Marquee Sports Network broadens DTC reach with Hulu + Live TV and Prime Video.

CHICAGO — Marquee Sports Network has expanded its direct-to-consumer distribution to include Hulu + Live TV and Amazon Prime Video, building on a DTC streaming strategy that has steadily reshaped how fans in the Chicago DMA and beyond watch live Cubs baseball. The latest distribution additions, announced in March 2026, broaden the choices available to subscribers across the network’s linear and digital platforms.

The expansion is the most recent milestone in a streaming roadmap Marquee began in July 2023, when the network became the latest regional sports network to offer a stand-alone DTC product. The strategy has positioned Marquee as one of the more aggressively diversified RSNs in the country — a model many in the industry continue to study as RSN economics evolve.

A DTC strategy that started in 2023

On July 25, 2023, Marquee Sports Network introduced its direct-to-consumer subscription at $19.99 per month, available via WatchMarquee.com and the Marquee Sports Network App. The launch made Marquee one of the first MLB-anchored RSNs to offer a true DTC product without a traditional pay-TV bundle, providing live Cubs games alongside studio programming, classic games, and original Marquee content.

At the time of the DTC launch, Marquee was already widely distributed across major linear and connected-TV platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung TV, Comcast, Astound, DirecTV, and Fubo, as covered by Sports Video Group. The DTC product layered an additional, direct relationship on top of that footprint — giving fans an option to watch without a cable or vMVPD subscription.

• DTC launch: July 25, 2023 at $19.99/month via WatchMarquee.com and the Marquee Sports Network App.
• Rights portfolio: Live broadcasts and complementary programming for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Chicago Sky and Chicago Red Stars.
• Connected-TV distribution: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TVs — meeting fans wherever they already stream.
• Pay-TV partners: Comcast, Astound, DirecTV, Fubo and other operators across the Cubs’ six-state coverage territory.

2026 expansion: Hulu + Live TV and Prime Video

Marquee’s March 2026 announcement extended its DTC reach to two of the largest streaming services in the U.S. — Hulu + Live TV and Amazon Prime Video — as reported by Sports Business Journal. The additions matter because they place live Cubs coverage inside the everyday viewing habits of households that may not subscribe to a traditional pay-TV package but already pay for major streaming services.

1. More on-ramps for fans

With Hulu + Live TV and Prime Video now joining the existing Marquee app, web, cable, satellite and vMVPD lineup, fans can access the network through nearly every meaningful distribution path in the U.S. video ecosystem.

2. Stronger reach for advertisers

A wider, more diverse distribution footprint translates to a larger and more measurable digital audience — an attractive proposition for brands looking to reach engaged sports viewers across linear and streaming environments.

3. A blueprint for RSNs in transition

As regional sports networks navigate the shift from pure pay-TV economics to hybrid linear-plus-streaming business models, Marquee’s combination of an owned DTC product and broad third-party distribution offers a working template for what a modern RSN can look like.

“We’re committed to delivering world-class game broadcasts to our fans through our linear channel and our direct-to-consumer product. By expanding our streaming distribution, we’re providing more ways than ever to follow the Cubs all season long.”

Crane Kenney, President of Business Operations, Chicago Cubs

Why it matters for the live sports streaming category

Marquee’s evolution underscores a broader thesis OTT Advisors has long pursued with its publisher partners: that successful RSNs in the streaming era are the ones that pair an owned and operated direct-to-consumer product with disciplined wholesale distribution — and back both with strong technology, ad operations and product features that keep fans inside the experience.

“Marquee’s journey since 2023 is exactly the kind of multi-platform playbook we believe every regional sports network needs. An owned DTC product, a strong CTV footprint, and now top-tier streaming aggregators — that combination is how RSNs protect reach, grow digital revenue, and stay close to younger fans whose default screen is not cable.”

Chris Wagner, Founder and Managing Partner, OTT Advisors

Marquee Sports Network operates a press room with current announcements and executive information at marqueesportsnetwork.com/press-room.

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