If you want to make friends, give people something they want for free.
That isn’t the only rationale behind Chicago Sports Network’s decision to make its programming available in high definition 24/7 on over-the-air TV when it launches Oct. 1. But that’s how many received it.
The move gives anyone with an antenna within reach of WJYS-Channel 62’s signal access to the new home of the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks. The only distributor with a carriage agreement is DirecTV, which will offer CHSN via satellite, DirecTV Stream and U-Verse.
Comcast, the largest cable provider in the market, has yet to sign on. Same with live streaming services such as Fubo, Hulu and YouTube. So it’s nice for fans to know that, with the purchase of an archaic yet practical device, they won’t miss their teams’ games.
But there’s an aspect to this that has CHSN walking a fine line between business models.
In the age of cord-cutting, CHSN is positioning itself to benefit from the broadest distribution possible, which is broadcast TV. Though it costs the network to lease subchannels 62.2 and 62.3 from Millennial Telecommunications, CHSN can offset that through advertising. CHSN also is looking to expand within its OTA territory, which would put its advertising in front of more people and make it more valuable.
But in offering its signal for free, CHSN must be careful not to irritate distributors, whose subscriber fees will remain an important part of the network’s revenue. OTA isn’t meant to replace pay TV. It’s to service the small percentage of households that can’t afford or don’t have pay TV.
CHSN is not advocating cord-cutting. It wants the regional sports network model to remain viable as long as possible. The challenge is cutting a deal while that model is falling apart. What’s more, Comcast has been moving RSNs to its pricier Ultimate TV tier because of the high cost of carrying sports.
Eventually, CHSN will offer a direct-to-consumer service. Again, it will have to be careful not to anger distributors, but they see what’s happening. More sports viewers are turning to streaming, and more sports programmers are returning to broadcast. Meanwhile, the cable and satellite folks in the middle are trying to revamp the model.
In the meantime, CHSN will keep plugging away at carriage agreements. After all, the easiest way for fans to get the channel is to give it to them wherever they are. It’s more convenient for cable customers to turn on their system than it is to purchase an antenna at a hardware store, as mundane as that is.
But keep in mind, this all takes time. And the network bought itself some with the OTA carriage. Negotiations often need a deadline to be completed. In 2020, the Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network launched Feb. 22, but it didn’t air on Comcast’s Xfinity system until the pandemic-delayed Opening Day on July 24. Would Comcast pass on the Hawks’ preseason like it did the Cubs’ exhibition season? We’ll see soon enough.
We’ll also see whether other live-TV streaming services will carry CHSN. NBC Sports Chicago, which will shut down Sept. 30 after carrying the Sox, Bulls and Hawks for 20 years, has been available on DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu and YouTube. Such carriage is unlikely for CHSN. Marquee, for example, is available only on DTV Stream and Fubo.
And that makes CHSN’s over-the-air gesture truly over the top.