WLS-TV/ABC7 Chicago, a local television station owned by the ABC network in the US, has acquired rights to games featuring Major League Baseball franchise the Chicago Cubs.
The deal will run for five years, from 2015 through to 2019.
Under the agreement, WLS-TV/ABC7 Chicago will broadcast live coverage of 25 Cubs games per year.
The new deal comes after the Cubs earlier this year opted out of an existing deal with cable-television broadcaster WGN-TV, which previously held local rights. The agreement concluded at the end of the 2014 season.
Cubs games are also available via Comcast SportsNet Chicago, the local arm of US pay-television broadcaster Comcast SportsNet.
Crane Kenney, president of business operations at the Cubs, confirmed all of the team’s games will be available to viewers in Chicago during the 2015 season. A host broadcaster for the remaining games not under contract to ABC7 or Comcast SportsNet will be confirmed in due course.
“We will complete our broadcast realignment shortly, allowing every Cubs fan in Chicago the opportunity to watch every game of what we believe will be an exciting and competitive season,” Kenney said.