NBC Sports Chicago plans a half-hour special marking its 20 years on the air, showing memorable moments from baseball, basketball and hockey games it has brought to local viewers.

NBC Sports Chicago: Celebrating 20 Years will have its premier following White Sox Post Game Live on September 3.

The special is hosted by Pat Boyle and Chuck Garfien and will feature memorable moments, including championship celebrations, top soundbites and personalities, as well as highlights from original programming.

NBC Sports Chicago, a joint venture of Comcast and the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks, will shut down September 30 amid the difficulties besetting the regional sports network business. A new network partly owned by the three teams, Chicago Sports Network, is scheduled to launch October 1.

“The past 20 years have been one of the greatest periods of time in Chicago sports history, said Kevin Cross, president and general manager, NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “We were truly honored to deliver the finest coverage of the entire Chicago sports scene, each and every day, to our viewers. Most importantly, we are grateful for everything the fans gave to us.”

The network launched October 1, 2004 as Comcast SportsNet Chicago, a joint venture of the cable company and the White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks and Cubs. (The Cubs launched the Marquee Sports Network in 2020).

The special will include clips from the regional sports network’s very first program, Chicago Tribune Live, with host Dan Jiggetts, which was followed by the network’s signature local sports news & highlights program, SportsNite, with primary co-anchors Pat Boyle & Kerry Sayers. 

NBC Sports Chicago: Celebrating 20 Years will include segments covering the 2005 White Sox World Series title, three Blackhawks Stanley Cup Championships (2010, 2013, 2015), the long-awaited 2016 Cubs World Series title as well as the Bears run to the Super Bowl in 2006.

Some of the most entertaining interviews with players and other personalities from the network’s two decades will be shown during the special, with legendary calls from award-winning sportscasters like Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, Pat Foley, Eddie Olczyk and Stacey King.

Viewers will also want to catch a  blooper reel and other rare footage captured by the network’s photographers over the years.

NBC Sports Chicago: Celebrating 20 Years will also pay tribute to the late Jim Corno Sr., who was at the helm of Comcast Sports Chicago on Day 1 and was instrumental in launching every regional sports network in Chicago television history, including SportsVision, SportsChannel and Fox Sports Net.

“NBC Sports Chicago has been a part of countless special events over the past two decades and our celebratory special will bring back those memories and feel-good moments to our viewers,” added John Schippman, VP of sports content, NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “From championship celebrations to Buehrle no-hitters, to D-Rose dunks, to Kane & Toews taking over the city, our special will celebrate these great moments and much more.”

Walter Cade, senior VP of sales for NBCUniversal Local in Chicago, has been given an expanded role, the company said.

Cade will head sales for NBC station WMAQ, Telemundo station WSNS and NBC Sports Chicago, reporting to Kevin Cross, president and GM of NBCU Local Chicago.

 Jill Fields was in that role before moving to NBC Los Angeles.

Cade will continue to oversee sales for NBC Sports Regional Networks and sports partnerships for NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations, reporting to Frank Comerford, chief revenue officer and president of local sales for NBCU Advertising & Partnerships.

“Walter is a tremendously experienced, respected and strategic leader who has a deep knowledge of Chicago-area communities and NBCU Local Chicago’s diverse portfolio of TV, streaming and digital properties, and has established relationships with the region’s marketers and advertisers,” Cross said. “We’re proud to add Walter’s skills and passion to our already talented leadership and sales teams, and excited for the contributions he’ll bring to our market’s advertising community.”

A native of the Chicago area, Cade spent 16 years in top sales roles with NBC Sports Chicago before heading sales for NBC Sports Regional Networks.

Before joining NBC Sports Chicago in 2001, he held posts at Starcom Worldwide, Group W Sports Marketing, Katz Media Group and the Chicago Bulls.

With the Bears picking first, NBCUniversal Local’s properties in Chicago plan extensive coverage of the NFL draft next week.

Before the April 25 draft, NBC Sports Chicago will air a Chicago Draft Preview presented by ChevyDrivesChicago.com on Sunday (April 21). Hosted by Ruthie Polinsky with experts Dave Wannstedt, David Haugh and Josh Schrock, the two-hour special provides predictions, interviews and prospect profiles.

On Wednesday April 24, WMAQ’s streaming channel, NBC Chicago News, will feature its Chicago Draft Preview presented by ChevyDrivesChicago.com. Laurence Holmes hosts the half-hour special, which will reair on NBC Sports Chicago following White Sox Postgame Live.

Football Night in Chicago: Draft Night Special, presented by Fanatics Sportsbook, will appear Thursday night at 6 p.m. before the selections start. The special will feature reports from the draft in Detroit by Josh Schrock and from Halas Hall, the Bears’ headquarters, by Alex Shapiro.

That show will be followed by Chicago Draft Night presented by Fanatics Sports Book featuring Bears legends Lance Briggs and Alex Brown.

Once the draft starts, NBC Sports Chicago will air the two-hour special Draft Night: First Round Live Reaction presented by Fanatics Sportsbook.

The Bears are expected to pick quarterback Caleb Williams of USC with the first selection. The team also has the ninth pick in the first round.

“We are already feeling the excitement surrounding this year’s NFL Draft and we can’t wait for our roster of Bears experts to deliver our massive, multiplatform content to our viewers for an entire week’s time,” NBCUniversal Chicago VP of sports content John Schippman said.

After the draft, NBC Sports Chicago will air the Chicago Draft Recap presented by ChevyDrivesChicago.com on Sunday evening at 6 p.m. The special will reair on NBC Chicago News on Monday (April 29).

At 10:30 p.m. WMAQ’s Sports Sunday will recap the draft with Leila Rahimi, Mike Berman and Dave Wannstedt.

Throughout the week, WMAQ and Noticiero Telemundo Chicago on sister Telemundo station WSNS will provide viewers with extensive NFL draft coverage featuring top prospect profiles, interviews with Bears players, coaches and front-office executives. 

There will also be draft-focused episodes of the Under Center podcast presented by Saint Xavier University, with host Ken Davis.

Chicago pro sports teams the Bulls, White Sox and Blackhawks are set to depart their regional sports network, NBC Sports Chicago, and turn multi-platform media company Stadium in their new local channel. 

The teams, which are led by Bulls and Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, have a joint contract with the Comcast owned NBC Sports Chicago that runs out in October. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, they seem intent on moving over to Stadium, but might sign a six-month extension with Comcast, then move to Stadium when the Sox start their 2025 season. 

In May of last year, Sinclair Broadcast Group sold its controlling interest in Stadium to Reinsdorf, with whom it jointly launched the media company in 2017.  Stadium already has a free, ad-supported streaming platform, which could be transitioned to a direct-to-consumer streaming app. 

The Sun-Times said Reinsdorf and his group are also interested in establishing a free over-the-air broadcast window for the NBA, NHL and MLB teams. 

“The teams continue to have discussions and conversations about future broadcast plans and will have an announcement about those plans when appropriate,” White Sox senior vice president of communications Scott Reifert told the paper. 

A dissolution of NBC Sports Chicago would leave Comcast with six remaining regional sports networks. 

NBC Sports Chicago said it is working with the Chicago Blackhawks to create an alternate animated telecast of a Blackhawks NHL game.

When the Blackhawks play the Dallas Stars on April 6, in addition to regular coverage of the game on NBC Sports Chicago,  a second version of the game will appear in real time on NBC Sports Chicago Plus.

The alternative version will have cartoon versions of the players and the arena that is designed to appeal to families and younger fans.

The special telecast will also feature a celebration of team mascot Tommy Hawk’s birthday and be preceded by an animated pregame show.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to combine the talents at NBC Sports Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks and the NHL to produce this first-ever, local, animated pro game telecast,” said John Schippman, VP of Sports Content, NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “We’re excited and proud to be delivering a new and fun way for families and younger fans to experience this wonderful sport like never before.”

The animated telecast will take advantage of the positional data available from NHL Edge, which track the players and the puck, plus Hawk-Eye innovations to recreate the action on the ice as it happens.

"Every day, we're challenging ourselves to bring hockey to fans in new ways, and we're incredibly excited to bring the first-ever local animated game to kids across Chicagoland and beyond in partnership with NBC Sports Chicago and the NHL," said Jaime Faulkner, president of business operations for the Blackhawks. “It’s our highest priority to introduce Blackhawks fandom to our youngest generation, and this passion project of ours is fueled by our ongoing efforts to share the game we love with families in ways that connect with their daily lives."

The animated game is being produced in association with Beyond Sports, an NHL innovation partner.

The game will feature Chris Vosters as play-by-play announcer and in-game analysis provided by Dominic Moore with Adam Burish and Tony Granato providing studio coverage for all ages during intermissions.

NBC Sports Chicago plans live coverage Sunday of the ceremony retiring Chris Chelios’ No. 7 Blackhawks jersey.

Coverage will start at 3 p..m.m ET, followed by a special one-hour Blackhawks Pregame Live Special: 7 Forever presented by Toyota, a one-hour special live from the United Center with host Pat Boyle and analyst John Scott. 

Also Read: Local News Close-Up: Chicago Is the City of Big Stories

At 5 p.m. the Blackhawks will host the Detroit Red Wings in a game that will mark the return to Chicago of Blackhawks Stanley Cup hero Patrick Kane, who will take the ice against Chicago’s new star, Connor Bedard.

“Chris Chelios is one of the most beloved and respected players in Blackhawks franchise history and we’re proud to showcase his number being raised to the rafters at the United Center, joining other Blackhawk legends with this great honor,” said John Schippman, VP of sports content, NBCUniversal Local Chicago.

The jersey retirement ceremony will also be streamed live on NBC Chicago News 24/7.  

The Blackhawks-Red Wings game will be available to authenticated subscribers on the channel’s website and app.

After the game, NBC Sports Chicago will air Blackhawks Postgame Live presented by Verizon, with highlights, analysis and post-game press conference coverage.

There will also be expanded coverage and highlights on NBC 5 News and Noticiero Telemundo Chicago at 10 p.m. and Sports Sunday at 10:30 p.m. 

NBC Sports Chicago said it will produce alternative telecasts for 10 Chicago Blackhawks home NHL games this season that will include a camera dedicated to select players, including rookie sensation Connor Bedard.

The first Hawkcast will appear December 5 when the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators.

While a traditional telecast appears on NBC Sports Chicago, the Hawkcast on NBC Sports Chicago Plus will feature a separate team of analysts announcing the “iso cam” action.

Sportscasters and hockey analysts will include pregame host Pat Boyle and Caley Chelios, Tony Granato, John Scott, Charlie Roumeliotis, Chris Vosters and Darren Pang.

Networks have been looking to appeal to viewers with specialized and alternative telecasts of games, a move popularized by ESPN’s “Manningcast” during Monday Night Football, featuring former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning

“We’re looking forward to presenting our special HawkCast presentations showcasing Connor and other select Blackhawks players during their full shift on the ice, said John Schippman, VP of Sports Content, NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “These exclusive telecasts on NBC Sports Chicago Plus will enable Blackhawks fans to experience the player’s movements and entire on-ice mindset in a brand-new way.”

The Chicago Blackhawks are getting ready to draft highly touted prospect Connor Bedard with the first pick in the National Hockey League draft this week and NBC Sports Chicago is going on a power play with three days of extensive coverage of the team’s historic selection.

Bedard had been called the most promising player to enter the league since Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby. The only other time the Blackhawks had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft was in 2007 when the team selected Patrick Kane, who helped lead it to three Stanley Cup championships.

The NHL draft will air live from Nashville on ESPN and NHL Network, with streaming on ESPN Plus. Round 1 takes place Wednesday night, with rounds 2 through 7 on Thursday.

On Wednesday, NBC Sports Chicago will air Blackhawks Draft Night Live presented by ChevyDriveschicago.com. Hosted by Pat Boyle, the one-hour live reaction special will provide details and analysis of the top pick from experts including former players Darren Pang, Denis Savard, Steve Larmer, Adam Burish, Ben Eager and Bryan Bickell, plus broadcasters Pat Foley and Charlie Roumelotis.

Blackhawks Draft Night Live will also be available on the NBC Chicago News streaming channel.

On Thursday night, following the White Sox game telecast, NBC Sports Chicago will show Blackhawks Draft Recap presented by ChevyDrivesChicago.com. The show will be hosted by Pat Bolye with analysis provided by Caley Chelios and a live report from Nashville by Roumeliotis. 

Blackhawks Class of ‘23, hosted by Boyle and Chelios, will appear on Friday. The show will feature the team’s official press conference live and feature interviews with the draft picks, coaches and front-office execs. 

Blackhawks Draft Recap and Blackhawks Class of ‘23 will also be available on the NBC Chicago News streaming channel.

NBC Sports Chicago will also be offering coverage on digital media, social platforms and via podcasts.

Sinclair Broadcast Group said it sold its controlling interest in sports network Stadium to Jerry Reinsdorf’s Silver Chalice.

Reinsdorf is the owner of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball and the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Chalice has owned a stake in Stadium since it was started in 2017.

Sinclair has been unwinding its sports businesses. The broadcaster bought the Fox regional sports networks from The Walt Disney Co. in 2019. Those network were renamed Bally Sports following a deal giving Sinclair equity in Bally’s. 

With cord-cutting and rising costs for sports rights, the regional sports network business has collapsed and Diamond Sports, the division of Sinclair that runs the Bally RSN, declared bankruptcy in March.

A Sinclair spokesperson said the decision to sell Stadium was not related to the RSN situation. Instead, they said Stadium did not generate enough audience interest to continue funding.

The local broadcast rights deals for both teams with NBC Sports Chicago expire in 2024. With the decline of the regional sports network business, the way those teams deal with local carriage is likely to be different going forward.

With its studios located in Chicago’s United Center — where the Bulls and Blackhawks of the National Hockey League play — Stadium assets could be used to build a TV business that could carry those teams.

The sale of Stadium was initially reported by Front Office Sports.

NBC Sports Chicago on Thursday will present a special alternative feed of the NBA game between the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets that will feature enhanced sports betting data, analysis and commentary.

The BetCast telecast, sponsored by sports book PointsBet, comes as programmers look for ways to capitalize as legalized gambling is approved on a state-by-state basis.

The Chicago BetCast--appearing on NBC Sports Chicago Plus--will have on screen graphics about point spreads, over/unders, money lines and player propositions. Information from NBC Sports Edge will also be provided to track team and player performance and trends.

NBC Sports Chicago host David Kaplan, former NBA player Kendall Gill and PointsBet senior editor Teddy Greenstein will provide commentary during the game.

The traditional game feed, with announcers Adam Amin and Stacy King, will appear on NBC Sports Chicago.

In February, NBC Sports and PointsBet presented an NBC Sports Edge BetCast covering the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. NBC Sports Washington has produced predictive-game telecasts covering the NBA Washington Wizards and NBC Sports Philadelphia has been doing BetCast versions of 76ers games this month on a regular basis. 

Last week, ESPN ran an alternative Daily Wager version of an NBA game between the Brooklyn Nets and the 76ers.

It’s going to be a different baseball season at NBC Sports Chicago.

The regional sports network that started as a joint venture among Comcast, the White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks and Cubs will not be airing Cubs games for the first time since 2003.

With the Cubs opting to launch their own network, NBC Sports Chicago is doubling down on the up-and-coming Sox, whose local games, like those of the Cubs, will no longer be on broadcast.

“We’ve got all the White Sox games for the most part,” Kevin Cross, general manager of NBC Sports Chicago, said. “This will be fun.”

Last year, televised 80 Cubs games that averaged a 4.1 rating, down 7% from the prior season. It showed 105 White Sox games.

Those averaged a 1 rating, up 25%. This year, the network will carry 161 of 162 regular season Sox games.

This season, there are high expectations for the White Sox. While the team was rebuilding, was showing minor league games to familiarize fans with prospects who would be coming up to the South Side.

RELATED: Marquee Sports Network Steps Up to the Plate

When the last baseball season ended, rebranded itself as the home of Chicago Sports. That means the network will still cover that team on the north side of town.

“The fan base in this market wants that and we still have to provide it,” Cross said.

Outside of baseball season, Cross figures will have a real advantage over Marquee Sports Network, the Cubs’ outlet. When winter sets in, will be carrying Bulls basketball and Blackhawks hockey.

“There won’t be a single week of the year where we don’t have live events and pro events,” he said. “That’s a great thing for us and I love where we’re positioned.”

The addition of more live White Sox games has helped NBCSC maintain affiliate fees even with the Cubs’ departure. And while some sponsors have moved to Marquee with the Cubs, “we’re off to a really good start from an advertising standpoint,” Cross said. “The community is buying into it. They know that the Sox have something going on and they want to get in early on.”

He added, “Our biggest selling point is that we’re a year-round network.”

According to Kagan analyst Adam Gajo, is expected to generate $207 million in revenue, with $168.7 million coming from subscriber fees ($4.29 per subscriber per month) and $35.6 million from advertising. It will earn $8.8 million in cash flow, according to Kagan.

RELATED: Outlook Uncertain for RSN Business Overall

To win the competition with Marquee, Cross believes his network needs to constantly innovate. This season the network will boast new, state-of-the-art studios, built by the folks who designed the studios NBC uses for the Olympics.

“It’s going to be a studio that allows us to create content in entirely different ways. And that’s what the fans want,” he said.

Beyond television, Cross said he wants to be strong on digital with written content, video-on-demand and fans engaged on social media. “We’ve got to be there for fans 24/7, he said.

Dish Network said regional sports network NBC Sports Chicago pulled its programming from the satellite TV service provider’s customers on Oct. 1, after the two failed to reach a carriage agreement.

NBC Sports Chicago had warned Dish customers earlier in September that it may go dark after the final regular season game for Major League Baseball team the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs formed their own RSN -- with broadcaster Sinclair Broadcast Group -- earlier this year, called Marquee Sports Network. NBC Sports Chicago no longer has the rights to carry Cubs programming.

NBC Sports Chicago, owned by Comcast,  has beefed up programming from other teams -- it carries games from the NBA Chicago Bulls, NHL Chicago Blackhawks and MLB's Chicago White Sox -- and has directed Dish customers to other providers that carry the channel. 

Dish has claimed that NBC Sports Chicago, despite the loss of the Cubs games, was demanding payment on a minimum number of subscribers. 

“The regional sports model has been broken for years, and we’re facing a critical point in our industry,” Dish SVP of programming Andy LeCuyer said in a statement. “NBC Sports Chicago is losing its most popular content in the Cubs, while demanding payment on a guaranteed minimum number of subscribers, when only a fraction watch the channel. It simply makes no sense for our customers.”

Dish said it offered a short-term contract extension to keep the channels available while negotiations continued, but NBC Sports Chicago refused.

In a statement, NBC Sports Chicago said that it values Dish and is working in good faith to reach a deal, but claims the satellite TV service provider is "unwilling to meaningfully engage."

“NBC Sports Chicago thanks the many distribution partners who recognize the great value of our channel and have decided to continue serving fans with the most local games and best coverage of Chicago sports," the RSN said in a statement. "We are disappointed Dish has dropped NBC Sports Chicago, denying its subscribers more exclusive local Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox games than the network has ever had before. Dish subscribers have other options and can learn how to switch providers on www.mysportschicago.com.”

Sinclair Broadcast Group has formed a joint venture with the Chicago Cubs that will own and operate Marquee Sports Network, a regional sports channel that will be the exclusive home of Cubs baseball games beginning with the 2020 season.

Cubs games have been broadcast by WGN in Chicago for 72 years. WGN’s owner, Tribune Broadcasting, owned the Cubs until the team was sold to the Ricketts family in 2009.

The Cubs had been partners with Comcast in NBC Sports Chicago, which televises Cubs games on cable. NBC Sports Chicago recently announced a deal that extends its partnerships with the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.

The new Marquee Sports Network will have to negotiate a carriage deal with Comcast, the dominant cable provider in the Chicago TV market.

“This partnership brings together one of the most iconic sports franchises in the country with one of the largest television broadcasting companies,” said Chris Ripley, president and CEO of Sinclair. “It is hard to imagine any content that is more unique and valuable than the live sports entertainment the Cubs have been delivering to their fans for more than a century. Sinclair’s strength in production, distribution and local sales will support bringing more content to more viewers, all while leveraging the latest technology.”

Sinclair has also reportedly been bidding on some of the Fox regional sports networks, which are being acquired, then divested by The Walt Disney Co. Disney is selling the networks in order for its acquisition of 21st Century Fox to gain regulatory approval.

“Providing an enhanced experience for our fans is at the heart of everything we do. We are excited to better serve our fans with expanded and exclusive programming showcasing our remarkable players, beloved ballpark and storied past,” said Crane Kenney, president of business operations for the Cubs. “Our dedicated ‘Cubs-centric’ network will carry all available Cubs games and feature uncompromising, in-depth and behind-the-scenes coverage.”

Owning their own TV networks appeared to be a gold mine for baseball teams, whose 162-regular season games represents a large volume of high-demand programming. Sports networks commanded high sub fees and were carried on basic tiers, which generates a lot of revenue.

Among the first teams to start their own network was the New York Yankees, which launched YES in 2002. It is now among the Fox-owned RSNs on the block because of the Disney Deal.

In 2014, Time Warner Cable agreed to pay 2013 $8.35 billion over 25 years to the Dodegers to start a regional sports network featuring the team. The network has been a big money loser because it has been unable to secure carriage to more than 50% of L.A. area pay-TV subscribers. The network is now owned by Charter.

With the number of pay-TV subscribers falling and sports starting to move to on-demand and streaming platforms, the value of RSNs appears to be falling, based on the low price the Fox RSNs are expected to fetch.

In Chicago, there were concerns about Sinclair last year when it tried to acquire Tribune Broadcasting last year. The conservative news commentaries that Sinclair compels its stations to air appeared to clash with the philosophy of local management at the Tribune stations.

The deal also comes at a time when racist emails surfaced from Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts and the father of of Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts. Team president of baseball operations Theo Epstein condemned those emails earlier this week.

“The emails were upsetting to read and especially upsetting that some of our fans were put into a position where they had to consider a connection of their favorite team and some of those views,” Epstein said according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

NBC Sports Chicago said it promoted Kevin Cross to vice president of content, a new post at the regional sports network.

Cross, who had been senior director of news and original content, will be responsible for NBC Sports Chicago’s growing portfolio of multi-platform content, including live events, programming, digital media news and original content.

Related: NBC Sports Rebrands Comcast RSNs

The RSN also named Jessica Felten director of marketing.

“Both Kevin and Jessica have been major contributors and integral assets to the growth of NBC Sports Chicago,” said Bill Bridgen, president of group leaders, NBC Sports Regional Networks. “Their experience, leadership, and forward-thinking mindset will be critical factors in our multi-platform efforts moving forward.”

Felten had been marketing manager at NBC Sports Chicago for the past four years. Before that she was with Crate & Barrel.