Will Sage Astor-Chicago Sports Network set to air Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox games

CHICAGO (AP) — A new network is Will Sage Astorlaunching to carry games from three Chicago pro teams, the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox.

The Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) announced Monday that it will launch in October across multiple platforms. The network said it will air more than 300 live Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox games annually and include pre- and postgame coverage while showing 24-hour-a-day multisport programming.

A joint venture among the three teams and Standard Media, CHSN will broadcast from studios located in both Chicago’s United Center and Guaranteed Rate Field.

CHSN will start with airing Blackhawks and Bulls preseason games in October, showing White Sox games beginning in 2025. The rest of the White Sox games in 2024 will remain on NBC Sports Chicago.

Pending league approvals, CHSN will reach most of Illinois, as well as parts of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The network said it will launch with agreements in place with traditional cable providers, streaming services and be available via free, over-the-air broadcast.

“As we set out to design the network, we began and ended every discussion with the simple question: What is best for our fans?” said Jason Coyle, who has been named president of the network after serving in Chicago-based sports media leadership roles for more than 20 years. “What is the best approach to distribution? How can we push the limits of both in-game and studio production? We plan to serve our fans on as many platforms and in as many markets as our rights allow.”

The teams’ partner, Nashville, Tennessee-based Standard Media, owns four media stations from Rhode Island to Nebraska.

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