The future of Cubs tv and radio

Last week the Cubs released their 2010 television schedule. Despite the long time history with games being on WGN, the direction continues to be more and more games on Comcast Sports Net. Over the weekend ESPN 1000′s Bruce Levine penned an article that includes a dollar explanation of why games are heading to Comcast Sports Net:

So, we turn back to the Cubs and White Sox, who a few years back, started their own cable system, joined by the Bulls and the Blackhawks, as well as Comcast Cable, setting up a company where they split the profits, and called the entity Comcast SportsNet. The cable system pays the Cubs and White Sox a whopping figure for their games — the Cubs, close to $300,000 a game; the White Sox, around $275,000 a game.

In 2010, both teams will have close to 100 games over Comcast SportsNet. Doing the math, that would bring in somewhere between $25 and $30 million for each of the two teams. WGN television’s payment to the two clubs is unknown; however the price they pay isn’t close to the dollars earned on the cable outlet, according to industry sources.

Next, Levine tackles the longstanding rumored Cubs Network:

The Cubs’ future on television will find them venturing out with their own Cubs cable network at some point. The historic National League team has long agreements with Comcast, as well as WGN television and radio. However, the new ownership group, led by Tom Ricketts and his family, are looking into a new 24-hour Cubs station in the future.

The New York Yankees make hundreds of millions of dollars off of their YES Network that they formed 10 years ago. The Yankees show most of their games and have Yankees’ programming 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on their station. The Cubs’ following and their legions of fans across the country indicate a total access cable station of their own would be a huge success.

The Cubs have discussed this possibility now for several seasons. Due to existing tv contracts we are probably still looking at several seasons before the Cubs would do this. Crane Kenney said that was the plan at the recent Cubs Convention.

As for the future of the Cubs radio rights, Levine chimes in that radio executives no longer believes the team is a slam dunk to remain with WGN radio when the current long term deal expires.

Other stations’ executives are now convinced that the Cubs’ radio rights will go to the highest bidder in the future. The reason that the radio people are that optimistic is that the Tribune no longer owns both the Cubs and their broadcast partners.

The times are changing.