Wrigley Field is basically a religious site for some of us. You know the feeling—the ivy is green, the wind is blowing out toward Waveland Avenue, and you just want to see if Shota Imanaga can keep missing bats. But honestly, trying to figure out how to watch Chicago Cubs live has become a total maze over the last few years. It used to be simple when you could just flip on WGN and call it a day, but the media landscape shifted, Marquee Sports Network happened, and now fans are left scrambling between apps, cable packages, and blackout restrictions that make zero sense.
If you live in the "home territory," which covers most of Illinois, Iowa, and parts of Indiana and Wisconsin, your options are pretty specific. If you’re outside that zone, things actually get a little easier, ironically.
The Marquee Sports Network reality
Since 2020, Marquee Sports Network has been the gatekeeper. It’s a joint venture between the Ricketts family and Sinclair Broadcast Group. If you want to watch almost every single regular-season game, this is where they live. Most people get it through traditional cable like Xfinity or RCN, but the cord-cutters have had a rougher time.
You can now buy a direct-to-consumer subscription for Marquee. It’s roughly $20 a month. You just download the app on your phone or Roku, sign up, and you're in. It's a lifesaver for people who refused to pay for a full $100 cable bundle just for one channel. However, you’ve gotta be physically located in the Cubs' broadcast region for the app to work. If you try to log in while on vacation in Florida, the app is going to tell you no. It uses your GPS or IP address to verify you are a "local" fan.
FuboTV and DirecTV Stream are the two main streaming services that actually carry Marquee. YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV famously do not carry it, which is a massive sticking point for fans who switched to those platforms years ago. It’s frustrating. You pay $75 a month for a service and still can’t see Cody Bellinger take a hack because of a carriage dispute.
What about MLB.tv and those annoying blackouts?
MLB.tv is a fantastic product if you live in Seattle and love the Cubs. It's a nightmare if you live in Des Moines. Major League Baseball’s blackout policy is designed to protect local cable providers. Basically, if a game is available on a local network in your area, MLB.tv will "black out" the live stream.
This leads to the "Iowa problem." Fans in Iowa are blacked out from six different MLB teams despite often living hundreds of miles from the stadiums. To watch Chicago Cubs live via MLB.tv, you must be outside the Chicago market. If you are a displaced fan in California or New York, this is your best bet. You get every out-of-market game for a flat seasonal fee.
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National broadcasts are the exception. When the Cubs play on Sunday Night Baseball (ESPN), Fox, or FS1, those games usually won't be on Marquee or the standard MLB.tv feed. You’ll need a way to access those national channels. Apple TV+ also has "Friday Night Baseball," which requires a separate subscription. It feels like you need four different logins just to catch a full week of baseball. It’s a lot.
Streaming on the go and technical hurdles
Most people want to watch on their phones while they're at work or commuting. The Marquee app has improved, but it still has its moments where it lags or crashes during a high-leverage ninth inning. If you're using a VPN to try and bypass blackouts, be warned: MLB and Marquee have gotten really good at detecting them. Most high-end VPNs get flagged, and you'll just see a loading screen of death.
If you’re at the game, don't expect to stream easily. The 5G around Clark and Addison can get super congested when 40,000 people are all trying to upload TikToks or check their fantasy scores. Use the stadium Wi-Fi if you really need to check a replay, but honestly, just look at the manual scoreboard in center field. It’s faster.
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Radio is the ultimate backup
Sometimes technology fails. Or maybe you're driving through a dead zone in rural Illinois. Pat Hughes on 670 The Score is legendary. If you can’t get the video to load, the Audacy app or a literal AM radio will never let you down. There is something about hearing Pat describe the "tattered" flags on top of the scoreboard that feels more like Cubs baseball than a 4K stream anyway.
Breaking down the costs
Let's be real about the money. Watching sports is getting expensive. If you go the "cheapest" legal route while living in Chicago, you’re looking at about $19.99 for the Marquee direct app. But that doesn't give you the ESPN or Fox games. To get everything, you’re looking at a live TV streaming service like Fubo, which starts around $79.99 plus a "regional sports fee" that usually adds another $11 to $15.
- Marquee Direct: Best for local fans who don't care about national TV.
- Fubo/DirecTV Stream: Best for local fans who want a full cable replacement.
- MLB.tv: Best for fans living outside the Midwest.
- Antenna: Only works for the rare games that might show up on local broadcast Fox, but those are few and far between.
Navigating the 2026 schedule quirks
The schedule matters more than you think. With the balanced schedule MLB implemented, the Cubs play every team every year. This means more games against random AL teams and fewer games against the Cardinals and Brewers. Why does this matter for watching? Because it increases the likelihood of games being picked up by random national outlets like Roku Channel or Peacock.
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Always check the official Cubs schedule on MLB.com before the series starts. They usually list the specific broadcaster for every single game. Don't assume it's on Marquee. You don't want to sit down with a cold drink at 7:05 PM only to realize the game is exclusively on a streaming service you haven't downloaded yet.
Actionable steps for the best viewing experience
- Verify your "Home Territory" status. Go to the MLB blackout map and punch in your zip code. This tells you instantly if MLB.tv is a waste of money for you.
- Check your internet upload/download speeds. To stream live sports in 1080p without buffering, you really need at least 25 Mbps. If you're on a crowded home network, hardwire your TV with an Ethernet cable.
- Audit your subscriptions. If you're paying for a big cable package just for the Cubs, see if switching to the Marquee standalone app + a cheaper "skinny" bundle (like Sling or Philo) saves you money. Just remember Sling doesn't carry Marquee.
- Keep the 670 The Score feed ready. Download the Audacy app. It’s free and acts as the perfect fallback when you're stuck in traffic or the power goes out.
- Set up a dedicated sports folder on your device. Put Marquee, MLB, ESPN, and Apple TV+ in one spot so you aren't hunting for them during the first inning.
The days of easy, free baseball are mostly over. It’s a pay-to-play world now. But with a little bit of planning and the right app combination, you won't miss a single "Go Cubs Go" moment. Log in early, check your connection, and keep an eye on that starting rotation.