There appears to be a cease-fire between YouTube TV and Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Sports channels owned by Sinclair, the Cubs’ partner in the Marquee Sports Network, will remain on the live streaming service for the time being. Last week YouTube TV announced it would drop Sinclair’s sports channels, including regional Fox Sports channels and the Yes Network, after the companies failed to reach a new carriage agreement. That made it look unlikely that YouTube TV would pick up Marquee, the only place to see Cubs games.
But YouTube TV tweeted this weekend that it will continue to carry the Sinclair-owned channels while negotiations continue. YouTube TV has never officially said it planned to pick up Marquee, but this morning’s move might be a positive sign for Cubs fans looking for ways to see their team on television.
We have agreed to a temporary extension! FOX Regional Sports Networks and YES Network are still available on YouTube TV while we work to reach an agreement. We’ll be sure to share an update as soon as we have more info on a potential resolution/timeline. More to come!
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) March 1, 2020
Comcast, the largest cable provider in Chicago, and Marquee have yet to reach a carriage agreement. Marquee is available on AT&T’s Uverse, DirecTV and AT&T TV, WOW and other cable services. The Hulu Live streaming service will also carry Marquee.