Chicago Sports Network Screws Over Fans, Killing Bulls, White Sox, and Blackhawks Antenna Broadcasts
Last year, Chicago Sports Network took over White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks broadcasting rights from NBC Sports Chicago. Since then, fans in Chicago have been able to watch the games for free over-the-air with an antenna. But thanks to a carriage deal with Comcast Xfinity, Chicago Sports Network is killing off its antenna feed for most of the teams’ fans.
Starting June 9, 2025, Chicago Sports Network is killing its antenna signal in the following areas:
- Chicago, IL
- Champaign Springfield, IL
- South Bend, IN
- Davenport, IA
- Ft Wayne, IN
- Peoria, IL
- Rockford, IL
- Quincy, IL
Fans will still be able to watch games with an antenna if they live in these areas:
- Indianapolis, IN
- Milwaukee, WI
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Des Moines, IA
- Pad/Cape/Harrisburg
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Sioux City, IA
Where Can You Watch Chicago Sports Network if You’re Losing Antenna Access?
One option is to pay for the streaming version of the channel.
If you only want access to one team (White Sox, Bulls, or Blackhawks), the streaming version will cost $19.99/month. If you’d like all 3 teams, it’s $29.99/month.
Fans can also pay for a full year of access to all 3 teams. That costs $349.99/year.
The only TV providers that will provide access to the linear channel are:
Chicago Sports Network is not available on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Philo, or Frndly TV.
More Bad News for Sports Fans
This move is awful. And it’s causing deja vu for Blackhawks fans who remember when the cheapskate ownership of Bill Wirtz, who blocked the Hawks from appearing on TV unless they were in the playoffs. When he died in 2007, people actually cheered. In the season following his death, all Blackhawks games were finally available on TV for the first time. In the decade after Wirtz’s death, fandom surged and the team won 3 Stanley Cups.
Sports fans are growing increasingly frustrated with paywalls and the rat’s nest of services required to watch sports. This ultimately hurts teams who need to renew their fanbases with every new generation. If the Hawks, Bulls, and White Sox aren’t on TV, do they even exist? All 3 teams have been going through very rough losing streaks, so fans who choose to pay more to watch these games are actually paying to endure emotional pain.
If you’re a Chicago fan, I recommend choosing the team’s out-of-market solutions instead of paying crazy prices for these streaming services.
ESPN+ will give you every out-of-market Blackhawks game along with hundreds of other NHL games for $11.99/month or $119.99/year.
NBA League Pass gives you every out-of-market Bulls game for $13.99/month. Or see all teams’ out-of-market games for $16.99.
MLB.TV provides all the White Sox away games for $29.99/month or $104.99/year.
Ask yourself what sense it makes to pay more to see your team away from home than when they’re playing a few miles away. It’s crazy, and ultimately crippling to the sports in question.
