Chicago Cubs pivot to rom-coms

The Chicago Cubs are expanding their brand horizons beyond baseball by venturing into the romantic comedy genre. The team recently unveiled "Nine Innings To Love," its inaugural full-fledged romantic drama, which will premier on their TikTok account on September 4. Consisting of 17 short-form episodes, this series will not involve any of the famous Chicago improv artists or the Steppenwolf Theatre crew, but will instead focus on Veronica Garrubbo's Ava and Sid Kutikkad's David, two Gen Z-ers who meet and fall for each other at Wrigley Field's iconic bleacher seats.

As per the Cubs' executive vice president of marketing and communications, Jen Martindale, the characters were crafted to resonate with fans who frequent the ballpark for both the game and potential off-field encounters. Starring Angelina Dávila, Kevin Kantor, Shelby Brown, and Cole Steeves, the rom-com is directed by Adam Sobel.

While the concept may seem unconventional for a baseball team, it seems that even the Boston Red Sox have successfully navigated this uncharted territory, clinching a championship.