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Cubs, Marquee Sports Network in Jeopardy of Dispute with Xfinity

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Ron Luce | Last updated Feb 21, 2025 5:52 PM ET

As Chicago sports fans observe the ongoing debacle between cable giant Xfinity and newly-formed Chicago Sports Network (CHSN), there is growing concern that the other team in town will experience similar issues of their own. Per reports from ESPN's Jesse Rogers, there is ongoing concern that the Chicago Cubs and Marquee Sports Network are destined for a standoff with Xfinity, with the channel becoming unavailable before Opening Day.

"I don't know if Marquee is gonna be on Xfinity come Opening Day."@JesseRogersESPN tells @WaddleandSilvy and @sheanorling that the Cubs may be headed towards a dispute with Comcast ahead of the start of the season pic.twitter.com/JRfzBOWVRE
— ESPN Chicago (@ESPN1000) February 20, 2025

As Silvy says in the clip above, "Not this again." Chicago sports fans are tired of the hurdles that involve their favorite sports being unavailable. If Xfinity places these channels on the top tier, it at least gives fans a chance to keep their Xfinity (likely TV and internet bundles) and still get their favorite sports teams, even if it is a few bucks a month more.

However, as we've seen with CHSN, these networks do not want to be on the highest tier, as it could hurt the pocketbooks of these networks. However, it is arguable that CHSN is hurting more by not being available to the majority of the market than they are being placed on Xfinity's top tier. If Sinclair and the Cubs have learned anything from CHSN, it's that sometimes, letting Xfinity win might be better for the consumer.

There aren't many details available, but the idea of Cubs baseball not being available on Xfinity come Opening Day is a headache Chicago sports fans don't want to deal with any longer.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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