fuboTV strikes deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Both companies have plans for U.S. sports betting
fuboTV signed a deal today that will add Marquee Sports Network to its channel lineup.
The new carriage agreement was announced late Wednesday.
(UPDATE: Marquee Sports Network is now live on fuboTV’s basic channel bundle.)
Marquee Sports Network will become part of fubo’s basic channel package along with a regional sports fee for Chicago and surrounding areas.
The deal means that Chicago Cubs fans in the Chicago area and surrounding regions will have a second option for watching live games on TV without cable.
Currently, AT&T TV is the only other live TV streaming service that carries Marquee Sports Network. A subscription to AT&T TV’s Choice plan costs $84.99 per month. The fubo basic channel package costs $64.99 per month. Subscribers can also expect to pay up to a $6 per month regional sports fee as well.
“We are thrilled to have fuboTV offering Marquee Sports Network to Cubs fans. fuboTV has prioritized live sports and we look forward to them carrying Cubs baseball all season long,” Marquee Sports Network General Manager, Mike McCarthy, said in a statement.
fuboTV subscribers throughout the Marquee Sports Network territory will have access to all Marquee programming, including all non-nationally televised regular season Chicago Cubs games, pregame and postgame shows.
Marquee Sports Network launched on Feb. 22, 2020 as the new exclusive home for in-market Chicago Cubs games. Before that, Cubs fans relied on NBC Sports Chicago, and two local stations, WLS-TV and WGN Sports.
Midwest eyed as “key cluster” for fubo’s gaming strategy
Marquee Sports Network is jointly owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. and the Chicago Cubs.
There has been no agreement so far about Sinclair and fuboTV reaching a deal to bring back FOX regional sports networks back to the streaming service. Also today, most of Sinclair’s roster of 19 Fox regional sports networks were renamed as regional Bally Sports networks.
The naming rights deal was part of Sinclair’s first step into U.S. sports betting.
Fubo has its own plans for incorporating betting into its sports streaming service. In January, fuboTV Inc. announced the company executed a letter of intent to acquire sports betting and interactive gaming company Vigtory for an undisclosed amount. fuboTV expects to launch a sportsbook by the end of 2021.
“The midwest market will be a key cluster for fuboTV’s gaming strategy in the future,” the fubo spokesperson said via email.
fuboTV has market access agreements in Indiana and Iowa and its Fubo Gaming subsidiary is headquartered in Chicago. Fubo Sportsbook’s launch by the end of 2021 will be subject to obtaining requisite regulatory approvals.
Coverage Area for Marquee Sports Network on fuboTV
- Chicago
- Rockford
- Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque
- Champaign & Springfield-Decatur (all Counties Excluding Morgan County, Il) Davenport-Rock Island-Moline
- Indianapolis: (Indiana counties: Bartholomew, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Decatur, Delaware, Fountain, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Tipton, Warren, White)
- Lafayette
- Louisville: (Indiana Counties: Jennings)
- Milwaukee (Wisconsin Counties: Kenosha)
- Peoria-Bloomington
- South Bend-Elkhart (Indiana Counties: Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, La Grange, Marshall, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke)
- Des Moines-Ames
- Ft Wayne
- Madison (Wisconsin Counties: Grant, Rock)
- Sioux City (Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Ida, Monona, O’Brien, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Sac, Sioux, Woodbury)
- Sioux Falls (Iowa Counties: Lyon, Osceola)
- Terre Haute
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Founder and Editor of The Cord Cutting Report. Before launching the site in 2016, he worked for more than two decades as a staff writer or correspondent for a number of daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe. His enthusiasm for tech began with the Atari 2600. Follow @james_kimble
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