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Blackhawks/Bulls/White Sox to leave NBC Sports Chicago

R

Rollo-Smokes

As per The Athletic, three Chicago major league teams who presently call NBC Sports Chicago home will be moving on later this year.

(The article is behind a pay wall.)

"Standard Media Group in partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox will be the new television broadcast home for all three teams beginning in October, according to an internal document obtained by The Athletic.

"The media group is expected to make the network, which is unnamed, available across 'multiple platforms,' including over-the-air and carriage agreements with cable and streaming providers.

"NBC Sports Chicago is the current broadcast home for the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox. The teams’ contract with NBC Sports expires in October.

"Standard Media Group, which is based in Nashville, Tenn., is a local broadcast and digital media company. According to its website, the group has television stations in Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Rhode Island.

"The new network will not be associated with Stadium, a multi-platform network, which Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf purchased majority control of in 2023."
 
Why would Reinsdorf and Wirtz give up control of the broadcast rights to their teams, unless there's a merger going on here? Majority ownership of broadcast rights goes back to the original SportsVision in the '80s, passing to Fox Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Chicago. They always owned 75% of the companies.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
"The new network will not be associated with Stadium, a multi-platform network, which Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf purchased majority control of in 2023."
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Interesting. This was reported a year ago:

www.nexttv.com

Sinclair Sells Control of Stadium to Jerry Reinsdorf’s Silver Chalice

Regional rights for Reinsdorf’s Bulls and White Sox expire in 2024
www.nexttv.com www.nexttv.com

My understanding is that NBC has been trying to get out of the RSN business. But one would think that's why Reinsdorf bought Stadium.

KeithE4 said:
Why would Reinsdorf and Wirtz give up control of the broadcast rights to their teams, unless there's a merger going on here?
Click to expand...

After reading the history behind this Standard Media company, you may be right.
 
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I hope this means Bulls, Cubs and White Sox games will be back on free over the air TV in Peoria, IL. The Bulls were on local TV as of a few years ago in Peoria and Springfield, IL until all the games got moved to cable and I have not seen them play since. The same with baseball games.
 
DarrenVision said:
Do u think WCIU or Marquee might pick up especially after CW returns to WGN (once the main OTA of many Chicago area teams).
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No.

The Cubs own Marquee, and the Sox/Bulls/Blackhawks will own a majority of the new venture, whatever it becomes. I'll be shocked if any Chicago pro team other than the Bears is ever aired OTA.
 
KeithE4 said:
No.

The Cubs own Marquee, and the Sox/Bulls/Blackhawks will own a majority of the new venture, whatever it becomes. I'll be shocked if any Chicago pro team other than the Bears is ever aired OTA.
Click to expand...
Well there's also WJYS I forgot, I mean that was Standard failed to buy Tegna so I wanna see this another RSN collapse plays out. I bet if Scripps buys WJYS or probably if WCIU or Marquee makes a deal with Standard.
 
DarrenVision said:
Well there's also WJYS I forgot, I mean that was Standard failed to buy Tegna so I wanna see this another RSN collapse plays out. I bet if Scripps buys WJYS or probably if WCIU or Marquee makes a deal with Standard.
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Here we go again...

First off, this Standard Media who is partnering with the teams is a different company unrelated to the Standard General which attempted to takeover Tegna.

And again, enough with this Scripps/whomever buying a station nonsense. You obviously don't have a lot of real-world knowledge about how this business works.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
Here we go again...

First off, this Standard Media who is partnering with the teams is a different company unrelated to the Standard General which attempted to takeover Tegna.

And again, enough with this Scripps/whomever buying a station nonsense. You obviously don't have a lot of real-world knowledge about how this business works.
Click to expand...
They should stay out of media and sell the stations to Tegna instead at least in my opinion.
 
DarrenVision said:
Do u think WCIU or Marquee might pick up especially after CW returns to WGN (once the main OTA of many Chicago area teams).
Click to expand...
Marquee is owned by the Cubs. Please explain, in your educated opinion, why would they want to air White Sox games?
DarrenVision said:
They should stay out of media and sell the stations to Tegna instead at least in my opinion.
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To whom are you referring to as "they"? Care to elaborate further?
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
There's got to be a bigger endgame. Perhaps Standard Media is taking some kind of equity stake in Stadium along with launching this new venture with the teams.
Click to expand...

Your OP says the new network won't be associated with Stadium. But Standard is a small station owner with no properties in Chicago, and no experience in sports TV. Very strange. Not a company I would trust with my sports teams.
 
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