The official announcement of the new broadcast partnership between the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox came on Monday, but it didn't provide many new details.
We know that all three teams will no longer be with NBC Sports Chicago. They have a name for the network, Chicago Sports Network (CHSN), which will be in partnership with Standard Media Group.
Almost everything else is unknown, including the channel name, talent, and how to watch.
With so much unclear about this new channel, let's address the biggest remaining questions.
What does air mean and how do you find it?
Free over-the-air streaming will be the new channel's biggest selling point… if you can find it.
All TVs have been mandated since 2006 to have digital tuners, but they still need an antenna to watch over-the-air programming. Your TV may already have a built-in antenna, but not all TVs do. Therefore, it requires purchasing one.
Once you have the antenna issue resolved, you will have to find how to access it on your TV. Your best bet is probably to search online for how to do this with your TV. The process usually involves scanning your TV for channels that your antenna can pick up in your location. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube and elsewhere.
Where else will you be able to find the network?
The teams expect to port with most cable providers, but the biggest hurdle will be Comcast, Chicago's largest cable provider. One of the main advantages of broadcasting the team on NBC Sports Chicago (originally called Comcast SportsNet Chicago) was that Comcast carried them and the channel was not placed in the more expensive cable tier. Given Comcast's recent negotiations with Bally Sports, this could present a challenge for the new channel.
Although fewer people are signing up for Comcast than in past years, it remains a vital platform in the Chicago area, and will certainly be a priority for all three teams. The Cubs released Marquee without a transfer on Comcast and did not reach an agreement until before the pandemic-delayed 2020 Opening Day.
Is there any opportunity for an app and a direct-to-consumer subscription option?
It doesn't seem to be an option anytime soon. It took the Cubs three years to get that off the ground for Marquee, but you might think it's a priority.
The Vegas Golden Knights may have provided the perfect road map. The Golden Knights' broadcasts are available over-the-air through a deal with Scripps Sports, but they also created a streaming-only option, which began last year. Fans can pay $69.99 this season to stream all 69 games broadcast locally.
Of course, the Blackhawks will have national games on TNT or ESPN. In the past, the Blackhawks have been allowed to broadcast some games locally that were also broadcast nationally, so it will be interesting to see how the Blackhawks and the league handle that as the NHL will want to put Connor Bedard in front of a national audience more often.
The Bulls and the White Sox? Not much. The networks don't claim teams owned by Jerry Reinsdorf.
How will you find games outside of the Chicago market?
It'll probably be easier to watch the Blackhawks if you're out of market by simply paying for each league's streaming service (NHL Center Ice/ESPN+, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass). As long as you're outside your local market, you won't be excluded from locally broadcast Blackhawks games — the same goes for the Bulls and White Sox with NBA and MLB packages.
Who will be the talent?
Changes to in-game broadcasts are unlikely because teams employ these people. Teams will now have more say in studio talent. It would make sense for teams to try to bring together a lot of the people who worked at NBC Sports Chicago, but that's not a given. The Cubs decided to bring in several new faces when they went on their own, but in some cases, they didn't have much of a choice as some people decided to stay at NBC.
The network has appointed Jason Cowell to be its president. He was previously president of the stadium. This may bring some clarity to the trend.
“As we set out to design the network, we began and ended every discussion with a simple question: What is best for our fans?” Cowell said in a statement. “What is the best approach to distribution? How can we push the boundaries of in-game and studio production? We plan to serve our fans on as many platforms and in as many markets as our rights allow.”
Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen should be able to get a nice payday. He's in Charles Barkley's position as the main attraction at the Sox' pregame and postgame shows. He and host Chuck Garfien are more fun than the actual product. The Bulls' trio of Jason Goff, Will Perdue and Kendall Gill is also excellent.
As for the Bulls game announcers, Adam Amin and Stacey King are the Bulls' guards. They bring honesty and entertainment to an unassuming product. Meanwhile, the White Sox's new play-by-play announcer, John Shriven, is off to a very rough start. How long will Steve Stone want to keep playing games? The Sox booth may be due for a makeover with a new net.
The Blackhawks will undoubtedly try to keep some of their team in the studio together. Calle Chelios is employed by the team and has become more comfortable the past few seasons. Pat Boyle has always been loved by fans and has proven that he can carry the show himself if necessary. Charlie Roumeliotis has emerged as a multi-faceted reporter, including in the studio. Tony Granato has extensive experience and seemed comfortable in the studio. The Blackhawks weren't happy with what John Scott said about Corey Perry's exit, but fans seemed to like Scott's honesty.
What does the release date mean for the Blackhawks' preseason?
If the network launches in October, as stated in Monday's announcement, it will not be ready for the start of the Blackhawks' preseason schedule. This may not be a big deal in the big picture, but it was strange last season that Connor Bedard made his debut in the preseason and no one watched. The Blackhawks' No. 2 pick probably won't start this year in the NHL, but if he does, they'll likely want to show him in the preseason as well.
What will fill the 24-hour programming?
Commercials, most likely. In the final days of NBC Sports Chicago, the channel cut most ancillary programming except Bears shows. (Expect NBC to continue covering the Bears, especially with all the hype surrounding the team.) But aside from the ads, the alignment with Stadium, which has a few national shows, will fill the extra hours on the new channel. Currently, the Reinsdorf-owned network partners with Marquee, but that is expected to change. Don't expect much from documentaries. Can they bring back David Kaplan and his roundtable show for veteran journalists?
It all seems rushed. actually?
This is how it works, usually. Speaking with NBC Sports Chicago reporters and camera operators in recent months, they were waiting for news just like everyone else.
What's happening to NBC Sports Chicago?
Once the Cubs left and NBC started de-emphasizing local sports, this was bound to happen. The NBC Sports Chicago crew has been solid and done a good job for two decades. But there had been layoffs and firings for years before this moment. Hopefully the good people still working will find homes in the new network.
(Photo: Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
