As The Wind Blows: Bears Sign Five-Year Deal With WFLD-Fox

The Bears have signed WFLD-Fox to a five-year deal making the channel the "new flagship home of Bears-produced programming, including preseason exhibitions," according to Phil Rosenthal of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The station will also produce "Bears GameDay Live" and "Bears GameNight Live" on Sundays during the NFL season. The deal includes a "'significant presence' inside Soldier Field on game days and at year-round team events," as well as on the club's official Web site. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. WFLD does not plan to "include any of its anchors or reporters ... on the Bears-produced broadcasts," unlike WMAQ-NBC, which WFLD is succeeding as the team's official TV partner. Bears Senior Dir of Corporate Communications Scott Hagel said that there would "be ample cross-promotion between the team and station." Hagel added that the team is "weighing if and how to replace WMAQ sister station [WSNS-Telemundo] in reaching Spanish-speaking viewers" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/22)