicago is buying the channel and even White Sox fans will have to pay for it!

Chicago Cubs: Chicago is about to pay for NBC Sports and Marquee

In Chicago, it’s just a mess. Chicago area Cable TV fans of the Bulls, Blackhawks and the Laundry (White Sox) are already paying NBC Sports Chicago a line item fee of nearly $9 for the service in their cable bill which used to include the Cubs. Do you know that small increase in your bill? Hmmmmm.  Marquee wants to charge the same amount, $9, for dare I say,  just the Chicago Cubs channel and it’s going to happen! Not only is it going to happen but the Chicago Tribune also reported:

A source close to the Cubs projects the regional sports fee will climb to $12 or $13 per month in the Chicago area after Marquee goes live in February, with the Cubs-Sinclair network getting $6 or $7 of that total.

So Marquee will actually charge Chicago viewers almost 50% more then it costs for NBC Sports Chicago and their three teams. Marquee points to the fact that since the Cubs won it all, their ratings have been better than all three of those teams combined.

Geez, what is that like? A 150% combined monetary valuation elevation of the Cubs above the other Chicago teams broadcast image based on customers perception and the belief in a Cub fans undying need to watch? Just like that? Overnight? BAM! Now we’re worth 50% more than each of you?

You got it. We say it worth more because we say it and so will the fans. Marquee knows how much Cub fans love their team and so everyone in Chicago is about to pay plenty for the Cubs.

But what if you don’t like the Chicago Cubs?

Well, it’s just like HGTV or any other station you ignore on cable, you’re still paying for it (no offense HGTV). I love this quote the Chicago Tribune ran about how Chicago cable subscribers will pay regardless:

“They’ll not only pay more if they want to watch it, but they’ll pay more if they don’t want to watch it,” said media analyst Bruce Leichtman, president of Leichtman Research.

See what I mean? It’s a mess.

The other thing to consider is that the Chicago Bears renewed their contract with Fox32 to air the NFL team’s weekly programming for a further five years in October 2017. Fox32 is essentially WFLD and currently owned by the Fox Corporation (a company formed by the Walt Disney Company in 2019 after their acquisition of 21st Century Fox).

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Check this out: last week Sinclair Broadcasting (owns Marquee) closed a $10.6 billion deal with Disney and bought 21 Fox Regional Sports Networks to include Indiana, Ohio and the Fox Midwest networks. Who’s to say that in a couple of years of ironing out the kinks in Marquee, that Sinclair doesn’t bid on the Fox Chicago network and the Bears don’t jump on board?

I know. It’s so cliche to think of ‘Bears and Cubs’ programming, but why not? Didn’t I say earlier that Marquee is showing ‘Disney quality’? The two sports juggernauts of Chicago joining forces for the good of sports viewership and fees everywhere in the Windy City! It’s Disney, Ricketts, Marquee, Sinclair, Cubs, Bears, Fox, Oh My… singing kumbaya to the bank!

You heard it here first: a Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears channel, partnership, Tom Ricketts & Virginia Halas McCaskey, Fox RSN, Marquee; I’m telling you, people will call me the Chicago Cubs Guz-stradamus. Just remember you read it.

What if the Bears ownership says they get better ratings than all four teams? Yikes! How much would that cost fans in Chicago? Partnership over. Oh, it’s coming Cubs fans… I digress I know, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong (Guz-strad..).

Right now the focus for Marquee is sales, and that’s what the Chicago Cubs new Sports Network is doing: trying to find buyers nationwide.

All we truly know about the ‘programming’ for the new kid on the block or dare I say ‘Cubbie’ network, is that Marquee will carry the Cubs games (not all but most) and what Patrick Mooney wrote for the Athletic (Subscription required):

…the Cubs aren’t planning to design a 24/7 network with original content by next spring. Instead, the core elements during the season figure to be pre- and post-game coverage, game broadcasts, an occasional clubhouse magazine-style show and replaying, again and again, classic games from the Cubs’ library…

That’s what you’ll be getting in February most likely, and that’s where the info ends.  There’s a lot of guessing and supposing going on right now as fans and writers are talking about the Cubs YouTube channel as a model for what Marquee might be aiming at for programming material and of course Marquee is promising an ‘incredible broadcasting experience’ but no details. Who knows?

There shouldn’t be this much ambiguity for simple answers like availability, streaming, and what channel Marquee will be. That’s not ‘Disney quality.’

I hate to be throwing stones at what will probably be my favorite channel ever; that is if I can ever subscribe or see it, but hopefully pointing out a few areas of neglect might help the new Cubs Marquee Sports Network get off on the right foot.

Hey Marquee, no charge for any of the business insights, but if you get the Cubs and the Bears I want a free subscription.