Chicago Cubs’ Upcoming Marquee Sports Network Signs Deal to Stream Games on Hulu
The Marquee Sports Network — an upcoming regional sports network to be operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Chicago Cubs — announced today that they signed a deal with Hulu. This means that fans from Chicago can watch the game on TV, mobile devices and computers without needing a cable subscription.
“We are thrilled to partner with Hulu and add them to our growing list of over 30 affiliates who will carry the network,” Mike McCarthy, Marquee’s general manager, said in a statement.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get $10 Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| Marquee Sports Network | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
The Marquee network will also offer at least 145 regular and 28 spring training games — by far the most Cactus League games ever broadcast by a Cubs TV partner, according to the Chicago Tribune. In addition, Cubs fans will have access to expanded pregame and postgame coverage, classic broadcasts from the archives and other programming on the network. Though 12 games are reserved for national broadcasts, Marquee will be the exclusive local TV home this season, since the Cubs parted ways with NBC Sports Chicago.
“Marquee is set to run on cable providers AT&T and RCN, but has no deal yet with Comcast, the Chicago area’s largest traditional cable provider,” The Chicago Tribune reports. A representative from Comcast stated the company is currently reviewing a proposal from Marquee as the Cubs regular season opens March 26.
The Hulu and Marquee Sports Network Deal comes months after it was announced that the MLB had revised its media rights agreements. In December, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said teams had “approved unanimously a revised interactive media rights agreement.” The goal for the revised agreement “was the return of certain in-market digital rights — the rights that have essentially become substitutional with broadcast rights — those rights will return to the clubs.”
The Marquee Sports Network launches on Feb. 22.