The Chicago Cubs have had a busy offseason - and a bold one at that. With the arrival of Alex Bregman and the trade that brought in Edward Cabrera, the front office has made it clear: they’re not just looking to compete in 2026, they’re looking to win. The Cubs are back to spending like a franchise with October aspirations, and fans are rightfully fired up as spring training approaches.
But while the roster is getting a major facelift, fans hoping to catch those early glimpses of the new-look Cubs on TV might be in for a letdown.
At last weekend’s Cubs Convention, team president Crane Kenney quietly dropped some news that flew under the radar - and it wasn’t exactly what fans wanted to hear. According to Kenney, the number of Cubs spring training games airing on Marquee Sports Network this year is expected to be drastically reduced. Of the 32 games on the spring schedule, only a handful - likely in the single digits - will be televised on the team’s flagship network.
That’s a steep drop from just a couple of years ago. Back in 2024, Marquee aired 28 spring training games.
That number fell to 17 in 2025. And now, in 2026, it looks like fans will get just a sliver of spring ball on their screens.
This shift comes during a time when the Cubs are making headlines for their aggressive spending. They’ve signed one of the top free agents in Bregman, added rotation depth with Cabrera, and are reportedly willing to cross the luxury tax threshold - a clear signal that they’re all-in. But while the team’s on-field ambitions are ramping up, their TV network is quietly scaling back.
Behind the scenes, Marquee Sports Network has undergone some significant changes. While the on-air talent remains largely intact heading into the new season, there have been layoffs in other areas, particularly on the digital side.
That’s already showing. A quick look at the Cubs section on Marquee’s website reveals a noticeable lack of fresh content.
The last major update? News of the Bregman signing.
There’s been no digital coverage of his introductory press conference or any of the fanfare from the Cubs Convention - despite the fact that Marquee aired segments from both events.
It’s a strange contrast. On one hand, the Cubs are acting like a team ready to make noise in the National League. On the other, their media arm - which was designed to give fans wall-to-wall coverage of the team - is pulling back on the kind of access and storytelling that helps build excitement during the lead-up to the season.
To be clear, there’s no indication that these changes at Marquee are affecting the Cubs’ ability to spend. The front office is operating with a clear win-now mentality, and by most accounts, they may not be done making moves before Opening Day.
But the reduced spring training coverage is a reminder that the Cubs’ long-term vision for their media presence may be shifting. And for fans who’ve come to expect more than just game broadcasts from a team-owned network, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
Spring training is often where the storylines start to take shape - where prospects make their case, new acquisitions get their first reps, and fans get their first real taste of what’s to come. This year, much of that will happen off-camera for Cubs fans. And while the product on the field looks more promising than it has in years, the ability to follow that journey - at least in spring - is becoming harder to find.