Games do not a 24-hour sports channel make.
Sure, games are the main attraction. But ultimately other programming is needed to fill the vast 24/7 hole and give the network identity.
Area sports viewers can expect to see some new shows when Comcast SportsNet Chicago is launched next October. In a deal formally announced Tuesday, Comcast Cable, a local cable provider, will be partners in a jointly owned network with the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks.
The channel says it will offer the same amount of regular-season games that had aired on Fox Sports Net: 72 for the Cubs, 95 for the Sox, 42 for the Bulls and 39 for the Hawks. Comcast also will air playoff games, assuming the Bulls or Hawks get that far.
Also, Comcast is expected to be competitive in trying to attract local college teams to the network.
But other programming will be different. While Fox Sports Net has offered more national network shows in recent years outside of its game coverage, expect Comcast to stay locally oriented for most of the day.
That’s the formula Comcast has used with its two regional networks in Philadelphia and the Baltimore/Washington D.C. markets. It also is the same approach taken by the YES Network that the New York Yankees own.
“Our philosophy is that sports is a regional business,” said Jack Williams, the president and CEO of Comcast’s sports networks. “Most people are fans of the team rather than the league. Hockey fans are Hawks fans. Basketball fans are Bulls fans. We try to focus on the teams that the people are following.”
In Philadelphia, Comcast gives blanket coverage to the games. Like Fox Sports Net does in Chicago, the local Philadelphia teams get extensive pre- and postgame coverage. Comcast owns the 76ers and the Flyers.
“We try to build the evening around the game,” Williams said.
But Philadelphia goes further with its non-game local coverage. The network starts the day at 6 a.m. with a program called “SportsRise.” The 30-minute show gives a detailed wrap-up of the previous day’s action. The focus is on the local teams, but national coverage is included.
Then in the evening, there are three “SportsNite” shows. The early show sets up the night’s games, and the later shows provide the analysis.
Another daily staple in Philadelphia is “Daily News Live.” This is a 90-minute roundtable where sportswriters from the Philadelphia Daily News debate the issues of the day. Because the show is popular in Philadelphia, don’t be surprised if the same format is attempted in Chicago. The station figures to provide some opportunities for Chicago sports print journalists and radio personalities.
“Everyone likes to talk sports,” Williams said.
The Philadelphia Comcast also is Eagles intensive. The station airs coach Andy Reid’s Monday news conference and does a 90-minute to 2-hour live postgame show.
The YES Network, which was launched in 2002, incorporates many of the same elements. It has several network-produced shows, including “Yankeeography,” a biography show on Yankee greats, and “CenterStage,” a popular interview show that attracts big-name guests in and outside of sports.
“Our individual programming is part of our identity,” said Bob Davis, executive vice president of YES. “We’re proud of what we do. We put a lot of effort into that programming.”
Comcast already has a template for how it wants to run a local sports channel. If Chicago fans want to see what is in store for them, all they have to do is check out the Web sites for Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia (philadelphia.comcastsportsnet.com) and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (midatlantic.comcastsportsnet.com).
“You’ll see a lot of the same type of programs,” Williams said.
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What they are watching on similar networks
Here’s what viewers saw Tuesday on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and the YES Network in New York.
– PHILADELPHIA
6 a.m.: SportsRise. A 30-minute wrap-up show of the previous night’s action. It repeats throughout the morning.
11 a.m.: Links Illustrated.
11:30 a.m.: Gillette World Sport
Noon: SportsDay. A midday update on any breaking sports news.
12:30 p.m.: SpotLIGHT. Interview show with a notable local or national athlete.
1 p.m.: Paid program.
2 p.m.: Rush hour.
3 p.m.: Paid program.
4 p.m.: 54321. A Fox Sports Net program focusing on extreme sports.
5 p.m.: Daily News Live. A nightly roundtable featuring sportswriters from the Philadelphia Daily News.
6:30 p.m.: SportsNite: A preview of that night’s games.
7 p.m.: Toronto at Sixers.
9:30 p.m.: Sixers Post Game Live.
10 p.m.: SportsNite. A wrap-up of the night’s games.
11 p.m.: The Angelo Cataldi Show. Featuring the Philly radio personality.
11:30 p.m.: Best Damned Sports Show Period. The same show that runs on Fox Sports Net Chicago.
1 a.m.: SportsNite. Features updates on any late games.
1:30 a.m.: Sports Wrap-up.
2 a.m.: Toronto at Sixers, game replay.
4 a.m.: Paid program.
– NEW YORK
6 a.m.: JEEP King of the Mountain: World professional ski and snowboard championships.
7 a.m.: CenterStage: An interview show with a famous guest.
8 a.m.: Yankeeography (Roger Maris). From the Yankee biography series.
9 a.m.: YES Network Classics. The 1988 Miami-Notre Dame game.
11:30 a.m.: Penn State Football Story. Joe Paterno’s weekly show.
Noon: NHL Cool Shots. The NHL’s weekly highlight show.
12:30 p.m.: YES Network Magazine. A sports and lifestyle magazine show.
1 p.m.: Mike and the Mad Dog. Live simulcast of WFAN sports talk radio show.
6:30 p.m.: YES Network Magazine.
7 p.m.: A taped New York high school championship game.
10 p.m.: Yankees Hot Stove. A roundtable regarding player moves.
10:30 p.m.: Best of Mike and the Mad Dog.
11:30 p.m.: NHL Cool Shots.
Midnight: Reggie Jackson Invitational. Highlights of Reggie’s golf tournament.
1 a.m.: Best of CenterStage.
2 a.m.: Paid programming.
