The main entrance marquee outsideWrigley Field, from which the channel derives its name
On November 16, 2015, in an interview withWSCR radio, the Cubs' president of business operations Crane Kenney stated that the team was seeking to launch its own in-house regional sports network after its current broadcast contracts withNBC Sports Chicago,WGN Sports, andWLS-TV expire after the2019 season.[2][3][4]
On December 18, 2018, it was reported by theChicago Sun-Times that the team was preparing to launch its RSN, "Marquee", in 2020, and thatSinclair Broadcast Group was a frontrunner to serve as managing partner.[5] Sinclair had previously attempted to purchase WGN's parent companyTribune Media, and ran the national sports networkStadium with the White Sox's investment armSilver Chalice, prior to selling its stake to Silver Chalice in 2023. The venture was officially announced in February 2019 to be launched in 2020 with Sinclair.[6][7]
On May 22, 2019, Michael McCarthy was named general manager of the Marquee Sports Network after being the Cubs' consultant on the channel.[8] He is the former president of theMSG Network[8] and a former top official with theMilwaukee Bucks (COO) and theSt. Louis Blues (vice chairman).[9]
On August 22, 2019, a consortium of Sinclair andEntertainment Studios acquiredFox Sports Networks for $10.6 billion, thus making Marquee a sister to them (FSN previously operated aChicago network, but it became defunct when Chicago's professional teams abandoned it in favor of a joint venture withComcast—currently known asNBC Sports Chicago). The divestiture was mandated as part ofDisney's acquisition of21st Century Fox, who chose not to retain the networks under its successorFox Corporation.[10][11]
Early reception of Marquee was mixed by fans, culminating in fans booing Cubs chairmanTom Ricketts during the annual Cubs Convention in 2020 after mention of the new network.[12][13]
Marquee Sports Network officially launched on February 22, 2020, at 1 p.m.CT, with its first program being a launch special hosted by actor and Cubs fanBill Murray, followed by a documentary onErnie Banks. The channel aired its first livespring training game against theOakland Athletics atSloan Park later in the day; the game had been postponed from the afternoon due to the threat of rain.[1][14] However, because the start of the season was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, its first regular-season game was not until July 24, 2020.[15]
In October 2020, theChicago Bears began a partnership with the channel. As part of the agreement, the channel would air a weekly show named "Bear Essentials" as well as a replay of that week's Bears game throughout the season.[16]
Marquee's Cubs broadcasts underwent tweaks for the 2021 season. Alongside its new play-by-play voiceJon Sciambi, the network would no longer require commentators to wear a suit and tie on-air (a mandate made during the inaugural season by executives insisting that Marquee's broadcasts have a "national network quality"), and replaced an unorthodox bottom-centeredscore bar it had used during the first season with a more traditional scoreboard in the top-left of the screen (a move which also differentiated Marquee from its newly-relaunched sister networks in theBally Sports group, whose on-air branding was derived from that of Marquee, but with an equally-unorthodox integration of a scoreboard andticker).[17]
The network would use the slogan "We get it" in a marketing campaign to promote the new Cubs season and these tweaks.[18][19][20]
In May 2022, theChicago Sky announced a multi-year broadcast agreement with the network.[21] Prior to the 2025 season, the Sky announced thatThe U would be its exclusive broadcast partner, ending the team's relationship with Marquee.[22]
In July 2023, Marquee launched a standalone in-market streaming service priced at $19.99 a month. With the service's launch, Marquee also upgraded its streaming video quality to 1080p.[23] Later that year, in September, the Chicago Bears expanded their partnership with the channel and announced that Marquee would be the team's Official Postgame Show Partner, with the new program being named "The Official Bears Postgame Live". The network would also launch an additional weekly Bears program named "Bears Den".[24]
In 2024, Marquee became the exclusive local broadcast partner ofChicago Stars FC. The following year, the team moved its live local games toWFLD-TV, with Marquee airing reruns and other related coverage.[25]
The Cubs' previous television commentatorsLen Kasper (play-by-play) andJim "J.D." Deshaies (color) retained their roles on Marquee at the channel's launch.[26] On May 1, 2019, it was reported thatDavid Kaplan—NBC Sports Chicago studio host for Cubs games—had renewed his contract with the channel, dispelling rumors that he planned to join Marquee.[27] Cole Wright, formerly ofNFL Network, was to serve as studio host, and Taylor McGregor, formerly field reporter for the Colorado Rockies onAT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, was to serve as field reporter.[28] The channel also brought on Bob Vorwald, former executive producer of WGN Sports.[1]
After the 2020 season, Kasper left the Cubs and Marquee to become the radio voice of theChicago White Sox onWMVP.[29]Jon Sciambi, then a television and radio play-by-play voice onESPN's MLB national broadcasts, was hired to replace Kasper.[30]Beth Mowins and longtime Cubs radio broadcasterPat Hughes served as fill-in announcers when Sciambi was not available,[31] until 2025, when it was announced thatAlex Cohen would be Sciambi's full-time back-up.[32]
Chris Myers worked as a backup play-by play man for Cubs TV games from 2021-2023.
Due to NFL rules, these programs only run within the Chicago Bears' broadcast area, with alternate programming airing on the network outside of this area.
The Official Bears Postgame Live (after every Bears game)
A package ofConference USA football and men’s basketball produced by Stadium until the conference ended its relationship with the network following the 2022-2023 season
Marquee is broadcast in five states, particularlyIllinois (with the exception ofSouthern Illinois), most ofIowa, easternNebraska, all ofIndiana except areas near the Ohio River, and Kenosha County, Wisconsin. The broadcasting areas for each state are listed below.
Upon the announcement of the channel, the network's ability to gain carriage was compared to the troubled negotiations of theLos Angeles Dodgers'SportsNet LA.[42] Industry observer Phillip Swan thought Marquee would have a "50-50 chance of working" while commenting "How can you not look at the disaster of the SportsNet (LA) scene and not be a little skeptical?"[43] Charter has since come to terms with DirecTV to carry SportsNet LA.[44]
Industry experts predicted that Marquee would seek around $5 per subscriber placing it behindYES Network andESPN.[43] Sinclair secured Marquee's first major carriage agreement with Charter Communications on July 11, 2019. As part of the multi-year carriage agreement, Marquee was bundled alongside Sinclair's owned-and-operated television stations,Tennis Channel and the regional Fox Sports Networks that Sinclair was in the process of buying from Disney at the time.[45]
On October 17, 2019, AT&T agreed to carry Marquee on its television services (including DirecTV, the second largest provider serving the region behind Comcast) as part of a larger, multi-year carriage agreement with Sinclair.[46][47] Sinclair later reached a deal with Mediacom on November 6, 2019, to carry Marquee Sports Network.[47] On February 17, 2020, the network announced an agreement to carry the network on Hulu's live streaming service.[48] On February 27, the network announced an agreement withWOW cable.[49]
Comcast, the largest television provider in the region (with an estimated 1.5 million subscribers),[50] reached an agreement to carry Marquee on July 24 (in time for the Cubs' opening game) as part of a larger renewal for Sinclair-owned television stations and cable networks.[51]
Until May 2022, Marquee's deal with DirecTV was for in-market coverage only. Unlike many other regional sports networks, Marquee was not included in DirecTV's Sports Pack, which carries RSNs nationwide with appropriate blackouts of professional events. That changed May 9, 2022, with the announcement that Marquee would be available nationwide with the Sports Pack, albeit with the appropriate blackouts.[52]
Dish Network andYouTube TV (which has indicated they have no deal for Marquee's sister RSNs after February 29 and would remove them from the platform on that date) have not reached an agreement with Sinclair to carry Marquee Sports Network.[47]
In October 2024, it was reported that the channel had not yet reached a new deal with Comcast after its four-year agreement had expired, and had continued to be carried through short-term extensions.[53] Ultimately a deal was struck in July 2025, with Comcast announcing that the channel would be moving from the Popular Tier to the Ultimate Tier following the end of the 2025 regular season.[54]
Additionally, Marquee also has the rights to the games for the Cubs'Minor League Baseball clubs, including the Iowa Cubs and the South Bend Cubs, ending deals with local broadcast subchannels to leverage Iowa and northern Indiana cable systems into carrying the network.[1] Despite airing some minor league games from the Tennessee Smokies and Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Marquee is not available in Tennessee nor South Carolina.
** Owned by third parties and operated by Sinclair through various operating agreements. *** Owned by Sinclair and operated byMarquee Broadcasting. JV Joint venture.
