How to Watch Marquee Sports Network Without Cable

DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV are the only options for watching most Chicago Cubs games on Marquee Sports Network without a cable or satellite provider. You won’t find Marquee Sports Network on YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, or Sling TV.

Marquee Sports Network
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Marquee Sports Network is a regional sports network (RSN) that is available on two live TV streaming services. 

You can watch Marquee Sports Network without cable on:  

Chicago Cubs fans can use Smart TVs, an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, Apple TV and Google Chromecast with Google TV to watch live MLB games. Cord-cutters have a number of other options to stream Cubs games live that are national broadcast games. 

How to Watch Marquee Sports Network

Marquee Sports Network used to be a lot easier to find on live TV streaming services.

DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV are the only options for watching most Chicago Cubs games without a cable or satellite provider.   

You won’t find Marquee Sports Network on YouTube TVHulu Live TV, or Sling TV

Sports fans can stream Marquee Sports on a wide variety of streaming devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and Google Chromecast with Google TV. 

Smart TVs from Samsung, and TV sets running on Android TV and Google TV are supported. You can watch live TV on an iPad, PC and Android devices. Gamers can use XBox and PlayStation consoles. 

Once you pick a live TV streaming service that carries Marquee Sports Network, you will be able to watch live Cubs games, and all pregame and postgame programming. 

Where is Marquee Sports Network available?

Marquee Sports Network is available in five states. It is broadcast throughout parts of Illinois and Iowa, Western Nebraska, the northern and western parts of Central Indiana, and Kenosha County, Wisconsin. You can find the regional sports network through cable TV providers or select live TV streaming services. 

Marquee Sports Network
(photo credit: The Cord Cutting Report)

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) streams Marquee Sports Network and NBC Sports Chicago under the Choice plan.

The Choice plan has more than 105 channels for $99.99 per month. Choice subscribers get unlimited Cloud DVR for recording TV shows and sporting events.

You can sign up for a free 5-day trial of DIRECTV STREAM without any obligations. You don’t need a cable or satellite receiver box. And there are no added fees for the regional sports channels. 

The Choice channel lineup includes: A&E, ABC, ACC Network, AMC, Animal PlanetBBC AmericaBETBravo, Big Ten Network, CBS, CNBCCNNDiscovery ChannelESPNESPN2ESPN3ESPN DeportesESPNUFOXFOX Deportes, FS1, FS2, Golf ChannelHallmark Channel, HGTV, History, ion TVLonghorn NetworkMLB NetworkMSNBCMTVNBA TV, NBC, NickelodeonNick Jr.Pac-12 NetworkParamount NetworkPBSSEC NetworkTBSTelemundoTLCTNTTruTVTurner Classic MoviesUSA NetworkThe Weather Channel and Vice TV.

DIRECTV STREAM still has one advantage over paying for cable or satellite providers such as DISH, Xfinity, Comcast or Spectrum. 

You can cancel whenever you want. Subscriptions run month to month. No cable box or satellite receiver is needed. There are no additional regional sports fees.

Subscribers can get three months of HBO Max, Showtime, and Cinemax for free before the monthly rates kick in. You can watch live TV on up to 20 screens at once.

The Choice bundle has a wide variety of sports channels including regional Bally Sports networks. Subscribers get unlimited Cloud DVR.

DIRECTV STREAM works with Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iPhones, web browsers, tablets and Samsung Smart TVs.

You can look over the different channel lineups before deciding whether to sign up.

fuboTV

fuboTV now carries Marquee Sports Network (both local and national) as part of its Pro channel bundle.

The Pro bundle has more than 152 channels, including ESPNFS1 and local NBCABCCBS and FOX stations. A&EHistoryBig Ten Network, NFL Network, AMC, and HGTV are part of the Pro plan.

Even though Marquee Sports Network is offered across the U.S., only subscribers within the home broadcast market can watch the Cubs when they play at home. 

A subscription costs $74.99 per month. You can watch TV or on-demand content on 10 screens at once. fubo TV adds a regional sports fee. It costs $10.99 per month for one regional network. It’s $13.99 per month if you have two RSNs in your area. 

You can look over the local channel lineup for your area.

fuboTV remains the only live TV streaming service to offer select sporting events in 4K.

Subscribers get 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR for recordings. You can also use fubo’s lookback feature for watching sporting events that aired in the last 72 hours.

fuboTV works on Samsung and Hisense Smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Google Chromecast and Apple TV. There are mobile apps for iOS and Android.

If you stream fuboTV from a PC or Mac, you can also tap into on-demand shows and movies.  

fuboTV offers a free trial for 7-days.

How to Watch Marquee Sports Network Without Cable FAQs

These are questions that Cubs fans ask when researching ways to watch Marquee Sports Network without a pay TV provider.

How can I get Marquee Sports Network?

If you don’t subscribe to a local cable provider, you can watch Marquee Sports Network through DIRECTV STREAM or fuboTV.

fuboTV’s Pro plan has 152 channels, including Marquee Sports Network, NBC Sports Chicago, local channels and popular cable networks. The Pro plan costs $74.99 per month. The regional sports fee is $10.99 or $13.99 per month, depending on whether you get one or two RSNs. You can look over fubo’s channel lineups, or get a free 7-day trial

DIRECTV STREAM’s Choice plan offers more than 105 channels with no regional sports fee. The service has a 5-day free trial. The Choice plan has local channels and a comprehensive channel lineup that is similar to its satellite TV package. There are no contracts or obligations when you sign up for a free trial. 

Customers need to cancel online before the free trial ends in order to avoid being billed.

Is Marquee Sports Network on YouTube TV?

YouTube TV currently does not have Marquee Sports Network. But it does carry other cable networks such as FS1, ESPN and FOX. Chicago White Sox fans can also watch games on YouTube TV through NBC Sports Chicago. 

Does Hulu Live TV have Marquee Sports Network?

Hulu Live TV currently does not have Marquee Sports Network. Hulu Live TV has more than 75 live TV channels with coverage of MLB, NHL and NBA games. You will find sports coverage through the ESPN networks and local broadcast channels. 

Does Sling TV have Marquee Sports Network?

Sling TV has no regional sports networks. You can find other popular sports networks such as ESPN on the Sling Orange plan, and FS1 on Sling Blue. 

Which streaming service has Marquee Sports Network?

DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV are the two streaming services that offer Marquee Sports Network. You must live within the home broadcast area of Illinois and Iowa, Western Nebraska, Indiana, and Wisconsin to get the channel.

Is Marquee Network on Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime members do not get access to Marquee Sports Network as part of their subscription. But Major League Baseball fans can watch the Chicago Cubs through MLB.tv, a subscription service available on Amazon Channels that carries out-of-market games.

Can I subscribe directly to Marquee Network?

Marquee Sports Network does not offer a direct subscription to its regional sports channel. Your best bet is to use a live TV streaming service such as fuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM.

What is the cheapest way to get Marquee Sports Network?

Among streaming options, fuboTV’s Pro plan is slightly cheaper than DIRECTV STREAM’s Choice package. fuboTV does have a regional sports fee, but even if you live in an area where you are paying the maximum amount ($13.99 per month), your total for fubo is $10 less per month than DIRECTV STREAM.

Are Chicago Cubs games on ESPN+?

ESPN+ carries nationally broadcast MLB games on a daily basis, including some Chicago Cubs games.

ESPN+ costs $9.99 per month, and live streams MLB games daily. So it’s an inexpensive way to pick up nationally broadcast MLB games. You can sign up for ESPN+, and then activate your subscription within the ESPN app.

Why can’t I stream Marquee Sports Network on Hulu or YouTube TV?

There was a time when Marquee Sports network was available on a number of live TV streaming services. But those live TV streaming services have yet to strike a long-term agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Chicago Cubs.

For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News.

This article was published on March 8, 2022, and has been updated.

Jim is a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of journalism experience. He has been at the forefront of the cord-cutting movement since 2016, testing and writing about TV-related products and services. He founded The Cord Cutting Report in 2016, and serves as the editor.

Major publications, including MarketWatch, Forbes, and South Florida Sun Sentinel, have interviewed Kimble for his years of expertise. He gives advice on the complexities consumers are navigating with streaming options, and over-the-air TV. Kimble has been a staff writer or correspondent for several award-winning, daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe.