NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Athletics will maintain its television footprint in the Chicago media market for the 2017 Redbird football season, with a pair of live games and the behind-the-scenes Redbird football series "The Next Step" set to return this fall after Redbird Sports Properties signed an agreement with Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
Comcast SportsNet, which is the television home for the most games and comprehensive coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox, is available on a majority of cable outlets in the state of Illinois, as well as on DirectTV and Dish Network. CSN Chicago has a regional television base that reaches a potential of 4.9 million homes.
Redbird fans who receive Comcast SportsNet will be able to watch the Oct. 21 Homecoming contest versus South Dakota at 2 p.m. and the Nov. 18 Senior Day contest against North Dakota State at noon. Kurt Pegler and former Redbird All-American long snapper Chris Highland will handle the broadcasting duties, with former Redbird women's basketball standout Katy Winge checking in from the sidelines.
"The Next Step," presented by Country Financial, also returns to give fans a glimpse into what the team has done during the offseason in preparation for 2017. Redbird Productions will create three, 30-minute episodes set to be broadcast on Comcast SportsNet Chicago beginning Aug. 17 at 5:30 p.m. Episode two will air Aug. 24 at 5 p.m., and the final episode will be broadcast Aug. 31 at 5:30 p.m., just two days before the season opener Sept. 2 against Butler.
For channel information, click on the "fans" tab on GoRedbirds.com and select CSN Chicago Channel Finder. Once there, type in the ZIP code where the broadcast will be watched, and a complete channel listing will appear for cable and satellite providers in that area.
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