Background
CSN Chicago was created in 2004. It is jointly owned by Comcast subsidiary NBCUniversal (20%), the family of J. Joseph Ricketts (owner of the Cubs, 20%), Jerry Reinsdorf (owner of the both the Bulls and the White Sox, giving him a 40% stake), and Rocky Wirtz (owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, 20%). The channel airs a majority of games for those four teams. It also carries games for the AFL Chicago Rush, Chicago Fire S.C., and NIU Huskies football. Although WCIU-TV and WGN-TV carry many Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls games, CSN Chicago was created so the teams mentioned could have editorial control over their broadcasts. Previously, these teams' cable games were produced by FSN Chicago. However, with the creation of CSN Chicago, all of Chicago's major professional teams dropped their agreements with FSN Chicago, though that channel limped along for another two years until going defunct in 2006. All games of the major Chicago sports teams on CSN Chicago are broadcast in high definition.
In the Chicago area, Comcast operates an unrelated separate Comcast Network, a general entertainment channel that also airs the entire schedule of the AHL's Chicago Wolves.
On April 2, 2007, it was announced that the Tribune Company will be selling both their shares in CSN Chicago and the Chicago Cubs at the end of 2007.
On March 30, 2008, the Blackhawks announced that all of their games, both home and away, would be televised, in high definition, with the bulk of the games going to CSN Chicago, and others being broadcast on WGN-TV. The Blackhawks package is exclusively local* however, and is not seen on the national WGN America superstation. *The games do show up on WGN in Canada (same feed as WGN 9)
CSN Chicago, along with the other Comcast SportsNet branded networks, was revamped with a new network logo and graphics package on October 1, 2008, the fourth anniversary of its launch.
On January 5, 2009, Comcast SportsNet Chicago launched a morning talk show with former radio host of WSCR Mike North and Comcast SportsNet Chicago reporter and former Chicago Bear Dan Jiggetts called Monsters in the Morning. However the program ended at the start of 2010 due to the problems involving the show, including the program's main sponsor being implicated in defrauding North, Jiggetts and others in a money laundering scheme in mid-2009. The program then continued until the start of 2010, with North moving on to host the Monsters and Money in the Morning program for WBBM-TV (Channel 2).
On April 13, 2010, CSN Chicago announced a deal with the Major League Soccer franchise Chicago Fire S.C. to broadcast a minimum of eight matches in the 2010 season.
As a result of the displacement of FSN Chicago by the network, CSN Chicago additionally broadcasts FSN's national programming, notably including the network's coverage of collegiate sports, such as ACC men's and women's basketball on Sundays, Pac-12 basketball on various nights, plus Big 12 and Pac-12 football on Saturdays during their respective seasons.
With Comcast's acquisition of NBC in 2011, Comcast SportsNet was also integrated into the new NBC Sports Group, culminating with the addition of the peacock logo and an updated graphics package to mirror that of its parent network.
Read more about this topic: Comcast Sports Net Chicago
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