It’s a TV/radio kind of day, as the Cubs also released their spring training broadcast schedule on Tuesday.
Also Tuesday, the Cubs released their TV schedule for the 2019 regular season, the final year that they will have over-the-air broadcasts on WGN-TV and ABC7 Chicago. For WGN, that ends 72 consecutive seasons broadcasting Cubs baseball, the longest-ever connection between a broadcast TV station and any sports team. I find myself a bit surprised that WGN isn’t doing the last regular-season game this year; that would seem appropriate. Instead, their final broadcast will be Friday, September 27.
As was the case last year, most games (other than national broadcasts on ESPN or Fox) will be on NBC Sports Chicago , WGN or ABC7. NBCSCH will have “up to” 83 games, 45 will be on WGN and 25 on ABC7. The “up to” is because that total comes to 153 games. The other nine will be on national network broadcasts of some type. If a national network comes calling for a game not on their schedule now, one or more of those channels could wind up with fewer games. You’ll note three Sunday games (June 9, September 1 and September 22) are listed as TBD starting time and could be chosen for ESPN, though ESPN already has five other Cubs games for SNB. Similarly, September 28, a Saturday, could be chosen for Fox-TV. That game time is set for 6:15 p.m. in St. Louis.
NBC Sports Chicago and their predecessor CSN Chicago are now in their 15th year of carrying Cubs games and for ABC7, it’s their fifth and final year. The Cubs are expected to launch their own TV channel for the 2020 season.
Len Kasper returns for his 15th season in the booth and for analyst Jim Deshaies, it’s his seventh season broadcasting Cubs games.
Every regular season Cubs telecast on NBC Sports Chicago, including surrounding Cubs Pre/Postgame Live coverage, will be accessible live via nbcsportschicago.com and the NBC Sports Chicago app to authenticated NBC Sports Chicago subscribers.
I’ll also post broadcast information in each day’s game preview.
Home games in boldface, all times Central
March 28: at Rangers, 3:05, WGN
March 30: at Rangers, 7:05, NBCSCH
March 31: at Rangers, 3:05, NBCSCH, ESPN
April 1: at Braves, 6:20, NBCSCH+, ESPN
April 3: at Braves, 6:20, WGN, ESPN
April 4: at Braves, 6:20, NBCSCH
April 5 at Brewers, 7:10, WGN
April 6: at Brewers, 6:10, FS1, NBCSCH+
April 7: at Brewers, 1:10, NBCSCH
April 8: Pirates, 1:20, ABC7
April 10: Pirates, 7:05, WGN
April 11: Pirates, 7:05, NBCSCH
April 12: Angels, 1:20, ABC7
April 13: Angels, 1:20, WGN
April 14: Angels, 1:20, WGN
April 15: at Marlins, 6:10, WGN
April 16: at Marlins, 6:10, NBCSCH
April 17: at Marlins, 6:10, NBCSCH
April 19: Diamondbacks, 1:20, NBCSCH
April 20: Diamondbacks, 1:20, ABC7
April 21: Diamondbacks, 1:20, NBCSCH
April 23: Dodgers, 7:05, NBCSCH
April 24: Dodgers, 7:05, WGN
April 25: Dodgers, 1:20, NBCSCH
April 26: at Diamondbacks, 8:40, NBCSCH+
April 27: at Diamondbacks, 7:10, ABC7
April 28: at Diamondbacks, 3:10, WGN
April 30: at Mariners, 9:10, NBCSCH
May 1: at Mariners, 5:40, WGN
May 3: Cardinals, 1:20, NBCSCH
May 4: Cardinals, 3:05, FS1, WGN
May 5: Cardinals, 6:05, ESPN
May 6: Marlins, 7:05, NBCSCH+
May 7: Marlins, 7:05, NBCSCH+
May 8: Marlins, 7:05, WGN
May 9: Marlins, 1:20, NBCSCH
May 10: Brewers, 1:20, NBCSCH
May 11: Brewers, 1:20, ABC7
May 12: Brewers, 6:05, ESPN
May 14: at Reds, 5:40, NBCSCH
May 15: at Reds, 5:40, WGN
May 16: at Reds, 5:40, NBCSCH
May 17: at Nationals, 6:05, WGN
May 18: at Nationals, 6:15, Fox-TV
May 19: at Nationals, 6:05, ESPN
May 20: Phillies, 7:05, NBCSCH
May 21: Phillies, 7:05, WGN
May 22: Phillies, 7:05, NBCSCH
May 23: Phillies, 1:20, ABC7
May 24: Reds, 1:20, NBCSCH
May 25: Reds, 1:20, ABC7
May 26: Reds, 1:20, WGN
May 27: at Astros, 1:10, WGN
May 28: at Astros, 7:10, ABC7
May 29: at Astros, 7:10, NBCSCH, ESPN
May 31: at Cardinals, 7:15, NBCSCH
June 1: at Cardinals, 6:15, Fox-TV
June 2: at Cardinals, 1:15, WGN
June 4: Rockies, 7:05, NBCSCH
June 5: Rockies, 7:05, WGN
June 6: Rockies, 1:20, NBCSCH
June 7: Cardinals, 1:20, NBCSCH
June 8: Cardinals, 6:15, Fox-TV
June 9: Cardinals, 1:20, NBCSCH or ESPN
June 10: at Rockies, 7:40, NBCSCH
June 11: at Rockies, 7:40, WGN
June 12: at Rockies, 2:10, NBCSCH
June 13: at Dodgers, 9:10, NBCSCH+
June 14: at Dodgers, 9:10, WGN
June 15: at Dodgers, 8:10, ABC7
June 16: at Dodgers, 6:05, ESPN
June 18: White Sox, 7:05, NBCSCH
June 19: White Sox, 7:05, ABC7
June 20: Mets, 7:05, WGN
June 21: Mets, 1:20, NBCSCH
June 22: Mets, 1:20, ABC7
June 23: Mets, 1:20, ABC7
June 24: Braves, 7:05, NBCSCH
June 25: Braves, 7:05, NBCSCH
June 26: Braves, 7:05, WGN
June 27: Braves, 1:20, ABC7
June 28: at Reds, 6:10, WGN
June 29: at Reds, 3:10, ABC7
June 30: at Reds, 12:10, NBCSCH
July 1: at Pirates, 6:05, NBCSCH
July 2: at Pirates, 6:05, NBCSCH
July 3: at Pirates, 6:05, NBCSCH
July 4: at Pirates, 3:05, WGN, ESPN
July 6: at White Sox, 6:15, Fox-TV
July 7: at White Sox, 1:10, NBCSCH
July 8-9-10-11: All-Star break
July 12: Pirates, 1:20, NBCSCH
July 13: Pirates, 1:20, WGN
July 14: Pirates, 1:20, ABC7
July 15: Reds, 7:05, NBCSCH
July 16: Reds, 7:05, WGN
July 17: Reds, 1:20, NBCSCH
July 19: Padres, 1:20, NBCSCH
July 20: Padres, 1:20, ABC7
July 21: Padres, 1:20, WGN
July 22: at Giants, 8:45, WGN
July 23: at Giants, 8:45, ABC7
July 24: at Giants, 2:45, NBCSCH
July 26: at Brewers, 7:10, NBCSCH
July 27: at Brewers, 6:40, ABC7
July 28: at Brewers, 1:10, ABC7
July 30: at Cardinals, 7:15, WGN
July 31: at Cardinals, 7:15, NBCSCH
August 1: at Cardinals, 6:15, NBCSCH
August 2: Brewers, 1:20, NBCSCH
August 3: Brewers, 1:20, NBCSCH
August 4: Brewers, 1:20, WGN
August 5: Athletics, 7:05, WGN
August 6: Athletics, 7:05, NBCSCH+
August 7: Athletics, 1:20, NBCSCH
August 8: at Reds, 6:10, NBCSCH
August 9: at Reds, 6:10, NBCSCH
August 10: at Reds, 6:10, WGN
August 11: at Reds, 12:10, NBCSCH
August 13: at Phillies, 6:05, NBCSCH
August 14: at Phillies, 6:05, NBCSCH
August 15: at Phillies, 6:05, WGN
August 16: at Pirates, 6:05, WGN
August 17: at Pirates, 12:35, ABC7
August 18: at Pirates, 6:10, ESPN (Little League Classic, Williamsport, PA)
August 20: Giants, 7:05, NBCSCH+
August 21: Giants, 7:05, NBCSCH+
August 22: Giants, 1:20, WGN
August 23: Nationals, 1:20, ABC7
August 24: Nationals, 1:20, NBCSCH
August 25: Nationals, 1:20, WGN
August 27: at Mets, 6:10, NBCSCH
August 28: at Mets, 6:10, NBCSCH
August 29: at Mets, 6:10, ABC7
August 30: Brewers, 1:20, WGN
August 31: Brewers, 1:20, NBCSCH
September 1: Brewers, TBD, NBCSCH or ESPN
September 2: Mariners, 1:20, WGN
September 3: Mariners, 7:05, NBCSCH
September 5: at Brewers, 7:10, NBCSCH
September 6: at Brewers, 7:10, NBCSCH
September 7: at Brewers, 6:40, WGN
September 8: at Brewers, 1:10, NBCSCH
September 9: at Padres, 9:10, WGN
September 10: at Padres, 9:10, NBCSCH+
September 11: at Padres, 9:10, ABC7
September 12: at Padres, 2:40, NBCSCH
September 13: Pirates, 3:05, NBCSCH
September 14: Pirates, 1:20, NBCSCH
September 15: Pirates, 1:20, WGN
September 16: Reds, 7:05, NBCSCH
September 17: Reds, 7:05, ABC7
September 18: Reds, 7:05, WGN
September 19: Cardinals, 6:15, Fox-TV
September 20: Cardinals, 1:20, ABC7
September 21: Cardinals, 1:20, WGN
September 22: Cardinals, TBD, NBCSCH or ESPN
September 24: at Pirates, 6:05, NBCSCH
September 25: at Pirates, 6:05, WGN
September 26: at Pirates, 6:05, NBCSCH
September 27: at Cardinals, 7:15, WGN
September 28: at Cardinals, 6:15, NBCSCH or Fox-TV
September 29: at Cardinals, 2:15, ABC7