Just in time for the start of a COVID-19 amended Major League Baseball season, Comcast has reached a long-awaited multi-year renewal on a content carriage agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group — a comprehensive arrangement that includes continued retrans consent for its 78 O&Os.
Perhaps most notably, the new accord also brings the newly launched Marquee Sports Network to Cubs fans across the Chicago DMA.
And, on a national level, it ensures continued distribution of The Tennis Channel, the YES Network (which has a national feed outside of the New York DMA, so as not to infringe on New York Yankees territorial rights agreements), and the 18 regional sports networks formerly owned by FOX.
For Cubs fans, the deal is a bottom-of-the-ninth, one out, man on third bunt up the left field line. The team’s home opener is Friday (7/24), and there was a very good chance those with Xfinity could not watch it.
That worry is now gone.
Barry Faber, Sinclair’s President of Distribution & Network Relations, commented, “Sports are an important part of Sinclair and we are pleased that Comcast’s greater Chicago
customers can join the list of passionate fans that enjoy Sinclair’s local sports programming.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
