Marquee

Will Xfinity be providing the new Chicago Cubs network “Marquee.” ? I have not heard anything other than they were still in talks. Any updates on this?

There is already a thread for this channel

Right now, the answer appears to be, "They're working on it, but the last anyone heard, Marquee wants way too much money per subscriber for it." (Also remember that if you don't live in the "Cubs area" of the country, any Cubs games would still be blacked out where you live.)

Hi all, 

---

@ThatDonGuy wrote:

---

@realitychick1 wrote:

I'd definitely switch to Dish or AT&T for the Cubs games. Comcast kinda stinks anyway. Had Dish a few years ago and wouldn't mind going back. I'd pay $4 or $6 a month more the Cubs.

---

Don't bother with Dish; it won't even carry NBC Sports Chicago (the Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox channel), and also hasn't made an agreement with Altitude Sports (there's a lengthy thread on this board about Comcast also not carrying it) or most of the Fox regional sports networks. I think DirecTV and AT&T already have a contract with Marquee.

 

There's plenty of time for Comcast and Marquee to come to an agreement; the first spring training game isn't until 2/22.

 

Well, February 22, is a matter of about 8 weeks, and seems there's been quite a few months that the Cubs and Marquee had their plans set.  Would be nice if they'd get moving.

---

---

@realitychick1 wrote:

---

Well, February 22, is a matter of about 8 weeks, and seems there's been quite a few months that the Cubs and Marquee had their plans set.  Would be nice if they'd get moving.

---

---

You must be new at this sort of thing. These things have a habit of not being settled until the last minute, if that - ask anyone who was waiting for a renewal of the Big Ten network two years ago. Also, Comcast may consider "the last minute" to be opening day, instead of the start of spring training.

However, there's a "Cubs Convention" that runs January 17-19, and there are rumors floating around that the Cubs may be waiting until then to finalize a deal and make the announcement there.

There's already a thread about this.

Short answers:
1 - Marquee Network isn't available anywhere yet - and won't be until the first Spring Training game on February 22.

2 - The last anybody heard, the station owners were asking for $4 per household from Comcast - and that's $4 per household that can watch it, not $4 per household that actually does watch it.
There might be some sort of announcement at the Cubs Convention in two weeks, but that's just a rumor.

I'd heard the same rumor about Cubs convention. That makes sense, but I'll wait and see. Yes, I am new to waiting around for this (and unnecessarily impatient).

---

@ThatDonGuy wrote:

I assume you live in the "Cubs area" - according to one map I have seen, that is Illinois (except the immediate St. Louis area), Iowa, and most of Indiana (except the immediate Cincinnati area). Otherwise, even if Comcast wanted to include Marquee, it would be required by Major League Baseball to black out any Cubs games.

 

The problem may not be entirely with Comcast. According to one Chicago Tribune article I saw, Marquee may want something like $6 per cable subscriber out of the Regional Sports Fee. Imagine how pretty much everybody who currently gets NBC Sports Chicago (for, say, Bulls or Blackhawks games) but don't follow the Cubs  would feel if they had to pay an extra $6/month.

Oh, and if you eventually do decide to switch? You probably don't want to bother with Dish; the last I heard, it turned Marquee down flat.

---

I'm being charge $8.25 monthly for Regional Sports, and I only really ever watch the Cubs. I'd gladly give up whatever else they broadcast for the Marquee Sports Network.  And that charge, by the way, is in addition to what I pay for bundled service. I'm looking at AT&T, actually.  I think I could even get TCM from AT&T without Comcast's extra charge for that anymore.

Has there been any rumors about Marquee broadcasting 4K?  I think it'd be a real mistake to start a new station and not invest in UHD right off the bat. No pun intended.

---

@Soigonh wrote:
Just want to make sure that Comcast can see this. I will be changing to att or other provider in indianapolis area if marquee sports is not on the channel lineup by March 1st. Not a threat just a reality of the timeline needed to ensure switch of services to see my beloved cubbies without missing a game

---

If you can find Phil Rosenthal's column from last Sunday's Chicago Tribune, you will see that he doesn't paint a very rosy picture for Comcast signing on anytime soon.

   Comcast has to carry the Marquee netowrk. I really don't want to switch providers just because of this. Xfinity/Comcast has been great so far. But not without the Cubs and the Marquee network. Please get it done before spring training.

Count me out on Comcast if they do not get the Marquee network. I have been with Comcast for 29 years. And will cancel if this is not resolved by the first spring game.