Xfinity subscribers could get Chicago Sports Network if tentative deal goes through

Comcast and the Chicago Sports Network have struck a tentative agreement to bring the channel to Xfinity subscribers in the region.

Hawks, Bulls, Sox jump NBC Sports Chicago in favor of creating their own network

The network, which goes by the initials CHSN, was launched in October 2024 and its absence from Comcast’s lineups has made it difficult for subscribers to follow multiple hometown teams’ games.

Terms of the deal were not announced, but it appears the network will be relegated to Xfinity’s highest tier, according to reports by NBC-owned WMAQ. It is also expected to be available via Xfinity Stream. The agreement is not final it’s possible it could fall through or have some of its terms changed.

CHSN is owned by Standard Media, the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Chicago Bulls (NBA) and Chicago White Sox (MLB) and essentially replaced NBC Sports Chicago, which was owned by Comcast. NBC Sports Chicago lost its rights to all three teams’ games after rights contracts expired in 2024 and shut down shortly after.

NBC Sports Chicago had been part of Xfinity’s mid-level plan, which is also where Marquee Sports Network, which is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and the city’s other MLB franchise, the Chicago Cubs. Marquee also has rights to select games from the Chicago Bears (NFL).

CHSN currently has streaming distribution deals with DirecTV Stream and FuboTV. It’s also available on DirecTV, AT&T Uverse and Astound in the Chicago region. Adding Xfinity is a significant win for the network, though its position in the priciest package offered could affect viewership. Xfinity is the region’s largest cable provider.

For fans not inclined to shell out for a traditional or streaming pay TV package, the network is also available for free over the air on Indiana-based WJYS, where it occupies 62.2 and 62.3.

CHSN also sells directly to consumers with a $19.99 a month plan, unlocking access to select games from their choice of one of its partner teams. For $10 more a month, subscribers can watch all eligible games for all three teams. 

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It was not clear why Xfinity was holding out on carrying CHSN. Sports networks do tend to charge more for providers to carry their channels, so Comcast may have simply been holding out for the best possible deal. 

Between October 2019 and early 2020, Marquee had inked deals with AT&T, Hulu + Live TV, Mediacom and WOW, but Comcast held out until July 2020, just before the Cub’s opening game for the season.

It’s also worth noting that NBC Sports Chicago also previously held the rights to Cubs games before Marquee was created. Because financial terms of carriage agreements are rarely made public, it’s not fully clear if Comcast may have had an economic advantage for carrying an RSN it owned during the days NBC Sports Chicago was operating, though there are economic realities that would support that argument. 

Xfinity’s initial lack of carriage of Marquee was widely derided in Chicagoland, with some even suggesting that Comcast was simply being a “sore loser” after it saw its rights to Cubs games go away.