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The new Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) is the realization of a business plan based on creating a regional sports network in a period of accelerating market decline, and doing so with three pro teams that are currently among the worst in their respective leagues.
Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? CHSN’s leaders insist it’s anything but, and Tuesday’s debut of the RSN marks an intent to buck prevailing market trends and serve the Chicago market in a way it hasn’t been before.
CHSN formally begins Tuesday night with an exhibition game of the NHL’s Blackhawks, kicking off a coverage plan featuring that team, the NBA’s Bulls, and MLB’s White Sox starting with the 2025 season. Originally announced in June, CHSN marks a significant step by Jerry Reinsdorf, Bulls and White Sox owner, to take greater control of his local media fortunes.
Reinsdorf struck agreements with Tennessee-based Standard Media and the Wirtz family who owns the Blackhawks to form the CHSN joint venture, which will succeed NBC Sports Chicago. That Comcast-controlled entity had shown the three teams since 2004, and it is now shutting down.
“I get asked ‘why now?’ a lot in various ways,” Jason Coyle, the former Stadium president serving in the same role for CHSN, tells Front Office Sports. “What I find myself saying is, ‘Give us a chance. Drop in on any day, and see what we do.’ We’re going about trying to tell everyone that we’re different, and then show them.”
Distribution Matters
CHSN does not have a carriage agreement with Comcast, a dominant entity in the Chicago area, and as talks continue between the two sides, that situation will be closely watched. If a deal is struck there, it’s likely that CHSN will be placed on a more premium tier, similar to how Comcast has treated other RSNs around the country, including those owned by Diamond Sports Group.
The new RSN, however, does have distribution deals with DirecTV, now merging with Dish Network, and AT&T’s U-verse. Industry sources said another deal with Astound (formerly RCN) is imminent. CHSN also will be prioritizing over-the-air availability also increasing in favor with teams leaving the traditional RSN environment.
“We see an opportunity to start over and try to develop a different type of model,” Coyle says.
Local Focus
In addition to core game coverage of the three pro teams, CHSN will feature extensive pregame and postgame coverage based in part from a new atrium studio at the United Center, home of the Bulls and Blackhawks. A similar setup is being developed for the White Sox’ Guaranteed Rate Field. In both locales, the idea is to capture on camera a fan energy not unlike what’s seen on ESPN’s College GameDay.
CHSN’s studio programming, meanwhile, will include a battery of original content and seek a deep focus on all parts of the Chicago sports market, including high school competition. A network cornerstone will be The Chicago Lead, a nightly show featuring a variety of news, features, and analysis—and often act as the direct lead-in into team-specific pregame coverage.
“This is purpose-built for the Chicago market,” Coyle says. “Even down to the name. ‘Chicago’ hasn’t been front and center in the names of many of the other channels here. But there’s going to be a lot of custom-built programming tailored specifically to this market.”
As for the teams, the White Sox just set a modern-era MLB record for losses in a season. The Bulls have not won a playoff series since 2015 and have been in the postseason just once in the last seven years, and the Blackhawks have an active non-playoff streak going into its fifth season.
Chicago’s other RSN, Marquee Sports Network, remains in operation and is centered on its coverage of MLB’s Cubs and the WNBA’s Sky.
