EPIC FLOP: This is the beginning of the end for Marquee and Chicago Cubs

EPIC FLOP: This is the beginning of the end for Marquee and Chicago Cubs

Is it time to officially call the Marquee Network a failure? You are Locked On Cubs, your daily Chicago Cubs podcast, part of the Locked Onet. Your team every day. You are Locked On Cubs, part of the Locked On Network. Now the number one sports podcast network. We are your team every day alongside Sam Olber. I’m Matt Cozy. Sam and I are lifelong fans taking our passion into a discussion with you on all things Cubs. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app today. big news that was released on Monday night first by the Chicago Sun Times, Jeff Aress, who honestly Sam, we should get on for a bonus episode or something at some point. Would love that. Uh Marquee Sports Network began a restructuring of their operations on Monday with their broadcast partner Sinclair and the Cubs themselves having major roles in the changes. Here’s what’s happening. Several staff members are being released and from now on the Cubs are going to directly oversee uh this station. Game coverage, production, and onair talent will directly report to Cub COO Colin Faulner, who has zero TV experience. This is a big change on the programming side because programmers at Marquee via Sinclair were handling the content and now a baseball team will be handling the content. That’s the difference, Sam. There are many implications here, including financial, which we’ll get to several times throughout the show, I’m sure. But first, what are your impressions of Marquee making these changes in the news Monday night? I don’t understand it because to me, it felt like they were overseeing it anyway, right? So, you know, the only guy on Marquee that came off like he really was giving genuine, authentic, real opinions consistently, and I’m not criticizing anyone on the marquee. There’s a lot of great talent there. It just felt like they knew they had to be careful about what they were saying. Uh the only guy that I really resonated with was like, “Hey, he’s being real real and critical about this was Cliff Floyd.” Um, and so when you when when you texted me this last night, I I actually came back with you and was a little bit snippy, if you will, because to me it’s just going to be more of the same, which is just unauthentic. Um, and and you know, Cubs Kool-Aid and the Cubs have lost seven in a row. uh and they’re five games back at Milwaukee. But let’s talk about the fact that Bisteros is five for 15 over the last three and just a lot of that and that’s what it felt like um to begin with. So, the fact that now that it’s just public that the Cubs are directly overseeing it, which resulted in some really good people losing their jobs, Matt, I just I just think, you know, and I know I know we’re probably not here yet uh uh with the show, but I’m just going to just say it and toss it back to you. Just I I I just think that between all the budget concerns and this type of thing, it just feels like this marquee marquee network hasn’t worked out the way they wanted to. it calling it a failure. Is that strong? Maybe. So, but it surely isn’t a success. Well, I think this is the beginning of the end for Marquee. I think 2026 could be the last year. I’ll I’ll explain why as we continue on, but it’s it’s uh I mean, it’s you could chalk it up as a classic case of bad timing. Yes. But it has been a failure at worst and at best it’s Yeah. It’s not what they thought it would be. Well, and I think that’s putting it kindly, right? And the Cubs just don’t not a lot has happened from this deal. Like just nothing has really happened. Well, I’m going to let you you know more about this than me. I’m going to let you handle the details of this and talk about why it matters. Let me just I I want to give you the fan side of it, the person side of it. Um, right. is you haven’t enjoyed since they debuted in July of 20 and we watched the first game together. You mean February of 20? Yeah. I have not enjoyed one second of this. Not one second of one game. I think the production value during the game is terrific. Like the like the vision like the like Oh, it’s fantastic. I think graphics, camera work, and production. They’ve been great because I know I don’t like what they did. I I I paid $25 a month during the during the baseball season to watch uh um every other team but the Cubs. And the Cubs are arrogant enough to ask me to pay for, you know, pay $20 a month just to watch them. And I think they’ve taken advantage of the best fan base on planet earth- which is which are the Cubs fans. And it’s just and you’re right, there is a bad timing element to it because it started right around COVID. Basically the opposite of the Dodgers. The Dodgers got their deal done right before CO and then were able to topple other teams. The Cubs were were greatly Cubs were greatly affected by CO, but then they were also affected by a a bad baseball team for a while. And when you’re when you’re a franchise that’s operating subscriptionbased, you have to put out a good product. And they didn’t for a while. And I I I still don’t think they’ve put up a good enough product to ask people to pay $20 a month to watch it. And you know, I always use this analogy and people won’t get it because it’s not a popular movie, but it’s the perfect analogy. It’s like in Santa Claus 3, if you ever seen that movie, Tim Allen, uh, uh, the guy who plays Jack Frost, and he takes over the North Pole, and instead of having the North Pole be the classic thing of how it was in the movie and I imagine, he makes it corporate, you know, it it becomes corporate. It becomes, hey, pay this, pay this. It’s just not the same. And I don’t think it’s resonated with Cub fans. And Tim and I talked about this. Uh uh I just think Rickettts, you know, said, “Hey, look, we could get these guys to watch anything.” And I and I think it hurt fans and created distance with the fans. You add that with the fact that they don’t go out and get big-time talent financially and you’re in this situation. It’s not a horrible situation because they’re still winning games, but every fan out there knows it could be better. Well, and they only cover the games. That’s the only product on Marquee that’s Cubs related now. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we’ll talk about We did that study what in March where we counted the hours. Yeah, you did. Actually, my coworker Chris did that and relayed the information to me. Uh then some correspondence with Jeff Agress of the Sun Times. It was only something like out of the 24 hours, it was like seven hours of Cubs, right? And that’s just not enough. You said you were going to be 247 Cubs Network when you launched. uh their their daytime programming is all syndicated. They have, you know, golf putting shows uh and fishing and and it really is just down to the games at this point. Maybe you sprinkle in a little Bears, a little sky coverage. Um it feel it feel it feels like but they didn’t they never did what they said they were going to do. Well, but it just doesn’t feel like in terms of the content, it doesn’t feel like there’s a plan. It doesn’t feel like there’s a face of the network that you look forward to seeing. Um it doesn’t it it just feels very jumbled and and just hey look we’re the Cubs. Pay to watch us play and and that’s about all we got. They don’t even cover all the spring training games anymore. No, but to me, Matt, it’s about the content. I I I I don’t like when you can’t criticize and be honest and real. And I think that’s what they’re missing. And I think and I think that’s what we you know something that we could discuss. All right. Well, let’s keep doing that as we talk about Marquee, the beginning of the end for the Cubs Network. Stay tuned. This episode is brought to you by uh FanDuel. NFL Sundays move fast. One big play and suddenly everything feels different. That’s what makes live betting with FanDuel so exciting. You’re not just watching the game, you’re reacting to it in real time. And with FanDuel, you can play place bets as the action unfolds. Every drive, every momentum swing, every highlight moment. Matt’s Iowa Hawkeyes open up Big 10 play tonight on the Hardwood in East Lancing, Michigan, where they face Tom Mizo Spartans. Trappy kind of line on that. Keep an eye on that. Uh uh the Hawkeyes only getting five and a half against the powerhouse that is Michigan State. Maybe they pull an upset. Interesting line there uh in East Lancing. That game will tip off here at 6:00 Central. So, if you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit fanuel.com and place your NFL live bets all season long. FanDuel, the game moves fast and so can you. Thank you for making Locked On Cubs your first listen of the day. Thank you for making Locked On the number one sports podcast network. All right, let’s get into the content be so before some of the financials. Yeah. And and please tell us please tell us before we get into the content, tell us in detail why you again why you think this is it for Marquee because that’s a huge statement. Yeah. So now with these changes, Marquee is is operating as a direct arm of the Cubs. You know, whereas a technically a Marquee employee hired by Sinclair ran the network, now the Cubs run it fully, right? Yeah. The Cubs obviously played a role in it and they were overseeing it like from from the top level, but now they’re in in the studio practically with them. And why is that? Employee that doesn’t run a TV station, doesn’t have a background in doing it, is now overseeing their their biggest part of their coverage, which is the games pre and post and all that. But don’t you think if they run out that didn’t happen before. But don’t you think if they go n, you know, win 94 games next year that’s going to be enough to keep the network going? No, I don’t. Okay. I don’t I think 2026 could absolutely be the last year the Cubs have their own network and and one reason is money. Okay. They they were earning as much as 90 million at first according to the Tribune back in 2021 articles. Uh now I’m hearing it could be as low as 15 to 20. I’ve heard 15. Okay. That doesn’t even get that doesn’t even get you a good starter. They’re still bringing in money, but it’s not what they thought. And you know, imagine if they had launched in 2015 instead of 2020. Oh my god. They still had deals with NBC Sports Chicago, WGN, ABC7. Do we have any context of, hey, they’re bringing in 15 now versus what they were bringing in with NBC and and and Comcast and uh Yeah, it was it was around 60 with them, all of them. Okay. So, so, so, so, so now we’re starting to see a path for their struggles, and I put that in quotes financially. So there there’s a there’s a high percentage chance they’re earning significantly less money right now than they were before this started. Oh, significantly. And if they continue on this, I just don’t see how they could run themselves unless they just keep making cuts and they just do bare bones. All right, we’re doing the games. We’re running replays. Uh whether it’s snowing or 100 degrees and we’ll just have a handful of people plus the broadcast. Okay. Um, you know, they they released their general manager on Monday. That’s not a good sign. No, never is. Um, uh, and and and and Sam, the TV business right now is also a reason why Marquee, it could be the last year. It’s not just because the Cubs or just because Marquee, but the Cubs could very well merge Marquee with, you know, maybe Marquee and CHSN merge, right? So, that would qualify as Marquee uh ending. Uh, Major League Baseball wants to centralize broadcast and streaming rights of as many teams as they can and for a fair price relative to the current landscape and relative that they that the Cubs are still uh residing in the number three market in the country. Maybe the Cubs go for the safe zone and hand the TV their TV baton to the league and say, “You know what? Yeah, you could just run our TV, too.” No, they won’t do that because six other teams do that. Yeah, but not not the uh uh I think a merger with CHSN is in play. It seems like the beginning of the end. Why can’t they go get a deal with YouTube TV? They they have never had deals with YouTube TV and Hulu. Why? And others. They could not agree on a carriage price. And so that’s why Marque is relying on our individual subscriptions, which by the way, I’ve which has been cancelled for two months. I don’t keep it going in the off season. Well, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve never watched Marquee ever. Not one time unless the Cubs are playing baseball. Absolutely. No, no, not once. I I I don’t watch the pregame. Obviously, we’re doing a show postgame, right? Um sometimes it’s on in the background. I’ll have the noise in the background while I’m, you know, doing work. So, you turn it on at first pitch. Yeah. Or or if I if I’m home and I’m still working and it’s like a 640 first pitch, I’ll have it on at like six in the background, but I’m not watching it just to just to hear some stuff. It’s just and I just think and I’m not saying this to be arrogant. I’m not saying I think Cole Wright and Cliff Floyd as a pairing is pretty solid and that’s about it. I’m not saying this I don’t even think it’s about the individual talent. I think it’s one of those things where they’re being, you know, they can’t even fully be themselves. Um, I just think for me, and I and I, and I I think I speak for the fans on this, I think one of the reasons that our show, you know, you know, does a decent job is because people resonate with realness. Now, look, I’m not sitting here saying that you and I are perfect. We’ve both made tons of mistakes on the show and said wrong things, whatever. But the reason I think people keep coming back I is because they know that what they’re getting in the moment is honesty and and it’s real and and when I’ve when I’ve talking to people at live events or I’ve met them at the stadium the the thing that I get said to me the most is hey man and I have many people say hey you know what I don’t agree with a lot of the things you say but I respect the fact that you’re real about it. Some people say, “Hey, I agree with a lot of the things.” Realness, you know, I was talking with Bobby Redell the other day, like and him and I just we like just authenticity, man. Just be and and Marquee has none of that. You just see right through it. Whether it’s the seventh inning of a of a of a game in September trying to, you know, come back in the division. We’re talking about f French fries. uh whether it’s you know talking about you know shoe sizes or whatever it is or or off the air you know airing Ian Hap shows love Ian Hap show great stuff but you know why not put something like this or put something like another podcast or something where people can go hey these guys are really going to get into it that that brings energy controversy um um polarizing opinions arguing going against the grain is what creat creates interest, not sitting there going, “We love the Cubs. Let’s talk about their new menu.” A lot of companies are just checking a box right now. So, I mean, I I it’s nothing it’s not unlike what other people are doing, what Marquee is. And and there is some points of encouragement, you know, with with a couple examples. I don’t know if we want to get into those, you know, with couple different channels, but it’s pretty few and far between, though. It is. And I also would love for Rickettts to speak about this, you know. Well, Rickettts hasn’t penned his annual letter yet because I I don’t I think fans I think he’s scared. I would love like if Ricketts were to come on here kind of like what he did with Cap Show last year, but actually get into the details, which I know is unprecedented, but just something along the lines of, “Hey, we’re not I’m not sitting here. I I’m not trying to be cheap. You know what? We we we tried something and it didn’t work out. I I was watching the other day uh this this thing about uh President Kennedy uh after the Bay of Pigs invasion, which everybody knows, you know, was was a disaster. And I’m not comparing these two things in that sense. Obviously, this is sports. This is life and death. But like two or three days later, he addressed the country and he said, “This was my fault. I I I take full responsibility of it, whatever.” And you and you know at that time I obviously wasn’t alive but I’m sure people are like all right like I’m not sure I trust this guy because it was early in his presidency but at least he came out said it was on him it was nobody else and you move forward and that’s that we’re talking about life and death there. This is this is b like just come out and just say hey we it didn’t work. We we we tried marquee we wanted this to work out. It hasn’t worked. Co didn’t help. Um, but it didn’t but it didn’t work and we’re going to figure out a way to to to get this better, bring in more money so we could we could spend more and have a better baseball team. Just be done with it. Just say it. Yeah. Yeah. The broadcast and streaming landscape didn’t help. But this all plays a factor. And maybe maybe 26 isn’t the last year Marquee, but I don’t think it would go beyond maybe like 28. I just don’t think it’s a long-term thing anymore. Like Monday’s news indicates to me as a nerd and and and knower of this business, it is the beginning of the end in some form or fashion. This isn’t going to be a 20-year network or anything. Authenticity, accountability, right? Realness, excitement. Those are the things you’re looking for in a network. Not I I’m not sure what this phrase means, but I think I’m applying it right. Cookie cutter. Is that Is that Yeah. No, it’s a good phrase. Yeah. Like a cookie cutter status quo. Yeah. Corporate. Yep. What made the like this doesn’t make any This is great. This is great because you’re not even mentioning the money. No, I I’d like you to talk about all that stuff cuz I don’t know. I’m only talking about the stuff that I know about, right? What What makes the What made the Cubs special? You know, WGN was up there. WGN, Harry Kerry, Jack Brick House, what of what are those? Right. The broadcast had a just a had a literally a global impact on their brand. And what do those people have in common? They’re different. Yeah. They were themselves. They’re different. They’re different. People were attracted to that. Harry Kerry people were attracted. Flaws, of course. But but sometimes that’s what brings audience. Look, like you look at some of these entertainers, you read about stuff, the Madanas of the world, like in the 80s, you got to go against the grain. You got to do things to be out there to get eyes to you, not sit there. Well, analytics and that. If that’s what you want to do to win baseball games, that’s great. But that doesn’t You have Let me put it like this. I’ll be done. I’m sorry. You haven’t won enough baseball games to do that. Well, I I have a question to pose for you then based on on that might be a challenging one right after this. Shout out to the everydayers and you can become a locked on Cubs everyday by joining us for every episode throughout the week. We’re talking about Marquee all episode long. Let me ask you this. I I remember waking up on a on it was right around this time. It was a cold December morning in uh 2020 and there was major news that had broke overnight. Do you remember what it was? Say that again. I’m sorry. 2020. What? It was a co It was right around this time in 2020. I woke up to big big news as a Cubs fan. Was it this? It was that Len Casper left Cubs TV for White Sox radio. Oh yeah. Yeah, that was a bad sign to me that one of your You called that. You called that one of your main voices left on his own valition. Wow. I don’t know what that remember this network made Lenn and JD in 2020 in the heat of summer were suits. No, you were all over the Casper thing. Um wasn’t a good sign. And I believe Boog Bo as elite as he is mechanically he was a safe hire. No, but Boog is the exact example of why I think this network doesn’t resonate with fans and it has nothing to do with him. He’s brilliant in the sense of the fact like I would love for Boog to to be on ESPN to call a Cubs uh well he is Phillies game but he’s not the local guy. That’s not who he is. You say mechanically he’s a great broadcaster. It is like people don’t People really think like that I’m like oh you it I just don’t like the fit to for the Cubs. It doesn’t fit. Yeah. It just doesn’t work. He’s not a Cubs fan. He doesn’t care about the results. Like I listen here’s a great example. I listen to Brian Anderson a lot. Right. Yes. I know. I think he’s I think he’s he if I had to pick a guy right now that’s number one in the business, he’d be up there. No way. Uh and he’s he’s all over the NBA. He’s all over he’s he’s all over March Madness, right? He’s still But when I watch him do the Brewers, you there’s there is a passion there. There is a a sense of him being you I don’t feel like when I listen to him that he’s a national broadcaster there. Yeah, that’s impressive there. And I listen to Brewers games a lot, right? That’s the difference. Do you understand? I’ll listen to him. Well, I guess I guess, you know, I guess I don’t listen to him anymore in the NBA because they’re not on TNT anymore. Uh, but whatever. When I when I have listened to him, I could listen to him do a Lakers Mavs playoff game, but when he’s with the Brewers, it feels like he’s a Brewer guy. Well, a gentleman uh by the name of Kevin Cougler was a national contract with Fox and he does some national radio for Westwood One. I know. He’s a diehard Cubs fan. I thought they were going to hire him. They didn’t. So, just real quick on a quick side note, I mean, we we should do another episode about this because it’s fun. Uh, you you uh scowlled at my Brian Anderson. The only guy I in my head I’d put ahead of him unanimously would be Mike Trico. Forgot about him. The the top five currently. Ian Eagle is up there. Yeah, he’s up there for sure. Uh Joe Davis. Yeah, Joe Buck. Buck and Aman as a duo, I’d say. Um Anderson’s clearly in there. Anyway, uh Jason Benetti, Adam Amin. Okay, neither of those two guys. Love them both. They’re not at Brian Anderson’s level. Come on. Come on. Love Bani Johnson. No, no, no. Brian Anderson’s ahead of those guys. Well, then NBC should be calling Brian Anderson’s phone for Sunday Night Baseball if they they were smart. Yeah. I I I don’t know where Brian Anderson is. Could you explain the money stuff just real quick before we move forward? Yeah, so Marquee in the first full year in 21, according to the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs got $90 million from their TV deal. Yeah. With uh the trio of NBC Sports Chicago, WGN, and ABC7, they got about 50 to 60. So they went plus 30 right away, but now they’re down to 15 to 20. So they’ve gone really then from 60 in their original deal with the three partners to now 15 to 20. Even though for a year they went up to 90. Now they’ve gone way down. And this has an impact on baseball spending. The TV deal was supposed to be a part of the baseball budget. Crane Kenny, whether this was, you know, a goofy quote or not. Oh, it’s my job to deliver the wheelbarrow of cash to Theo. Okay. Well, yeah, for many years they did that uh with with, you know, with multiple revenue streams, but Marquee has never delivered. Talk about a wheelbarrow. How about a a a suitcase of cash? It hasn’t been a cash cow. Not even close. And that that has an impact. You can’t pay a gentleman or or a a a a talented individual uh uh to run the you know the I heard today the marquee website is under threat. So if if if if there isn’t funds for a digital content manager for the website, how are they going to pay Kyle Schwarber? And this is where it gets really concerning because it’s it’s these basic things, these little things that add to the big thing. And uh I I think I really do believe it has an impact on the budget. I don’t think it’s a surprise for the Cubs. I’m sure they’re disappointed, but it’s just not what they thought it would be. And uh the other thing I want to say on this, you know, salvage some of this Marquee and Cubs, get to the table this winter with WGN. Well, or WCIU or both. I think it’d have to be that and just do every Saturday or Sunday or just start with one of them and just put do the simal cast or or make a deal. Start with the simo cast and see what happens. Okay. Or make a deal so I can watch the game on TV and not have to hook up my computer because I have YouTube TV. That’s not going to happen like most of most people. They’re going to milk this thing for as long as they can on their own. Authenticity start. Look, if you’re watching, Tom, authenticity, accountability, that’s what people resonate with, especially Especially in a time now where, as you said, everything kind of feels like the same thing when you watch it, right? Absolutely. I mean, I mean, the Dodgers had Vince Skully, but now they have Joe Davis, who you just mentioned in your top five. Um, I’m not sure I’d have him that high. That sounds a little high for me. I like Joe Davis. Um, Iron Eagle. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I’d have to my notebook and his son’s not far behind. He’s pretty good, huh? I’m not familiar with him. Oh, he did a great job uh with the Olympics. What about Burkart? Yeah. But again, I I think Bryant to me it’s Tariq. Jim Nance. Yeah, Nance is still really good. Buck’s good. Yeah, Tariq. For me, it’s Tariq and Anderson. One, two. That’s my personal opinion. Jeff Passen put out a trade preview in anticipation of the winter meetings next week. Cubs weren’t on it. 25 players were on there. There was like three to six best fits for the 25 players. Cubs weren’t listed once. So, I hope everyone has a happy holidays. Uh, and the Cubsite Scott King to a minor league deal. Before we close out, I’m glad you got the Kangar thing in. That’s great. Um before we close out, look, this is an important topic and and because I really think it’s directly impacted the results on the field and it’s directly impacted the stigma around this this organization and so you know this we we might have come across a little strong by we I mean me. Um but um it’s frustrating. It’s frustrating to to to have to pay like this and access this and then you pay all this money and then you find out it’s not working out and it’s costing the team on the baseball field. It’s not good. Just not good. It’s not. Especially when you’re not winning championships. Nothing matters if you’re winning. If they if they hoisted up a World Series or they were winning titles, I don’t They could charge me 150 bucks a month. Oh, I don’t think I don’t think it’s just about winning. That that’s what it matters. when you’re not winning enough and 92 wins is a start, but it’s not enough wins to compensate what what what’s been on here from 2020 on. Thank you so much for making Lock Cubs your first listen of the day. For your second listen, check out Locked on MLB where Sully keeps you up to date on the latest rumors, news, and everything else. Find Locked on MLB on YouTube and everywhere you get your podcasts. He’s Sam Olber. I’m Matt Cozy. This is locked on cubs.

Matt and Sam explain and discuss the latest news with Marquee Sports Network. Why 2026 could be the last season for the Cubs on Marquee, why authenticity on TV matters, how important this is for baseball budget, and much more.

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