The release of the Cubs broadcast schedule Thursday revealed the potential for only 60 games being shown on WGN-Ch. 9, which would tie a record low.
As of now, 64 games are slated to be shown on WGN. That number could decrease depending on games that could be picked up by ESPN or Fox. Games that aren't televised by those networks will air on WGN. Fox has the option of picking up one more game and ESPN can take three more.
Last year's schedule had a record-low 60 games shown on Channel 9, which has broadcast Cubs games since 1948. The station televised nearly every game that wasn't on the national TV schedule until 1998, when Tribune Co. moved 62 games to CLTV to accommodate the new WB Network.
Since then, the Cubs have decreased the number of games on free TV,
opting for the more lucrative cable TV networks- SportsChannel and now
Comcast Sports Net. The Ricketts family also purchased a share in
Comcast Sports Net when they bought the Cubs last October.
Many Cubs fans who don't live in the Chicago area wonder why the team doesn't televise more games on WGN, which is a superstation carried on cable systems across the country. The more games on CSN, the fewer games they get to watch.
"Certainly the superstation -- the fact that we were in 70 million homes outside of Chicago -- was in large part responsible for the national love affair between this great franchise and its fans," president Crane Kenney told fans at the Cubs Convention. "So we're very respectful of that. But the fact is, we as a club make twice as much with the games being played on cable as opposed to over-the-air television."
The Cubs also will air eight games on WCIU-Ch. 26, including the season opener in Atlanta on April 5 (WGN can't televise that game because ESPN has the exclusive national window that day). Despite the slight decrease, the 64 scheduled games on over-the-air TV are reportedly the most of any major-league team.
View the full broadcast schedule at cubs.com
Many Cubs fans who don't live in the Chicago area wonder why the team doesn't televise more games on WGN, which is a superstation carried on cable systems across the country. The more games on CSN, the fewer games they get to watch.
"Certainly the superstation -- the fact that we were in 70 million homes outside of Chicago -- was in large part responsible for the national love affair between this great franchise and its fans," president Crane Kenney told fans at the Cubs Convention. "So we're very respectful of that. But the fact is, we as a club make twice as much with the games being played on cable as opposed to over-the-air television."
The Cubs also will air eight games on WCIU-Ch. 26, including the season opener in Atlanta on April 5 (WGN can't televise that game because ESPN has the exclusive national window that day). Despite the slight decrease, the 64 scheduled games on over-the-air TV are reportedly the most of any major-league team.
View the full broadcast schedule at cubs.com
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I'm a native of Illinois and a pretty religious cubs fan. The way I see things, nobody should be complaining about this. I currently live in Florida where WGN is broadcast, but I was less fortunate last year when I lived in South New Jersey. The only chance I had to watch the cubbies was when they were on Fox or ESPN. I'm not entirely sure how many games that accounts for throughout the season, but I do know that I've been pumped up for the past few months knowing that I'm going to be able to watch at least 80 games this year. 60-some on WGN. So, to sum it up, Stop yer bitchin!
Shoot, I get every station the cubs are on with comcast cable except WCI PUUUUUU. I get WGN, CSN, CSN+, espn, fox and even CLTV.
All this complaining will do no good. In reality, too small is our portion of the Cub fanbase. Face it, it 's going to cost us if we want to watch as many games as possible. I'm resigned to that fact. All sports are like that. If you decide not to be a Cub fan because of this, you may as well divorce yourself from all sports. If you live far enough outside the Chicago market base, MLB.TV over the internet is a good option. $100 for the season gets you all games, except Saturday afternoon blackouts for FOX. Audio from all games from WGN720 is included in the package. I live in Pa. and have had it since it was started, can't remember, maybe 7 years. Video get's better every year.
No wonder I am a clueless, Cubs obsessed Sox fan
So sell out the fans for a few dollars that never even get invested into the team.
No wonder I'm a Sox fan.
Total B.S. if you ask me. The Cubs could still show the games on the superstation, which is seperate from the regular WGN ch. 9 in Chicago. That way they could still have their games on cable for the local fans, while allowing the out of town fans that don't have access to their cable affiliate to watch the games on the superstation.
I have fought getting cable, and now with this economy I'm actually proud of it.Opening day on CH 26 ? Since this "wonderful digital overhaul" of television I can no longer get WCIU or any of the 20,26 or 38 stations thru my huge and amplified once excellent roof antenna after the
trees leaf out.
Nice work "for the fans" Rickets family, and goodbye from a Cub fan since the 1950s.
WGN......"super liberal"........thanks for the morning laugh........
COMCAST does not work in WISCONSIN...why dont you try and provide that franchise to more outlets and then the HELL with WGN..the super"liberal"station??
Dera Mr. Ricketts and Crain Kenney,
The Chicago Cubs have become the third most popular baseball team in all of baseball not by cable tv but by WGN aired baseball games. Our success has not been on the field, obviously, but way more off the field. One must then ask the question due to their lack of successes on the field what have they done right to place the franchise in such a lofty position? WGN is a big part of that success. I have Dish and yes I watch Cub games If I have To on sportsvision, But the guys announcing or whatever are not Cub fans and in some cases don't know the game. If you feel that the lack of WGN games will continue to please the countless fans across our country and will continue to support not only in fandome but in the purchase of anything Cubs is a irresponsible mistake that will cost the team in the long run. Where will this franchise be without all of our support? how much will the franchise be worth then Mr. Ricketts? Not What you Paid! Case in Point the other chicago baseball team made a historic move at the time way back when, taking all their games away from WGN and placing their games on Wciu channel 26 home of the Saturday nite bullfight thus they are now the other baseball team in Chicagoland a real unknown in the way of Baseball. Is that where your leadership is heading with the Cub fans? Mediocrity??? Please don't go there!
The problem is even with cable the only provider in my area doesn't have Comcast leaving WGN as the only option. So the debate is to cut down trees to be able to put up a dish or miss watching games.
Hey Cubs and WGN. How much money will you lose if cable companies start DROPPING WGN because NO ONE IS WATCHING!!! The only reason you have a "Superstation" is because of the sports!
Anyone who takes out a 2nd mortgage to go to a game and watch this product, needs their head examined and a saliva test.
Memo to Crane Kenney
Put Santo on WGN TV and EVERYBODY will switch to cable, even if it means getting a second job or robbing a 7/11.
I don't have a cable package where I currently live, but everywhere else I've lived WGN was one of the standard cable channels. Did that change in the last few years?
Sorry, but I like the games better on CSN.
They have full pre and post game coverage, unlike WGN which just has the short little 10th inning show so they can show Andy Griffith at its regularly scheduled time...
It is absolutely the cable companies that are the rip off artists here.
The money you have to pay now you should NEVER have to watch a commercial.
The Cubs?
You pay stiffs like Soriano and Rameriez that kind of money and you get this garbage and ten dollar beers.
To all those kuckle heads who are saying get cable/sat. I have to feed my kids, and right now I'm the only one working, so I support the whole family. There are others like me, and we just can't afford additional expenses at the moment.
If you don't have cable then your living in the 80's need to realize that is 2010.
Someone mentioned DirecTVs MLB Extra Innings. I would buy it if they offered a single team package.
Who cares if the Cubs are on WGN or not? What percentage of the world does not have satellite or cable? If not, get on board, welcome to the 21st century. Aside from Ma and Pa Kettle with their rabbit ears on top of their 14 inch B&W TV, does anyone really care?
SalukiHawk - I totally agree with you. I used to run home from school everyday to get home before Harry sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame and catch the last few innings of the game. Before long, just watching your favorite team on TV will become the same as attending a game.....only the wealthy will be able to do it because of the extra costs. If the Ricketts really are listening to the fans, they'll consider moving games back to WGN because the overwhelming majority of fans support this!!!!
Actually, you CAN still follow the team.
You just have to pony up for the MLB Package. Which, of course, puts more money in their pocket.
When given a choice between you, the fan, and more money, the fan will get the shaft every single solitary time.
Meet the new owners, same as the old owners.
Sounds rather short sighted to me. You may make twice as much in TV revenue,but what of the huge national fan base you stand to lose because people can't follow their team. Revenues will decline from merchandise, and fewer folks over time will make the trip to Chicago to see the Cubs. This will take time of course, but I for one became a Cub fan growing up in Iowa in big part because the Cubs were on every day when I came home from school and all summer. They saturated the airwaves and the process created a national following they wouldn't have otherwise had. Don't they understand they stand to lose this in the long term by limi out of market tv exposure? Typical corporate short-term thinking.
"[W]e as a club make twice as much with the games being played on cable as opposed to over-the-air television." Well, that's a bit short-sighted, isn't it? Is the "national love-affair" going to continue if people across the country can't see the games? The reason I'm a Cubs fan is because they were the only team on TV while I was growing up. I guess if the cable revenue makes up 80% of the total revenue it doesn't matter, but a decreased fan base would sure reduce the games FOX and ESPN pick up as well as merchandise sales, etc.
The WGN station as a whole is slowly becoming more and more irrelevant. It started when Bozo was canceled. Then the WGN owned "WCIU" started airing games and taking away from the number of nationally telecast games. And finally, WGN is screwing Blackhawks fans by not airing the games outside of Chicago. This WGN America station is a complete joke, nothing but horrible movies and white trash talk shows.
I cannot believe they are going to air the season opener on WCI Puuuuuu!!!! What the hell are the ricketts thinking. Boy are they ever going to a low rated game. That is just plain stupid.
just so everybody knows, the season opener can't be televised on WGN because ESPN has an exclusive national window on opening day... and obviously the Cubs can't control the start time because the game's on the road...
Want more Cubs games if you live outside the Chicago market? Simple. DirecTV dish has the MLB Extra Innings package. You can see every Cubs and Sox game at home with home announcers and every road game with some home announcers and if not, the opponents announcers, all on CSN Chicago. Also, obviously a lot of the games on WGN cable. Also if they're on ESPN, you have more games. I live out of the Chicago area and miss very few Chicago baseball games.
Hey "whooping" Crane Kenney....if we can make twice as much money....why are we holding the budget the same practically as last year....that dont make sense either..does it? Or do the new bathroom liquid trays cost more than expected?
Lets at least be consistent...!
"Certainly the superstation...was in large part responsible for the national love affair between this great franchise and its fans," president Crane Kenney told fans at the Cubs Convention. "So we're very respectful of that. BUT THE FACT IS, WE AS A CLUB MAKE TWICE AS MUCH WITH THE GAMES BEING PLAYED ON CABLE AS OPPOSED TO OVER-THE-AIR TELEVISION."
So in other words, SCREW THE FANS! All we care about now is making money! Wonderful! I wouldn't mind that so much if you used the money you're raking in to build a freakin' winning team once every century or so!
The season opener on WCIU??? Now there is some great marketing for the Cubs! The most anticipated game of the regular season, because of the long off-season, and the only people able to watch it will have to live in Chicago. I live only 70 miles from downtown and cannot get WCIU. I go to bout 10 games a year and I will have to watch the game on Atlanta's superstation WTBS???? On what planet does this make any sense? Bizzaro World? C'mon Cubs, get your heads out of your a***s!
Agreed XChicagoan-
I am a WSox Fan, but I enjoy watching some Cubs game, too, on WGN. Its a shame that they plan to cut back, but oh well. What about the Sox schedule? You already have them at a minimum, so hopefully there are no plans to cut them back as well. Those of us out east clamour for as much Chicago baseball as we can get.
Well said Roger E.
I believe the cable companies ought to be paying me for access to my home. If we all felt that way cable access would be free. We hold they coins. Advertisers want them. My time is valueable, and so is yours. Make them pay us instead of us paying them. I have an antenna on the roof. If the the Cubs aren't on it. Too bad for the Cubs.
Living on the east coast, I can live with 58 games. It's not like I will be able to see them all. But I hope the total of Cub games on WGN America does not drop much more. Putting on a few more Sox games would be nice.
I just don't want to rely on Fox or ESPN to watch baseball. Neither covers anyone but the big name clubs. Even here in the Washington DC area, the Mets and Yankees get preference on Fox. Plus the announcers on Fox never seem to be watching the game.
Hey..Ricketts, are you listening to the fans NOW?
Why does WCIU have an interest in this? WCIU is the worst broadcast...not even in HD. I say move the CIU broadcast to WGN, where it belongs.
Greed and short-sightedness. The reason the Cubs have been a national team and received such a following everywhere is because of the superstation broadcasts. Slowly, this national affection will dwindle, and this immediate fascination with CSN partially owned by Ricketts will become a curse as revenue from elsewhere and a national fan base will suffer.
It's disappointing but what can you do. Pay packages from cable just too lucrative for MLB teams. Eventually I expect the Cubs will televise only midweek and weekend baseball alternating with the White Sox on WGN. Of course, you might say WGN does that now.
Cub fan since 1946...great when we could see all the games on WGN from 1981 on,,,and some snowy receptions before that...now take more games away...why do you think there were fans all over the WORLD, and even in Wisconsin. Good bye CUBS and the Rickety horse you road in on.