Cubs TV broadcasts leave some longtime fans in the dark

When WGN America dropped local sports from its programming this season, it ended nearly four decades of beaming Cubs baseball to far-flung places across the country. Distant viewers can still watch the Cubs through paid service online or on cable or satellite TV. But for displaced fans within the team's designated "home" turf -- an expansive region that includes Illinois, Iowa and Indiana -- it's hit or miss because of MLB broadcast rules dating to the rabbit-ears era.

While streaming and cable or satellite packages can deliver every Cubs game, almost anywhere, they are considered out of market platforms prohibited within the team's home television territory. "That's a blackout issue," said Bob Bowman, president of business and media for Major League Baseball. "There's no alternative, you can't really watch the game." Local Cubs broadcast partners WLS-Ch.7, WGN-Ch.9 and Comcast SportsNet Chicago are enjoying robust ratings this season. But watching the Cubs has been a regional and national pastime since WGN first uploaded the games to satellite in the late 1970s. For fans outside the home territory, there are several options to watch the Cubs from DirecTV, Xfinity and MLB.TV, all with costs of $100 to $200. But the league's definition of a home television territory -- where only the team's local broadcast partners can deliver games -- is extremely broad, leading to widespread blackouts, taking those out-of-market off the table for many. The Cubs are looking to launch their own regional sports network after the current local TV and cable broadcast rights deals expire in 2019. Bowman said any changes in the home television territory will have to protect the existing ecosystem of regional sports networks and local TV stations. But he believes technology will eventually make following the home team a whole new ballgame. "The goal should be that if a fan wants to watch the game, he or she should be able to, in one shape or form," Bowman said. "We won't have it overnight, but I think we have to start making progress on this issue."