Marquee Sports Network, the regional sports network home of the Chicago Cubs, faces a pivotal carriage renewal negotiation with Comcast, with the current deal expiring in September.
The channel’s top executive, Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney, told Chicago radio station 670 the Score's Bernstein & Holmes show that he’s not confident that Marquee will maintain distribution with a pay TV provider that controls around half the channel’s reach.
“I think distribution is going to be a challenge,” Kenney said. “And I’m sure you’re going to be asking me in September, ‘Hey, what’s going on now?’ Because it’s going to be bumpy.”
The Cubs launched the channel in the middle of a pandemic back in spring 2020, a joint effort with Sinclair Broadcast Group. Marquee also launched a $20-a-month direct-to-consumer app last year, but that effort seems far away from providing enough revenue to support the channel.
Meanwhile, Comcast — which remains at a distribution impasse with 18 Bally Sports regional sports channels operated by bankrupt Sinclair subsidiary Diamond Sports Group — might not be inclined to deviate from its current trend line and break the bank for an RSN built around a 33-35 ball club currently trying to keep its mouth and nose above water in Major League Baseball's National League Central Division.
“I wish the clock was turned back to 2011,” Kenney said. “Because the market is in turmoil. You’ve got half the RSNs in bankruptcy, being rejected in their rights agreements. You got wonderful markets like Atlanta — like if you’re a Comcast subscriber in Atlanta, you can’t watch the Braves [on Bally Sports] today. If you’re a Comcast subscriber in Milwaukee, you can’t watch the [Brewers] today. If you’re a Comcast subscriber in Detroit, another great baseball market, you can’t watch the Tigers today.”
Kenney also noted that earlier this month, Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf exited his teams’ RSN partnership with Comcast on NBC Sports Chicago. The teams, along with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, are launching a new multi-platform channel, Chicago Sports Network, in partnership with broadcaster Standard Media Group.
"Comcast has made it pretty clear that they are exiting the sports market,” Kenney added. “And half of our homes are Comcast homes. And our contract with Comcast ends in September. So trust me, the reason I spend — other than worrying about our batting average with runners in scoring position — the other thing that keeps me up all night is worrying about what’s going to happen with distribution.”
