Marquee Sports Network, fuboTV reach carriage deal, bringing Cubs games to another streaming service ‘in the coming weeks’
CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs fans who want to watch games via streaming services got a glimmer of good news less than 24 hours before the season opener: Marquee Sports Network has a carriage deal with fuboTV.
No official start date for when Marquee will be available on fuboTV was announced Wednesday, but it won’t be in time for opening day.
The official announcement said only it will be “in the coming weeks.”
The deal brings the number of stand-alone streaming services set to carry Marquee to two. AT&T TV is the other.
Negotiations with other streaming services, such as Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV, continue.
Marquee will included in fuboTV’s English-language channel package in the Chicago area and surrounding regions, including Indianapolis, South Bend, Ind., and Des Moines, Iowa.
Mike McCarthy, Marquee’s general manager, said in an interview streaming is “an important part” of the channel’s distribution strategy.
“We wouldn’t be announcing things like this if it weren’t,” McCarthy said. “We’re proud of the alliance we’re announcing. We’re looking forward to bringing programming to Fubo viewers shortly.”
In announcing the Marquee deal, fuboTV described itself as a “sports-first live TV streaming platform” and promoted its “interactivity and integrated wagering.”
“Our Fubo Gaming subsidiary is headquartered in Chicago, and the Midwest market, particularly Indiana and Iowa where we recently closed market access agreements, will be a key cluster for our gaming strategy in the future,” David Gandler, fuboTV’s co-founder and chief executive, said in a statement.
Marquee, a joint venture of the Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group, is beginning its second season. It carries all the Cubs games the club controls, along with pregame and postgame shows, plus other Cubs programming and sports content.
Cubs fans whose subscriptions to satellite or cable services include Marquee can live-stream the channel through the watchmarquee.com website and app.
Those who want to watch Marquee’s game coverage but live outside the Cubs’ MLB-designated TV market can gain access through subscriptions to MLB.TV and the Extra Innings cable and satellite package, subject to blackout rules.
Marquee plans an expanded pregame show for opening day, set to begin at 11 a.m., with first pitch scheduled for 1:20 p.m.
