sjboyd0137 wrote:
Elmhurst Steve wrote:
Since Monday Night Football is on ESPN (and has been for several years) why would the programming on ABC enter into this?
It's in the NFL's TV deal that when a national game is on cable, a free station in the local markets of the teams playing are allowed to simulcast the ESPN feed. Traditionally, it's on the ABC affiliate for games on ESPN, because they're all under the same corporate umbrella. The last few years, since the emergence of that stupid ass dance contest featuring a bunch of F list "celebrities", the U and WGN have both had games (it's possible that the GN game was an NFL network game...I don't remember).
Guys, WGN's CW9, which is a Tribune-owned outlet, signed an exclusive deal last year with NFL Network to broadcast "Thursday Night Football" on its locally-owned stations, and that's where you found the local feed of the Bears' 16-0 shutout of the Dolphins in Miami on a Thursday night last November.
In previous years, FOX-owned My50 was the local outlet that carried any Bears' games on NFLN's "Thursday Night Football", complete with live & local pre & postgame coverage. Corey McPherrin, who now co-anchors FOX32's "Good Day Chicago" with Anna Davlantes, previously hosted My50's Bears' pre & postgame with Tom Waddle if memory serves.
That
"stupid ass dance contest" you are referring will force ABC7 to ship out the Bears/Eagles' game November 7th. While ESPN will have that game, don't be shocked if WCIU 26 The U carries the local feed of the Bears' second "Monday Night Football" game instead of ABC7 next month.