CHICAGO—A new regional sports network has been announced with the news that the Chicago Sports Network, CHSN, will launch in October across multiple platforms with plans to deliver the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox games to the public.
NBC Sports Chicago had been the TV home to the three professional teams.
CHSN will launch in October with Blackhawks and Bulls preseason games. The first CHSN White Sox game will be broadcast in 2025. All remaining 2024 White Sox games will continue to be broadcast on NBC Sports Chicago.
CHSN is a joint venture among the three teams and Standard Media and will reach an expanded Midwest footprint, including most of Illinois, and parts of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin, pending league approvals.
The network will launch with agreements in place with traditional cable providers, streaming services and be available via free, over-the-air broadcast, the owners said.
CHSN will deliver more than 300 live Blackhawks, Bulls and Sox games annually, along with first-class pre-and-post game coverage, and 24/7 multisport programming.
“As we set out to design the network, we began and ended every discussion with the simple question: What is best for our fans?” said Jason Coyle, who has been named president of the network after serving in Chicago-based sports media leadership roles for more than 20 years, most recently as president of Stadium. “What is the best approach to distribution? How can we push the limits of both in-game and studio production? We plan to serve our fans on as many platforms and in as many markets as our rights allow.”
The teams’ partner, Standard Media, owns four media stations, from Rhode Island to Nebraska. Based in Nashville, its leaders have decades of experience negotiating distribution deals with cable and streaming services.
CHSN will broadcast from production studios located in both Chicago’s United Center and Guaranteed Rate Field.
The network is in the midst of building out its staff and has begun hiring. More information is available at CHSN.com.
