Overview
- Major League Baseball will produce nearly half of teams’ local game broadcasts in 2026 after additional RSN payment failures shifted rights to the league.
- Tom Ricketts called launching Marquee Sports Network in 2020 “maybe the smartest thing we’ve done,” citing control over production and fan experience.
- Ricketts praised Marquee’s quality and awards but said the declining RSN revenue model requires tighter expense management.
- Marquee cut staff this offseason, slashed its digital operation, eliminated the GM role, and is set to air 11 Cactus League games this spring.
- Addressing speculation that MLB could centralize more rights, Ricketts said the Cubs “love our independence,” while noting Chicago has avoided the steep local-media revenue hits seen elsewhere.