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?