Chicago Blackhawks Fans Left Out To Dry with Ongoing CHSN and Comcast Debacle

Chicago Blackhawks fans are unhappy with their current television arrangement, as it makes it difficult to watch games and it hasn't gotten better with Comcast at the helm.

The Chicago Sports Network brand has begun its regional sports broadcast with limited opportunities. For some fans, you'll need something from what used to be considered a bygone era: an antenna to watch.

A deal with Xfinity fell through, and the CHSN and Comcast are in a dispute, and it's all about carriage fees.

Think if you will, a company that offered less product but charged more? It sounds like shrinkflation, right? Well, that is the new business practice Comcast is putting into play, while CHSN floats along with no deal, and getting by only through the antenna and an app on which you can catch games.

Now, they're raising rates by 5.5% with limited sports offerings. A winning idea right?

The 5.5% increase, which took effect Wednesday, bumps up the regional sports network fee to $20.25 per month for Comcast subscribers in Chicago and the suburbs. For December, that fee covers Cubs reruns on Marquee Sports Network, "Campus Eats" and other assorted programming on the Big Ten Network, and the defunct NBC Sports Chicago.

"The change in the RSN fee is due to the rising cost of other local/regional sports services that we deliver to our customers," a Comcast spokesperson said in an email Thursday.

Keep in mind, that this is the organization that will not make a deal with Danny Wirtz in order to broadcast Blackhawks games.

Comcast blames the loss of RSN, NBC Sports Chicago as a reason to raise the fees significantly.

But will not make an effort to make it right with Chicago sports fans, so they can watch the White Sox, Bulls, or Blackhawks.

What gives?

The monthly RSN fee increase is partially offset by an $8.85 credit for the loss of the NBC Sports Chicago, which was supplanted in October by CHSN. Comcast kept the full sports fee intact and began issuing the monthly credit to subscribers in November as carriage fee negotiations with the successor network stalled.

Nearly three months since its launch, CHSN has yet to go live on Comcast.

There used to be a time when companies strove to deliver a quality product to the market. But now, it seems squeezing money and every cent out of working people is the new objective.

This is no more or less a money-grab by Comcast and terrible decision-making.

And without Gary Bettman and the NHL's help to force Comcast or Xfinity's hand, it seems we're all left to our devices on how to watch our favorite team, the Blackhawks.