Bears game skips ABC 7 for local Channel 26 due to dance competition

Bears fans in Chicago can watch the team play the Seattle Seahawks on an over-the-air television channel on Monday night, but it will not be the usual one. The game will air on WCIU-Channel 26, known as The U, instead of ABC 7. This change happens because ABC 7 is scheduled to air an episode of Dancing With the Stars at the same time. The network made the call to move the broadcast, fulfilling the NFL rule that requires games shown on cable or streaming services to be available on local broadcast stations in the home market.

This is not the first time a major Chicago sporting event has been shifted to The U to clear a schedule conflict. In November 2020, the Bears last appeared on the station during a Monday night game against the Minnesota Vikings. Before that, the Chicago Cubs played the Cincinnati Reds on The U in September 2019. That baseball game moved because ABC 7 was airing the finale of Bachelor in Paradise. At the time, the network aired a package of Cubs games alongside NBC Sports Chicago and WGN 9.

Viewers tuning into The U on Monday will catch a pregame show at 6:30 p.m. The program, titled Monday Night Monsters, is produced by ABC 7. Hosts Ryan Chiaverini and Dionne Miller will lead the show. The ESPN cable broadcast starts at 7:00 p.m., with the play-by-play and color commentary team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman taking over at 7:15 p.m.

An alternative viewing option exists on ESPN2. That channel will air ManningCast, a show hosted by former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning. The production team has not yet announced which guests will appear on the program, with details expected on Monday.

The Bears will finish their current stretch of three separate games on November 8. They will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Sunday Night Football matchup. That game will air on NBC, which means it will likely be broadcast on NBC 5 in the Chicago area.