Cubs tv deals hurting themselves?

[CubbieRich]

Have the Cubs hurt the fanbase-especially out of towners-to make more money? We are all creatures of habit and that’s may be what keeps us going every day. We know there are certain things which we can count on and gives us reassurance. You knew what was on WGN Channel 9 at 1:20 PM for 75+ days. Cubs baseball was the only game on around the country and helped build the allure of the team, especially for the kids. If you had basic cable, you got the Cubs games.

 

But then what happened?...The Cubs added night games. The Cubs sold part of their TV rights to Fox and then created another station with Comcast, which moved about 80 games off WGN. Games are shown on WGN, Comcast, Comcast Plus, CLTV and WCIU, with some games only shown on WGN(Chicagoland) and not on the superstation.. Starting times for home games became 1:20, 2:20, 3:15, 6:00, 7:05.

 

I think this may ultimately hurt the team in the long-run. I have to believe with the different starting times for home games and different tv stations, it may not be as easy to find the team. Plus, the cost of MLB tv packages may further hurt the fan base. I would be curious if you are an out-of-town Cubs fan, do you find it a lot harder to watch the games?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I have EI, so I watch just as many games as I always did.

[E.J.]

I have EI, so I watch just as many games as I always did.

 

Yeah, but you aren't getting those games for free. You're paying $150 to watch all the games. I definitely miss the days when all of the Cubs games were on WGN. Now I shell out the $150 for EI and have to listen to the opposing teams' broadcasters half the time.

[goonys evil twin]

The Cubs are an established brand. WGN9 games helped build the brand in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, but the fanbase is already huge and solid. I agree that they will have a tough time drawing in news kids from Kentucky or Iowa by not having as many games on from 1-5 on WGN. However, I'm not sure they need to recruit more 12 year olds. There's already an enormous base of fans who grew up on the Cubs, and are now having children of their own. Those kids will get exposed to the team. And the number of fans buying things like the extre innings package, MLBTV and XM radio keeps growing. Sure, that's not the same as having free tv exposure, but times have changed. There's probably too much competition for eyeballs to think the Cubs can retain the dominance of that market in that timeframe.

 

You and I might have come in from outside to watch the Cubs every summer afternoon, but this generation is very different from the ones that grew up with Cubs on WGN everyday.

[J.R.]

I've gone to great lengths to keep the games. In addition to MLBEI and mlb.tv, I have a satellite account set up just for the Chicago local stations, which allows me to see the FOX Saturday games and the Comcast games that don't make MLBEI.

 

I get as many games now as I ever did in the old days; the only time I miss out is when they're on WCIU. Having said that, I do believe the TV changes will hinder the future development of nuts like me who would go all out to see the Cubs.

[Derwood]

Trib Co. felt that more money could be made buying in to the WB. The trend away from national broadcasts continues, as even TBS is showing fewer and fewer Braves games

[SAMMYWHO]

I feel extremely lucky that the local cable dropped fox sports midwest as soon as they found out there were no Cubs games there anymore. They picked up Comcast and of course have WGN. I see most of the games unless the team falls out of contention and the games are moved. Living in Iowa I heard throughout the year of small towns surrounding me that got Comcast and were watching so Iowa I think is well covered with Cubs games and fans.

[SAMMYWHO]

One more note, it always seemed that Len pointed out a town in Iowa that was watching there broadcast. That's what I meant to point out.

[tulsacubfan]

I've gone to great lengths to keep the games. In addition to MLBEI and mlb.tv, I have a satellite account set up just for the Chicago local stations, which allows me to see the FOX Saturday games and the Comcast games that don't make MLBEI.

 

I get as many games now as I ever did in the old days; the only time I miss out is when they're on WCIU. Having said that, I do believe the TV changes will hinder the future development of nuts like me who would go all out to see the Cubs.

 

J.R. - which satellite provider do you use? What is the package that gets you the Chicago local stations?

[CuseCubFan69]

I won't pay for any MLB or sport for that matter that isn't on my regular cable stations. Once the Cubs leave WGN I'll just watch them whenever they are on ESPN or Fox. Any company like MLB that charges Little League for the rights to name their teams after them can go to .....

[TheDude]

It affects me, for sure. I grew up primarily in Arizona and Florida in the years before either state had baseball teams. Coming home from school as a kid, I could count on watching Cubs games in the afternoon with basic cable, as we were a pretty low income family. The only other team available to me was the Braves on TBS, but they played mostly night games.

 

I have 30 years of Cub-fandome in my blood, despite having never lived in Chicago, or even closer than 10 hours away. The Cubs were the team available to me as a child and it stuck. I have met several people in my life with similar experiences.

 

So my opinion is biased, but clearly I think reducing the public cable games on WGN to the more expensive TV packages ultimely reduces the range of appeal for kids who grow up in markets that have no team. Had I grown up in an era of Fox or Comcast pay packages, I would not have become such an avid Cubs fan, and would probably be a Braves fan :(.

[badgercub]

i don't think the TV Deals have hurt them one bit. You have to remember that yes, the Cubs were on TV everyday in the 70's and 80's, but it wasn't until '84 that Cubs started to draw any fans to the park. There are a lot of things that combine to make the Cubs so popular: Wrigley Field, the renaissance of the neighborhood, the fact they haven't one in nearly 100 years, and being in the third largest media market in the U.S. Being a Cub fan is Generational, something that is handed down from Father to son (or in my case, my grandmother started the tradition and handed it down to my dad and his brothers. None of which have ever lived in Chicago, or Illinois.)

 

There are other franchises who have national appeal (Yankees, Red Sox, and in football you have teams like the Packers or the Cowboys)

[goonys evil twin]

It affects me, for sure. I grew up primarily in Arizona and Florida in the years before either state had baseball teams. Coming home from school as a kid, I could count on watching Cubs games in the afternoon with basic cable, as we were a pretty low income family. The only other team available to me was the Braves on TBS, but they played mostly night games.

 

I have 30 years of Cub-fandome in my blood, despite having never lived in Chicago, or even closer than 10 hours away. The Cubs were the team available to me as a child and it stuck. I have met several people in my life with similar experiences.

 

So my opinion is biased, but clearly I think reducing the public cable games on WGN to the more expensive TV packages ultimely reduces the range of appeal for kids who grow up in markets that have no team. Had I grown up in an era of Fox or Comcast pay packages, I would not have become such an avid Cubs fan, and would probably be a Braves fan :(.

 

You also didn't grow up in an age of 30 MLB teams, 500 tv channels, satellite/cable saturation, the internet, ipods, blackberries, portable dvd etc. Also, kids summers are much more structured nowadays, with traveling teams and all that. When I was young we had little league a couple days a week, then the all star tournament at the end. I've got cousins who shlep their kids around to different leagues and games every day of the week, all summer long.

 

The audience has changed, so the medium must change with it.

[Cubfanintheknow]

The TV deals aren't that big a deal. There are basically two start times for home games: 1:20 and 7:05, with an occasional 2:20 start time on Friday afternoons. The other start times accomodate nationally televised games on Fox and ESPN, which the Cubs have almost no control over.

 

I don't think having the games on several different local channels is a big deal, either. You may have to surf a little bit to find them on TV, but most people will make the effort to see their team.

 

Having some games telecast on Comcast has actually helped bring in extra revenue. WGN really doesn't have to bid on games, since the superstation and the team are both owned by the Tribune Co. So there is money coming in from an outside source.

[Buford T Justice]

I've gone to great lengths to keep the games. In addition to MLBEI and mlb.tv, I have a satellite account set up just for the Chicago local stations, which allows me to see the FOX Saturday games and the Comcast games that don't make MLBEI.

 

I get as many games now as I ever did in the old days; the only time I miss out is when they're on WCIU. Having said that, I do believe the TV changes will hinder the future development of nuts like me who would go all out to see the Cubs.

 

How much do you pay for your Chicago account.

[J.R.]

Anyone interested in the Chicago satellite account - please PM me.

[mncub]

It's quite interesting...I swear I see more Braves game on TBS than I do Cubs games on WGN. Last time I checked, the Braves fans I knew only lived in the Southeast, while I know Cubs live all over the place.

[goonys evil twin]

It's quite interesting...I swear I see more Braves game on TBS than I do Cubs games on WGN. Last time I checked, the Braves fans I knew only lived in the Southeast, while I know Cubs live all over the place.

 

I don't think there are more Braves games on TBS. I used to look forward to the Cubs/Braves games at home, thinking that even if it was a day game, I could turn my office TV to TBS and catch the game. But I'd be lucky to get 1 out of 3 games on the network. Don't they have some sort of local TBS network that isn't the same as the national?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

It's quite interesting...I swear I see more Braves game on TBS than I do Cubs games on WGN. Last time I checked, the Braves fans I knew only lived in the Southeast, while I know Cubs live all over the place.

 

I don't think there are more Braves games on TBS. I used to look forward to the Cubs/Braves games at home, thinking that even if it was a day game, I could turn my office TV to TBS and catch the game. But I'd be lucky to get 1 out of 3 games on the network. Don't they have some sort of local TBS network that isn't the same as the national?

 

That would be Turner South.