Comcast to Move Marquee Sports Network to More Expensive Plan

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

 

Comcast is now notifying subscribers in the Chicago market that the Marquee Sports Network will move from the Popular plan to the more expensive Ultimate plan effective October 1, 2025. Marquee is the regional TV home of the Chicago Cubs.

 

The package switch, which will happen after the close of the 2025 MLB regular season, is not unexpected. Comcast has negotiated a similar move from Popular to Ultimate with other regional sports networks (RSNs) including MASN in the Washington/Baltimore market; Root Sports in the Seattle market; and NESN and NBC Sports Boston in the Boston market, among others.

 

By removing the RSN from Popular, Comcast can eliminate or reduce the regional sports fee in that plan, reducing its overall price. The cable operator hopes that will bring appeal to cost-conscious consumers who have cut the cable/satellite cord in recent years to watch less expensive streaming services.

 

However, some regional sports networks have resisted the package switch because it means that fewer subscribers will have access to their channels. Like all channels, RSNs are paid cable/satellite carriage fees based on the number of subscribers who have access, not by how many actually watch.

 

The Ultimate plan is roughly $20 a month more than the Popular package. Comcast says it will offer promotional prices to Marquee subscribers who want to switch from Popular to Ultimate to continue watching the RSN after October 1.

 

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television for morthan three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch TV. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.