It does appear that even Chicago hates the White Sox.
All of the RSN's are basically mini-ESPN's when it comes to revenue model, positioned on the basic tier so everyone pays the monthly subscriber fee. The revenue from the non-viewer is insane and as the non-sports fan migrates to other platforms the pie is going to shrink. If it wasn't for access to live in-market sports (thanks blackout rules) we'd all have cut the TV part of the cord already. Providers are already pushing back, as the Astros and Dodgers issues illustrate.
On an average night, 97% of TV HH's in New York are NOT watching the Yankees, but they are paying for the priviledge.
Comcast just upped their Blast speeds significantly in many markets, for FREE! While it appears the company is all about doing a solid for its customers, the real reason is so the network can support the skinny bundle streaming service they're preparing to roll out.
The NFL and NBA may have thought expanding internationally would significantly boost revenue, but some of that new revenue may be needed to replace what they're currently "earning" domestically.
The same media industry thinking that feared the VCR and screwed up the music industry will probably screw this transition up too.