Cubs (officially) putting their WGN broadcast rights up for auction

In Commentary And Analysis by berselius16 Comments

In a move widely expected for some time, the Cubs excercised a contractual option to end their TV deal with WGN following next season, according to the Chicago Tribune. TV deals are where the big money is these days and while it's not the whole Cubs package (70 games or so) the Cubs will likely be able to get much more money than they did when the Trib negotiated a sweetheart deal with itself to put the games on WGN. Honestly, I'm surprised that they even included this option to renegotiate in the deal. 

It will be interesting to see what happens. My best guess is still that CSN will end up grabbing the balance of the games, given the team's ownership stake in it. At least this probably means we won't have any more of those weird WCIU games anymore. I just hope Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies go to whoever picks up the rights. Also, that the Cubs get more money to spend, and spend it.

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  1. GBTS

    From the article:

    The Cubs get about $20 million to air 70 games each year on WGN. If the team didn’t give notice to opt out at this point in the contract, the deal would run through 2022 at the current rate, and the Cubs would lose any leverage for renegotiating the broadcast rights, according to sources.

    This is a no-brainer. They can still renegotiate with WGN if they want to pony up. Otherwise they’d be stuck with the Trib’s sweetheart deal for another decade.

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  2. sitrick

    @ Berselius:
    It’s been that way since Spike retired and they started shuffling everybody around, right? I can’t believe John Williams is still there given the way they’ve yanked his slot around over the years.

    Also relieving to know that the Cubs’ll get at least some portion of the TV money floating around before the advertising bubble bursts and things go the way of newspapers.

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  3. GBTS

    As B pointed out, this isn’t for the whole 162 game sched, so I think delusions of a Cubs Network akin to YES are a little premature.

    I would fully expect CSN to pick up these games through 2019, setting the stage for a Cubs super-network in the future: Cubs United National Television.

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  4. Omar Little

    sitrick wrote:

    There’s probably some really fascinating and valuable psychology research to be done on active NFL players about power dynamics and intimidation if the league would ever allow it.

    I would think most of these guys have devolved emotionally (at least the dumber ones). Probably just athletes in general. They’re basically grown children surrounded by enablers and the means to do pretty much whatever they want without consequence.

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  5. sitrick

    Nate (Indy): Do you think that any of the Cubs prospects that are playing in the AFL have a shot to make it to Wrigley at some point next year?

    Nick J. Faleris: I think Almora, Bryant, Baez, and Soler could be ready by the second half, but there’s no incentive for the Cubs to do that given the likelihood they are passing time next year. I think you see the Cubs start to line up those four for a similar arrival time, and Bryant should start seeing some time in right field.

    That’s by far the most ambitious arrival estimate I’ve heard for the big four yet, and seems kinda ludicrous.

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  6. sitrick

    @ GBTS:
    Personally I think Baez is gonna pop up and down a few times, but the idea that Soler and Almora could catch up to them by the end of season sounds insane to me.

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  7. Suburban kid

    sitrick wrote:

    Also relieving to know that the Cubs’ll get at least some portion of the TV money floating around before the advertising bubble bursts and things go the way of newspapers.

    Eh, I suppose overall TV ad money might decline, but live sports is still, and for the foreseeable, one of the only truly valuable forms of content. Someone’s going to make money on it, either through ads or subscription/PPV.

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  8. FrankS

    @ sitrick:
    sitrick wrote:

    @ Berselius:
    It’s been that way since Spike retired and they started shuffling everybody around, right? I can’t believe John Williams is still there given the way they’ve yanked his slot around over the years.
    Also relieving to know that the Cubs’ll get at least some portion of the TV money floating around before the advertising bubble bursts and things go the way of newspapers.

    I’m fairly certain that Williams moved on to a station in Minneapolis/St. Paul. That tells you how bad WGN Radio is at this point. One of your best hosts and a local guy decides it’s better to go small market than to continue at GN.

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