Chicago Sports Network Shuts Down Free Access in Several Markets

If you're a Chicago sports fan, whether you're in the metro area or live the life of an out-of-market fan, you've probably cursed a very specific acronym that has made your life as a Chicago Bulls, White Sox, or Blackhawks fan that much more difficult.

That acronym is CHSN, which stands for the Chicago Sports Network, a brand new regional network that launched in October 2024. The concept was that of another regional sports network that would be the one-stop hub for all things Bulls, White Sox, and Blackhawks (the Chicago Cubs games air on the Marquee Sports Network and the Chicago Bears games air on CBS).

CHSN Has Been a Mess Since its Launch:

While CHSN struck a deal with DirecTV early into its inception, the big point of contention with the network was its absence from Comcast's cable lineup. In response, CHSN, which was launched as a joint venture between the owners of the aforementioned three teams and Standard Media Group, made the service available over-the-air (OTA), free of charge, via an antenna.

Well, now for the good news and the bad news. The good news: CHSN has struck a deal with Comcast to be available via one of their cable packages. The bad news: not only is CHSN on Comcast's most expensive cable package, it will now not be available OTA in several markets.

CHSN is Ending Free Coverage in Many Markets:

Photo Credits: Canva

As of this week, CHSN is sunsetting its OTA channels in various markets as it instead prioritizes a direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming platform model. Per Cord Cutters News, the following markets will no longer have CHSN available for free:

Chicago, IL
Champaign-Springfield, IL
South Bend, IN
Davenport, IA
Fort Wayne, IN
Peoria, IL
Rockford, IL
Quincy, IL

OTA coverage will, however, still be provided in the following markets, including:

Indianapolis, IN
Milwaukee, WI
Grand Rapids, MI
Des Moines, IA
Paducah/Cape Girardeau/Harrisburg, IL
Cedar Rapids, IA
Sioux City, IA

What Fans Can Do if They Lost OTA Access:

For those who find themselves without CHSN available via their antenna, consumers have the option of subscribing to the service via iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung TV at $29.99/moment, with no long-term commitment required. Furthermore, CHSN games and programming are now available through several pay-TV services, including:

Comcast Xfinity
DirecTV
AT&T U-Verse
Fubo TV
RCN/Astound

If you're a Comcast cable subscriber, while CHSN is now available, it's available on the service's "Ultimate tier," which costs an additional $20 per month. That is also on top of the $20.25/month regional sports network fee Comcast charges Chicago-area subscribers. Notably absent from the above list is YouTube TV.

It's not cheap to be a Chicago sports fan in the slightest, coupled with the fact that the Bulls failed to make the playoffs, the Blackhawks are still amongst the NHL's bottom-feeder teams, and the White Sox are presently the second worst team in baseball, record-wise.

The Regional Sports Network Model Hasn't Been Friendly to Consumers:

Remember when streaming was said to be "cheaper than cable?" That's becoming more of a myth with each passing day. For longtime Chicagoans, CHSN is starting to seem more like the nightmare that was Hawkvision in the 1990s. While CHSN's Comcast deal caters to modern consumer sensibilities, predicated on subscription services and such, the loss of OTA access is a massive blow for those who went out and purchased antennas for the sole purpose of trying to keep tabs on their favorite teams.

Read more about CHSN nixing OTA access to its channel in multiple markets on Cord Cutters News' website.