Cubs' Marquee Sports Network now available on Hulu + Live TV

Almost 5½ years after a short-lived distribution agreement, the Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network is back in Hulu + Live TV.

The regional sports network announced Wednesday that it’s now available on the streaming service in the Cubs’ market, and that its direct-to-consumer service is available for purchase on Prime Video. The distribution deals come almost a week before the Cubs open the season March 26 against the Nationals at Wrigley Field.

Hulu last carried Marquee for the 2020 season before dropping it that October, along with Cubs broadcast partner Sinclair’s other RSNs at the time. Marquee launched Feb. 22, 2020, five days after announcing its initial carriage agreement with Hulu. But the day before the Cubs’ first spring-training game, Hulu decided not to carry Marquee until the start of the regular season.

In-market Cubs fans also can now subscribe to Marquee’s DTC service through Prime Video, giving them access to the same content available to subscribers to Hulu and other platforms where Marquee is available.

“These agreements represent meaningful momentum as we continue expanding distribution and providing greater flexibility for fans,” Will Bell, a Sinclair senior vice president and the head of distribution and network relations, said in a statement. “With the addition of Hulu + Live TV and the launch on Prime Video, we are ensuring comprehensive access to Cubs coverage across both traditional streaming bundles and direct-to-consumer platforms in time for Opening Day.”

Marquee is available locally on Comcast and Astound cable, DirecTV satellite and DirecTV and Fubo streaming services, among other providers. Its DTC service is available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Samsung TV, among other platforms.

In October, Fubo and Disney closed on a deal to merge Disney’s Hulu + Live TV with Fubo, creating the second-largest virtual pay-TV provider in the country (more than 6.2 million subscribers), behind YouTube TV (more than 10 million).