
Higher cost, loss of over-the-air TV leave some Chicago sports fans frustrated with new CHSN-Comcast deal
When the Chicago Sports Network went live Oct. 1, it didn't have a deal to be carried by Comcast, the market's largest pay-TV provider. But it touted an old school solution – broadcasting the network over-the-air – as a way to reach new fans in Chicago.
The great free-TV regional sports network experiment lasted eight months, a sudden demise that may be creating some static among Chicago viewers that bought into the antenna solution.
The nascent sports network finally joined the Comcast lineup Friday, but on the higher-priced Ultimate tier, which costs an additional $20 per month, on top of the $20.25 regional sports network fee charged to Chicago-area subscribers each month.
In the wake of the deal, CHSN abruptly pulled the plug Monday on local TV affiliates in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, and Fort Wayne and South Bend, Indiana.
'We are excited by our recent announcement bringing CHSN to Comcast viewers across the Chicagoland area, and we have heard a great deal of enthusiastic support from those viewers,' a CHSN spokesperson said in an email. 'While we appreciate the frustration felt by OTA users in the impacted markets, we continue to make OTA available in certain areas outside of Chicagoland.'
That leaves an untold number of fans who may have purchased an indoor antenna, a new receiver or even clambered up onto a roof to hook up an outdoor antenna, with a bunch of wires and a blank TV screen where the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks once beamed into their homes.
Tom Hedstrom from Skokie, who said he's been a White Sox fan since 1952, is one of them.
'The worst thing about this deal was CHSN agreeing to pull the plug on OTA,' Hedstrom said in an email Monday.
A Comcast subscriber whose older TV was not equipped to receive the digital over-the-air broadcasts, Hedstrom bought a new receiver – at CHSN's advice – to go with his antenna, and was able to receive the network within weeks of its October launch.
But Hedstrom will now need to upgrade his Comcast subscription to continue watching CHSN
'As a result, it will cost me an additional $30 per month because I will need to change my TV service from 'Popular' to 'Ultimate' and pay the full RSN fee plus some additional tax,' Hedstrom said. 'Will I do it? Yes, but I'm unhappy about it.'
Getting on Comcast, and potentially reaching its one million Chicago-area subscribers, was nonetheless crucial for CHSN.
A joint venture between the Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks and Nashville, Tennessee-based Standard Media, CHSN went live Oct.1 on pay-TV platforms DirecTV and Astound, and over the air in Chicago and several other markets. It added streaming service FuboTV and its own direct-to-consumer app, but was unable to strike a deal with Comcast, the market's largest pay-TV provider.
In Chicago, CHSN leased two digital subchannels of WJYS-Ch. 62, a full-powered UHF TV station licensed to Hammond, to broadcast the sports network in high-definition to anyone that could capture the signal with a TV antenna.
About 15% of the 3.46 million homes in the Chicago market watch TV using an antenna, according to Nielsen. Beyond reception limitations, some viewers with older TVs needed to buy new receivers to get the picture, a problem CHSN addressed on its website.
Prior to launching the network, Jason Coyle, president of Chicago Sports Network, told the Tribune the over-the-air platform was an integral part of the strategy to 'reimagine' regional sports networks amid cord cutting and declining pay-TV subscribers.
But the over-the-air offering proved to be a stumbling block in negotiations with Comcast, which balked at paying carriage fees to CHSN for programming some viewers could get for free.
Comcast also pushed for moving CHSN to its more expensive Ultimate tier, something it has done with other regional sports networks across the U.S. in recent months. The Marquee Sports Network, the pay-TV home of the Cubs, remains on the lower-priced basic tier, at least for now.
CHSN went live Friday on Comcast Channel 200, where its predecessor NBC Sports Chicago, resided until last fall. For Comcast customers on the lower-priced basic plan, Channel 200 bears a message that CHSN requires a subscription upgrade to watch.
Comcast declined to say how many Chicago-area customers currently subscribe to the Ultimate plan.
'We don't provide the percentage of customers on Ultimate but can confirm that many sports fans already subscribe to the Ultimate TV level of service because of its comprehensive sports channel lineup,' a Comcast spokesperson said in an email Monday.
Going live on Comcast Friday may have already given CHSN a boost in ratings. Sources said Friday's primetime audience for the Sox-Royals game was up 66% over the previous week's Sox-Orioles broadcast, which was prior to Comcast joining the pay-TV lineup.
Marc Ganis, a Chicago-based sports marketing consultant, said it was nonetheless unlikely that many subscribers will upgrade to the Ultimate plan amid another losing White Sox campaign, with the team sporting the worst record in the American League through 66 games.
He said subscription upgrades will likely pick up when the teams do better.
'It will be one of those rare examples when the customers will speak very loudly with their purchases deciding when and whether they choose to pay up or not for the sports package upgrade,' Ganis said.
While cheered by many, the new carriage deal has nonetheless created some static among Chicago sports fans, especially those who took the antenna plunge, and now are being asked to pay up to see CHSN on Comcast.
Erin Blasko, a longtime Sox fan living in South Bend, watched CHSN over-the-air on the digital subchannel of local affiliate WHME-TV.
'I'm disappointed to learn CHSN is ending its OTA broadcasts,' Blasko said in an email. 'The Sox and other MLB teams should be expanding — not shrinking – opportunities for fans to watch games at all price levels.'
While Comcast is available on the Ultimate tier in South Bend, Blasko, who hasn't subscribed to the cable provider 'in more than 15 years,' plans to sign up for the $19.99 per month CHSN streaming app to keep watching the Sox this season.
Keith Williams, a Comcast Ultimate subscriber who lives in north suburban Lake Forest, bought a $70 amplified indoor antenna in September as a backup for when his cable service goes out. It ended up in the starting lineup, delivering CHSN amid the protracted Comcast blackout through the entire Bulls and Blackhawks seasons, and a chunk of the current White Sox season.
While CHSN is now live on his cable plan, Williams said the cost to watch the regional sports network has risen enough for him to consider other pay-TV options.
'Sad though that Comcast forced them to take OTA service away from people … and especially away from people who will find $500 per year to be a substantial or overwhelming burden on their family budgets,' Williams said in an email.
Meanwhile, David Perlman, a Comcast Ultimate subscriber in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, was never able to get the CHSN over-the-air broadcasts. He tried an old roof antenna, bought a new antenna and eventually gave up as both the Bulls and Hawks seasons slipped away.
On Friday, CHSN magically appeared in his Comcast channel lineup. But Perlman said doesn't plan to tune in until the Bulls and Hawks return to action.
'Being a lifelong Cubs fan, I have no particular use now for their station until the fall, when next season begins for both teams,' Perlman said.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com

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At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on and on our X handle ( India… — Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025 The crash occurred when the aircraft was taking off, television channels reported. Visuals showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. Police officers shared that the plane crashed in a civilian area near the airport. For more on the Air India plane crash, read here. Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter has surprised fans with the announcement of her seventh studio album, Man's Best Friend, set for release on 29 August, 2025. Carpenter shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday (11 June) along with a photo of her on hands and knees in a black mini dress and black heels. Meanwhile, a man, which is cut out of the photo, is grabbing a her hair. 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Non-UOB cardmembers can sign up for the waitlist now to gain access to the waitlist pre-sale that will start on Tuesday (24 June) 10am. There will be a 15 per cent discount during this pre-sale. The public sale will start on Thursday (26 June) at 12pm, and will be available through Marina Bay Sands Ticketing, SISTIC and Klook. There will be a 10 per cent early bird discount. The concert tour just wrapped up its Australia dates and have now moved to Asia. It opens in Taiwan on Thursday (12 June), with its next stops being Japan and China. Cast details for the Singapore leg of the concert tour have yet to be confirmed or revealed. An Australian man was arrested after he allegedly shoplifted twice in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 1. On 11 June, the police said in a statement that they were alerted to a case of shop theft at a duty-free Shilla Cosmetics and Perfumes store at about 11.30pm. Investigations revealed that a man allegedly took a display bottle of facial product, valued at $466, and left without paying. Officers from the Airport Police Division identified the man and he was arrested on 1 June. Police also believe that the man is involved in another case of shop theft, also at Shilla Cosmetics and Perfumes, that occurred on 27 May. For more on the man's alleged shop theft spree, read here. An 85-year-old woman died after an accident involving a Comfort taxi near Kallang MRT on 10 June. The police were alerted at 10.35am to the accident on Lorong 1 Geylang towards Upper Boon Keng Road. The woman was unconscious and brought to Tan Tock Seng Hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force where she died. The 68-year-old male driver has been arrested for careless driving causing death, said the police on 11 June. For more on the accident near Kallang MRT, read here. 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The Singapore-based airlines, operated by Qantas Group, announced on Wednesday (11 June) morning that it would be ceasing operations from 31 July. They added that Jetstar Asia flights would be operating with a "progressively reduced schedule". For a customer identified as Daniel, he told CNA that he didn't realise the schedule would be "progressively reduced" prior to its closure. Hence, he thought his two planned trips in July – one to Bangkok, another to Okinawa - would not be affected. On Wednesday morning, though, he received an email confirming that his trip to Bangkok was cancelled, so he made plans to book another flight. Daniel said the email also included his "specific booking reference". Yet, when his friend called the Jetstar Asia's hotline, they were told the flight was still going ahead as planned. He now feels uncertain about his flight to Okinawa and it's not clear which flights would be cut from Jetstar Asia's schedule before it closes. 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