Chicago baseball fans got the shaft when MLB released the schedule Sunday for the Cubs’ and White Sox’ wild-card series. NBC has the rights to the first-round matchups, but Games 1 and 2 for the Cubs and Sox were relegated to the network’s streaming service, Peacock, and NBC Sports Network, to which you might not have access.
The ballyhooed Red Sox-Yankees rivalry — which the nation always is subjected to more than necessary — naturally was given the prime-time spot on over-the-air NBC for the first two games of its series. The network also will air the first two games of the Phillies-Braves series in the afternoon. The best-of-three wild-card series are scheduled to run Tuesday to Thursday.
To watch Games 1 and 2 of Cubs-Padres and White Sox-Astros, fans must watch on Peacock, which costs $12.99 per month, or NBCSN, which is available on Comcast’s Xfinity system and streamers Fubo and YouTube TV. Though Xfinity and YouTube TV are two of the largest pay-TV providers in the country, NBCSN is missing from services such as DirecTV and Astound/RCN.
For the Sox, Games 1 and 2 are scheduled for 4 p.m. For the Cubs, they’re set for 9. The start time for a possible Game 3 of either series will depend on how many series are still going.
These aren’t the first major postseason games stuck on a streamer. The NFL put the Packers-Bears playoff game in January on Prime Video, but it was available locally over the air. The NBA streamed 28 first- and second-round playoff games exclusively on Peacock (seven, which also aired on NBCSN) and Prime Video (21) last season.
But they are the first MLB postseason games to air on a streaming service. It was part of NBC’s deal that gave it “Sunday Night Baseball,” which had aired on ESPN for 36 seasons, and the wild-card round. The rest of the American League playoffs will air on TBS; Fox and FS1 have the rest of the National League playoffs. The World Series will air on Fox.
Here’s some good news: NBC will continue its use of local analysts on national broadcasts. Steve Stone will be on the call for the Sox’ series, and Jim Deshaies will be in the booth for the Cubs’ series.