CHICAGO -- Marquee Sports Network, the exclusive television home of the Chicago Cubs, will launch on Saturday and offer fans a weekend of Cubs-centric programming.

The network goes on the air at 1pm CT with Marquee Debut, a show featuring a preview of future programming, a look at inside access to the team, and a tribute to the team’s previous broadcast partner, WGN. Hosted by Cole Wright, Ryan Dempster and others, the one-hour program serves as a run-up to the first live broadcast, the Cubs’ opening spring training game against the Oakland Athletics in Mesa, Arizona. Following the game Marquee Sports Network will air Marquee Sports Films Presents More Than Mr. Cub: The Life of Ernie Banks, a Cubumentary produced by MLB Network that includes new interviews, revisits the moments that made Ernie Banks a Hall of Famer, and examines the Cubs legend as a player and a man.

Saturday’s programming schedule is subject to change if weather forces a different start time for the Cubs’ spring training opener versus the Athletics.

“In Marquee Sports Network, Cubs fans are getting what they deserve, a network as dedicated to the team as they are,” said Mike McCarthy, general manager, Marquee Sports Network. “Right out of the box, viewers have the opportunity to get to know Marquee Sports Network with Marquee Debut, and then it’s on to baseball as we broadcast live the Cubs first spring training game. The game is followed by a documentary we are quite proud of on Ernie Banks; all in all our first day—and all our days—will offer robust programming for Cubs fans.”

During its first weekend, the network will also air Best of Cubs YouTube, a collection of the most viewed content and engaging features from the Cubs’ popular YouTube Channel; Cubs Countdown: All-Time Games, which will highlight and remember historic Cubs games as voted on by fans; Best of 2020 Cubs Convention, a recap of notable moments from this year’s fan event; Cubs 162, an all-access series that goes behind the scenes and documents the inner workings of the team, both on and off the field; and Cubs Legends: Kerry Wood “20,” an in-depth look at Kerry Wood’s epic 20 strikeout game.

Marquee Sports Network will feature 28 Cubs spring training games and at least 145 regular season games. The impressive lineup of broadcasters at Marquee Sports Network includes current Cubs play-by-play announcer Len Kasper and color analyst Jim Deshaies; studio hosts Cole Wright from the NFL Network, and Taylor McGregor, former Colorado Rockies on-field reporter; former Cubs Mark Grace—who will be the guest analyst for Saturday’s game—Ryan Dempster, Mark DeRosa, Doug Glanville, Rick Sutcliffe, Dan Plesac and Carlos Peña; former Cubs manager Lou Piniella; Big Ten Network’s Elise Menaker; and Emmy Award-winning Chris Myers.

To request an interview, please contact Marquee Sports Network Director of Communications Danny Sternfield at [email protected] or 773.634.2297.

About Marquee Sports Network:

Marquee Sports Network, a new regional sports network, is the exclusive television home of the Chicago Cubs. Marquee Sports Network will feature live game broadcasts from Chicago Cubs broadcasters, extensive pregame and postgame coverage, in-depth unique Cubs content and other local sports programming. The network is jointly owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) and the Chicago Cubs. For more information, visit www.getmarqueesportsnetwork.com.

About Sinclair:

Sinclair is a diversified media company and leading provider of local sports and news. The Company owns and/or operates 23 regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides services to 191 television stations in 89 markets; is a leading local news provider in the country; owns multiple national networks; and has TV stations affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple-platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.