In February 2020, Marquee Sports Network will be ready to launch, in partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Who will be leading the effort? Michael McCarthy will be responsible for driving the success of Marquee Sports Network, as its first GM.
McCarthy is known for his previous role as President of MSG Network, where he was responsible for revenue and content across all platforms.
He’s also a heavyweight with two teams flying high in their leagues’ respective playoffs. McCarthy has been Vice Chairman and CEO of the St. Louis Blues, which reached the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals Tuesday night for the first time in 49 years. He has also been COO of the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA team battling the Toronto Raptors for the NBA’s Eastern Conference Championship.
Since August 2018, McCarthy has devoted the bulk of his time to a role as a consultant for the Chicago Cubs, working on the evaluation and formation of what will soon be the Marquee Sports Network.
“We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Mike and his proven ability to drive results over the past several months at Marquee,” said Crane Kenney, president of business operations for the Chicago Cubs. “With his combined sports and media background, Mike is the right person to bring our network online and deliver unprecedented Cubs coverage for our fans.”
Marquee will be “the first independent regional sports network for the Cubs.
McCarthy said, “The recent transformation of this iconic brand is incredibly impressive and the next big effort to better serve Cubs fans is the launch of Marquee. For years, I watched the Cubs become a nationally recognized brand. For that reason, I’m honored and intensely motivated by the confidence the Ricketts family, Sinclair and the Cubs have placed in me to add to the incredible broadcasting experience enjoyed by fans for the past 70 years.”
