I’m sure there’s a very obvious answer to this question that people who actually watch sports can fill me in on, so now’s your chance.
AFAIK, games played by the Chicago Cubs are broadcast on WGN (WGN-9) here in the Chicago area. Games played by the Chicago White Sox are broadcast on FOX (WFLD-32). Tomorrow, the Cubs will play the Sox. FOX is broadcasting the game, but how is it decided which station will get to broadcast a game when the “coverage” station of both teams overlaps? I’m sure this comes up in New York as well.
The game on Friday is being run by Fox Sprots Network (a FOX thing on cable). The Saturday game is being run on FOX itself (the network station). The Sunday game is on WGN (the national superstation).
I’m guessing this is all decided beforehand. Not all Sox games are carried by FOX (in fact, this one is the first that I know of). I’ve seen them on WGN and WCIU as well. The Cubs are also on both WGN and WCIU. The games for both teams not on network TV are carried by FSN and FSN+.
As I said, I don’t actually watch sports, so I was unaware of who was exactly broadcasting what. I just remember WGN being the Cubs station for years now and vaguely recall that WFLD did the Sox junket, usually in order to ruin my Sunday evenings. Or so it seemed. Apparently, things are more complex than that what with today’s new-fangled “cable” and “affiliate stations” and your “color television”. I need to go back to my transistor radio
I don’t know if it is much a question of priority by a particular team as it is a case of one channel having the time available to show the game.
The Dodgers and Angels go through the same thing. They each have their own local broadcast channels, the Dodgers appearing on KTLA, which is owned by the Tribune company which also owns the Cubs. They also appear on their own FOX Cable channel, the Angels on Fox Sports Net West and the Dodgers on Fox Sports Net West 2. Saturday games may be shown by the local Fox affiliate and Fox owns the Dodgers.
The Angels are owned by Disney, but I don’t think they show up on ESPN an inordinate number of times because of it. At least I hope Angels games aren’t inflicted on that many people.
