YouTube TV and Marquee Sports Network?

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psychlone99

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Recently made the switch from DirecTV to YouTube TV. Absolutely love the service and saving a lot of money.

That said, as a Cubs fan, I'm in a bit of a panic not knowing if YouTube will pick up the new Marquee Sports Network. And the new network is carrying 150 of the games this year.

Anyone heard/read anything? Other Cubs fans in a similar spot?
 

BigJCy

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Recently made the switch from DirecTV to YouTube TV. Absolutely love the service and saving a lot of money.

That said, as a Cubs fan, I'm in a bit of a panic not knowing if YouTube will pick up the new Marquee Sports Network. And the new network is carrying 150 of the games this year.

Anyone heard/read anything? Other Cubs fans in a similar spot?
Haven't heard much about Youtube TV picking it up. Quite frankly I would be surprised if they would. At least for awhile yet.

Ton of people in Chicago area are panicking because Comcast hasn't picked it up yet. Think they have over half the market there.

In Iowa Mediacom & Directv have picked it up thus far.
 
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GetAwesome

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I’m in the same boat, a lifelong Cubs fan and recent YoutubeTV crossover.

I’ve been checking a few times a week for updates and it’s looking like AT&T/DirectTV Now is likely the only streaming platform available come spring training. Which makes some sense since AT&T and Sinclair (who own Marquee) are kindred corporations who’ve jumped in bed with the current powers of the nation that be.

Marquee has the unique proposition of being a startup with only one property, and that one property just happens to be one of the largest brands in sports. it’s going to turn into 11th hour contract negotiation lawyerball with the bigger fish of the midwest market: Comcast for cable, and YoutubeTV and Sling for sports streaming.

I can’t imagine Marquee being too prideful and not cutting a deal with more providers by opening weekend (or at worst, a few weeks into the season).

Honestly, I’d rather MLB TV just go all-in similar to ESPN+ and remove their in-market limitations for streaming, and we’d never have to worry about cable network and streaming service provider negotiations again.
 
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Jmarsh13

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Doubt SlingTV will get Marquee since it is owned by Sinclair. Sinclair also owns the Fox Sports Regional Networks and YES and they have been blacked out on Sling TV since last July with no end in sight for returning due to money demands.
 

Jmarsh13

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Don't disagree, but its awesome having our own network. Most teams in MLB would love to be able to do that.
Ask most Dodgers fans about how awesome it has been to have their own network when a lot of them don't have access to the channel and can no longer watch the majority of their games...
 

cycloneG

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Ask most Dodgers fans about how awesome it has been to have their own network when a lot of them don't have access to the channel and can no longer watch the majority of their games...

Which was stupid because they tied their channel to one provider. This is completely different.
 

Hoggins

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MLB.tv and VPN. Can get every single game with that
 

Clonefan94

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I've never really understood the Cubs mentality on this. They had their own network for years, WGN TV. It was a channel that was on almost every cable/satellite provider. They showed the Cubs every day they played. I still say this is what put the Cubs in the position they are in with so many fans across the country, not just Chicago. The Cubs were on TV every day, at a time when baseball in general was only on a couple of times a week, at most.

Granted, Tribune/WGN used to own the Cubs and that no longer exists, but my first goal as a Cubs owner would have been to try and continue that relationship. The exposure that WGN gave the Cubs was second to none.

Obviously, this will probably bring them more short term cash, but will they grow the fanbase like they did in the early years of cable TV? I think this is great, if you are a Cubs fan and have access to the channel, but you aren't going to get anyone to sign up who isn't already a Cubs fan. Hell, my wife is a big Cubs fan, used to watch most of their games. She's already said there is no way we are paying for another channel/streaming service.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't know **** and am probably talking out of my ass, but my goal as an owner would be to constantly be growing the fanbase, not limiting access to only those who can afford it. Probably why I'm not a billionaire like the Ricketts.
 

cycloneG

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I've never really understood the Cubs mentality on this. They had their own network for years, WGN TV. It was a channel that was on almost every cable/satellite provider. They showed the Cubs every day they played. I still say this is what put the Cubs in the position they are in with so many fans across the country, not just Chicago. The Cubs were on TV every day, at a time when baseball in general was only on a couple of times a week, at most.

Granted, Tribune/WGN used to own the Cubs and that no longer exists, but my first goal as a Cubs owner would have been to try and continue that relationship. The exposure that WGN gave the Cubs was second to none.

Obviously, this will probably bring them more short term cash, but will they grow the fanbase like they did in the early years of cable TV? I think this is great, if you are a Cubs fan and have access to the channel, but you aren't going to get anyone to sign up who isn't already a Cubs fan. Hell, my wife is a big Cubs fan, used to watch most of their games. She's already said there is no way we are paying for another channel/streaming service.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't know **** and am probably talking out of my ass, but my goal as an owner would be to constantly be growing the fanbase, not limiting access to only those who can afford it. Probably why I'm not a billionaire like the Ricketts.

This isn't a separate streaming service. It's a new channel and is already being carried by several providers.

As to staying on WGN, it wasn't possible once they converted from a "superstation" to a full-scale basic cable network. The MLB has rules against it.
 
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Hoggins

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For us tech dummies how hard is the VPN issue to set-up/work around?

Really easy. First step is to sign up for a VPN. I have used unblockus.com in the past. It’s $5 a month. After that, they will give you an IP address that you can change on whatever device your using to watch. That will change your device’s location so that’s it not in a blackout market. Last step is to sign up for MLB.tv

There is tons of help for specific devices on Reddit. Lots of Dodger fans do this

I did that in 2016 and 2017 before we signed up for Hulu live. I’ll be doing it again in 2020 if Marquee doesn’t get added to Hulu or YouTube
 
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3GenClone

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I'm guessing this was prompted by Monday's announcement: nearly every Cubs Spring Training game will be on Marquee


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1UNI2ISU

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Comcast and all the streamers will huff and puff and talk a big game but in the end they'll all be on board by opening day.

Dish/Sling are the only ones that won't and that's simply because they're saying no to pretty much all of the RSNs.
 
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BigJCy

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Just heard Jesse Rogers on ESPN Chicago radio say to expect some news about Marquee Network & Streaming Service(s) soon. Don't know if that means for YouTube TV but maybe there is some hope.
 
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