Chicago Sports Network

Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) is an American regional sports network owned by Standard Media, the Wirtz Corporation, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls and White Sox franchises. It launched after the teams' contracts with NBC Sports Chicago expired on October 1, 2024.

The network is distributed via multiple platforms, including via subchannels of broadcast television stations within its teams' broadcast regions, agreements with pay television providers, and a direct-to-consumer app.

History

In 2004, Jerry Reinsdorf, Bill Wirtz, and the Tribune Company—the owners of the Bulls and White Sox, Blackhawks, and Cubs respectively—formed a new regional sports network with Comcast known as Comcast SportsNet Chicago (later named NBC Sports Chicago). The network was jointly owned by the four teams, while Comcast held a 30% stake and handle operations. The Cubs departed the network after 2019, forming Marquee with Sinclair Broadcast Group as the exclusive broadcaster of all regional Cubs games; that same year, NBC Sports Chicago signed a five-year extension with the Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox, making it the exclusive home of all three teams through the end of the 2023–24 season.

In April 2024, the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' reported that the three teams were in negotiations with Stadium to assume their regional rights after the conclusion of their contract with NBC Sports Chicago. Stadium is owned by the White Sox's investment arm Silver Chalice and had previously been a joint venture with Sinclair until they sold their stake in 2023. In May 2024, ''The Athletic'' subsequently reported an agreement with Standard Media that would involve a newly launched multi-platform regional sports network; the ''Sun-Times'' later reported that Standard Media would primarily serve as a funding and distribution partner and that Stadium was to serve as the teams' new home.

On June 3, 2024, the three teams and Standard Media officially announced Chicago Sports Network, led by former Stadium CEO Jason Coyle. Unlike most regional sports networks, Chicago Sports Network is available over-the-air and through pay-TV and streaming services. Social media accounts used by NBC Sports Chicago transitioned to being operated by Chicago Sports Network at the end of September 2024.

Programming

Chicago Sports Network holds the regional television rights to the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball, the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, the NBA's Chicago Bulls and the NBA G League's Windy City Bulls. The network produces its pre-game and post-game shows in studios in the United Center and Rate Field.

Chicago Sports Network's flagship program is ''The Chicago Lead'', a daily sports program covering all Chicago sports teams including local college and high school sports. In addition, the network also airs ''The Big College Football Show'' and ''The Big Pro Football Show'', focusing on college football and the National Football League, respectively.

The network's common motif is using the six-pointed star and colors of Chicago's municipal flag within its graphical elements. The network attempted to switch to placing the Chicago team's score first within its debut game graphics (traditionally reserved for the visiting team in order to place 'Chicago's teams first', as was described on-air), but was switched back to the traditional visitor/home presentation after viewer feedback (and derision, especially when the Chicago team was behind and losing); the scoreboard, presented vertically in the top-left corner and obstructing the left basket, was also switched to a traditional bottom-right bug.

Carriage

Pay-TV

On September 12, 2024, it was reported that the network was nearing its first carriage agreement with DirecTV that would have it taking over the channel positions formerly occupied by NBC Sports Chicago. On September 18, the agreement with DirecTV was confirmed. On September 30, the network reached an agreement with Astound RCN, and streaming service Fubo was added on October 25. The network was also added to NITCO in Northwest Indiana and MTCO, a small regional internet and streaming-TV provider in Central Illinois.

Carriage on Dish Network, which has shifted to refusing RSN carriage due to high distribution fees, is not expected to be pursued. Carriage on YouTube TV is also not expected to be pursued due to their lack of interest in adding RSNs.

In April 2025, it was reported that WGN-TV was interested in carrying a subset of CHSN's games.

Comcast negotiations

On October 10, 2024, it was reported that negotiations were ongoing between CHSN and Comcast, the Chicago area's primary cable TV provider. Both parties were unable to reach an agreement prior to the network's launch due to a dispute over tier placement. CHSN stated that it had reduced its fee to below what NBC Sports Chicago was receiving from Comcast but still had yet to receive an offer. As a result of the ongoing negotiations, CHSN had withheld its standalone streaming app, as CHSN believed its release would further hinder a deal with Comcast. By the end of October, CHSN had sent three offers to Comcast but received no offer in return, with its third offer including a move to Comcast's Ultimate tier and a much lower fee than NBC Sports Chicago's. In March 2025, a report in the ''Chicago Tribune'' suggested that Comcast was insisting on the discontinuation of CHSN's over-the-air broadcasts to finalize a deal. On June 4, 2025, it was announced that Comcast and CHSN agreed to a tentative deal to put CHSN on Comcast’s ultimate tier. The network launched on June 6 on the cable provider on channel 200, NBC Sports Chicago's former channel number.

Over-the-air

On September 15, 2024, Chicago Sports Network announced its over-the-air coverage in the Chicago market through a two-channel lease for the main channel and an overflow channel (both in 1080i high definition) on the digital subcarriers of WJYS (channel 62), a station licensed to Hammond, Indiana, with full-market coverage from the Willis Tower. The subchannels for CHSN via WJYS originally required an ATSC tuner that supports the more compact MPEG-4 video codec, but as a result of complaints WJYS switched to the more widely-available MPEG-2 in January 2025. Coverage on Gray Television stations in Rockford and South Bend were announced on October 1. Coverage on Family Broadcasting Corporation station WHMB in Indianapolis was announced on October 17.

Because the network's coverage area over-the-air outside the Chicago market conflicts with the rights to other teams, alternate blackout programming or a blank "Current programming not available" message is transmitted to those stations when games air. No game coverage airs in Milwaukee due to conflicts with the Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks, along with the Minnesota Wild. For the same reason, only Chicago Bulls game coverage airs in West Michigan due to the presence of Detroit's own teams, including the Tigers and Red Wings. It is unknown why Bulls games air in West Michigan.

Mark Lazerus, the Blackhawks beat writer for ''The Athletic,'' claimed that CHSN's over-the-air signal in Chicago sometimes left much to be desired. Lazerus wrote that watching CHSN via channel 62 over-the-air required an antenna mounted in a high position aimed at Willis Tower. Even then, he said, the picture quality was "glitchier than scrambled late-night cable was in the 1980s." Lazerus added that the over-the-air signal was all but unviewable in rainy or windy conditions.

Due to conflicts with both a Bulls and a White Sox game, a CHSN-produced Blackhawks game in April 2025 aired instead on WCIU-TV.

As a result of Comcast's agreement to carry the network, CHSN dropped all of its OTA affiliates within Illinois and some in the neighboring states at midnight on June 9, 2025. Some of its stations replaced it with Stadium.

Direct-to-consumer streaming service

On November 14, 2024, CHSN unveiled its DTC streaming app with pricing set at $19.99 per month for one team or $29.99 per month for full access to the network, including non-team programming. The app also allows eligible pay-TV subscribers to use their pay-TV credentials.

References

External links

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RabbitEars OTA List

{{Chicago White Sox

Television stations in Chicago
Television channels and stations established in 2024
Chicago White Sox
Chicago Bulls
Chicago Blackhawks
Sports television networks in the United States
2024 establishments in Illinois