With the Bulls’ offseason now in full swing, Chicago basketball fans can turn their attention to the reigning WNBA champions. The Chicago Sky will tip-off their season against the LA Sparks on May 6th at Wintrust Arena, and the game will be the first broadcasted by their new network partner.
Marquee Sports Network has inked a deal with the Sky to air 16 of the team’s 36 games this season. All other non-nationally televised games will be streamed on Marquee Plus, which is a dedicated streaming channel available for authenticated Marquee subscribers through the Marquee Sports Network app.
The @chicagosky are coming to Marquee!
More: https://t.co/HUBDBjANt9 pic.twitter.com/wz1RMD6nEr
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 2, 2022
Marquee – which is owned and operated by the Chicago Cubs and Sinclair Broadcasting – also noted that locally televised games not picked up by the network due to Cubs coverage will air on WCIU-TV in addition to Marquee Plus.
“This partnership with Marquee elevates the Chicago Sky fan experience in a way that has never been done before,” Sky President and CEO Adam Fox said in a press release. “Women’s basketball, particularly the Chicago Sky, is increasingly gaining attention and affinity, and Marquee’s commitment to women’s professional sports made this an easy partnership. With Marquee, as well as our continued relationship with WCIU-TV, fans will never miss a moment of the Sky’s title defense.”
While Marquee may not have the best reputation among sports fans in the area, a partnership could generate extra exposure and offer real promotional value for the Sky organization as a whole. With the WNBA growing each year, the Sky have a massive opportunity to grow their brand in one of the country’s biggest markets, and I suspect this helps accomplish just that.
For a bigger look at the Sky’s schedule and exactly which games will air on Marquee Sports Network, you can click here.