NBC Sports Chicago Removes Channel from DISH

[Scott Greczkowski]

NBC Sports Chicago Removes Channel from DISH and Sling TV Lineup

• NBC Sports Chicago demands payment on a guaranteed minimum number of subscribers
• NBC Sports will no longer carry the Cubs
• DISH fights back against the broken regional sports business model
• NBC Sports Chicago rejects DISH short-term extension offer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., October 1, 2019 – DISH tonight reported that NBC Sports Chicago removed its channel from DISH and Sling TV.


NBC Sports Chicago is attempting to force DISH customers to pay for its channel, whether they get the channel or not. NBC Sports is demanding payment on a guaranteed minimum number of subscribers.


“The regional sports model has been broken for years, and we’re facing a critical point in our industry,” said Andy LeCuyer, DISH senior vice president of Programming. “NBC Sports Chicago is losing its most popular content in the Cubs, while demanding payment on a guaranteed minimum number of subscribers, when only a fraction watch the channel. It simply makes no sense for our customers.”


DISH was hopeful that it would reach a mutual agreement to renew carriage NBC Sports Chicago. In that spirit, DISH offered a short-term contract extension to keep the channels available while negotiations continued, but NBC Sports Chicago refused.


DISH customers can visit DISHPromise.com for more information.

 

[Juan]

And sports continues to dwindle

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[The Fat Man]

Anyone else remember the days when one of many draws to satellite, over cable, was that RSNs were on standard packages and not premium services? Looks like Dish wants to reverse that. And, I'm for it. I already am on the flex pack. Although I'm not subbing to each channel individually, I do get more say over the channels for which I'm willing to pay.

With that said, if I lived in Chicago, I'd pay for NBC Sports Chicago.

 

[ncted]

This might suck for some sports fans in Chicago, but, seriously, RSNs need to be al a carte.

 

[comfortably_numb]

The Cubs will be on their own channel next year. Question is, who will carry it?

 

[The Fat Man]

The Cubs will be on their own channel next year. Question is, who will carry it?

Anyone who has a good buisness relationship with Sinclair Broadcasting.

Honestly, Chicago really doesn't need a second RSN. They had a great system with NBC Sports that worked for all teams. In Boston, I wish that NBC Sports Boston would shut down and the Celtics would just shift over to NESN. Unless Marquee Sports lures in the Blackhawks or Bulls, it won't last. It will have virtually no valuable programming for six months. That's the same issue with NBC Sports Boston. Outside NBA season, it has no value. That's why Dish dropped them and why nobody really blinked an eye. NESN has live sports all year between the Bruins and Red Sox. NBC Sports Chicago will still have live sports all year between three sports.

With overflow channels (RSN Plus/RSN 2) shows that we don't need two to three (in some markets) RSNs. There isn't enough programming outside live coverage to warrant this many. The Cubs (although I love them) are being greedy on this one. The same as the Dodgers before them, Yankees and Mets before them, and so on.

At least in the case of NBC Sports Boston, it started as Sports Channel New England and had both the Celtics and Hartford Whalers. When it started, it made sense.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Baseball season is over anyways, and I believe the cubs are done. So who cares right now

 

[glynnp]

Baseball season is over anyways, and I believe the cubs are done. So who cares right now

Do you have any insider info you can share on when DISH is going down ?

 

[AMike]

Anyone who has a good buisness relationship with Sinclair Broadcasting.

Honestly, Chicago really doesn't need a second RSN. They had a great system with NBC Sports that worked for all teams. In Boston, I wish that NBC Sports Boston would shut down and the Celtics would just shift over to NESN. Unless Marquee Sports lures in the Blackhawks or Bulls, it won't last. It will have virtually no valuable programming for six months. That's the same issue with NBC Sports Boston. Outside NBA season, it has no value. That's why Dish dropped them and why nobody really blinked an eye. NESN has live sports all year between the Bruins and Red Sox. NBC Sports Chicago will still have live sports all year between three sports.

With overflow channels (RSN Plus/RSN 2) shows that we don't need two to three (in some markets) RSNs. There isn't enough programming outside live coverage to warrant this many. The Cubs (although I love them) are being greedy on this one. The same as the Dodgers before them, Yankees and Mets before them, and so on.

At least in the case of NBC Sports Boston, it started as Sports Channel New England and had both the Celtics and Hartford Whalers. When it started, it made sense.

As I understand it, the Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox all re-upped with NBC Sports Chicago, so there will be no defections.

The Cubs are following the Dodgers model with Spectrum Sportsnet LA. The only difference is that the Dodgers model is operated by a cable company, and Marquee is owned by a broadcast group. I think because of the Cubs popularity, Marquee will be picked up by someone. I would suspect it would be Xfinity although that would be direct competition against it's own channel.

 

[The Fat Man]

As I understand it, the Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox all re-upped with NBC Sports Chicago, so there will be no defections.

The Cubs are following the Dodgers model with Spectrum Sportsnet LA. The only difference is that the Dodgers model is operated by a cable company, and Marquee is owned by a broadcast group. I think because of the Cubs popularity, Marquee will be picked up by someone. I would suspect it would be Xfinity although that would be direct competition against it's own channel.

Agreed. I just don't see the network being able to be sustainable in the long run if their only draw is the Cubs. There will be six months without viable programming. I feel the same with the Dodgers. With YES, at least they had the Nets (or still do) to fill out Winter programming. As I said, that's my issue with NBC Sports Boston, in the NBA offseason, there isn't much of a draw. They at least secured the WNBA and MLS to help with Summer programming. What else will Marquee have, outside the Cubs?

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Do you have any insider info you can share on when DISH is going down ?

Narrator: He does not.

 

[JerryDowning]

Several years ago, the Bulls sent Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Phil Jackson packing after their third consecutive championship. I have not attended nor watched a single game since.
Baseball season is over for the White Sox so I won't miss any games for several months.
I am still ticked off at the Blackhawks after they fired their coach last season.
Therefore I will not miss NBC Sports Chicago. (at least until April when the White Sox are back.)

 

[Joe The Dragon]

Blackhawks

The cubs should of gotten the Blackhawks and let NBC sports go back to sport vision with Jerry Reinsdorf owning it.

 

[comfortably_numb]

The Cubs have also ended their relationship with WGN after 72 years. In my opinion, the only reason the Cubs are doing all of this is to cash in on all the money ownership has spent on buying talent. When they were "The Loveable Losers," this wouldn't have happened.

I detest the Cubs as much as I detest the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Dodgers and the Angels. These are wealthy teams that just cherry pick players and try to put together winning teams off the backs of other teams' farm systems and accomplishments. Just ask the Royals- almost all of their 2015 World Series players are scattered about the rest of MLB now.

So now, instead of having an NL Central that is more evenly balanced, you have the Cubs who think they deserve to win because they spent the most money. I'm glad the Cardinals spanked them right out of the season. At least we develop most of our players, not just go out and buy them.

 

[Pere845]

The beginning of the end for RSNs on Dish?

 

[Riverpilot]

Yeah... This, FS1&2, Big Ten.. all possibly gone?
The problem with Sports Chicago is right now only Xfinity, Directv or streaming carry it. I really, REALLY don't want to go back to AT&T. Streaming for me right now, meh...

Really uncertain what I'm going to do at this point. I'm not subscribing to a service that doesn't have these 4 channels included. :sigh: