Marquee Sports Network GM confident Cubs will be on Comcast

“There’s a little time left [before Opening Day],” Mike McCarthy said. “It’s closing in on us; we’re very aware of that. We remain confident that a deal will be made.”

“I’m starting to lose you. Hello?”

That was Marquee Sports Network general manager Mike McCarthy when asked for an update on the carriage talks between his network and Comcast, which has yet to pick up the channel. It wasn’t the first time he played the joke, either.

“Good memory,” he said. “I’ll have to come up with another one.”

McCarthy, who previously was president of MSG Network in New York, knows all about carriage talks. But he wouldn’t reveal much regarding the ones that affect lots of Cubs fans, except to say he’s confident a deal will get done.

“I can’t speak for Comcast, but I wouldn’t want to be in the TV distribution business in Chicago with the Cubs coming back and not having that content,” he said. “It wouldn’t be a fun place to be, I would think.

“We have a confidence that we’re steadfast in. There’s a little time left [before Opening Day]. It’s closing in on us; we’re very aware of that. We remain confident that a deal will be made.”

The sides were very close to an agreement in March when baseball shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. Comcast provides service to more than half of the homes in the market.