Chicago Cubs swing for the fences with new scripted rom-com series “Nine Innings to Love”

The Chicago Cubs are branching out this season, taking a swing at romance with their newly announced scripted series titled “Nine Innings to Love,” set to debut on Friday, Sept. 4.

According to Variety, the series, produced by Cubs Productions, the team’s in-house creative arm, will feature 17 short-form episodes unfolding over the course of a single Cubs game at Wrigley Field. The project will be released on social media channels and is designed specifically for vertical viewing on phones and tablets, a growing trend aimed at younger online audiences.

The story centers on Ava, played by Chicago-based actor Veronica Garrubbo, an aspiring romance writer who is struggling to come up with her next story. During a game, she meets David, played by Sid Kutikkad, a shy Cubs fan who does not believe in romance.

After the two become accidental seatmates in the outfield bleachers, Ava decides to help David find a summer fling before the game ends. What begins as a matchmaking mission gradually turns into a romance of its own, complete with a makeover, a returning ex, and a ninth-inning chase.

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The series draws inspiration from the idea that Wrigley Field can be more than a place to watch baseball. The Cubs said on their official website that the project was inspired by the real-life phenomenon of fans meeting and forming relationships at games.

Adam Sobel, the Cubs’ director of content and production, directed the series and told Variety the general-admission nature of the beloved Wrigley bleachers helped inspire the premise because fans never know who they might end up sitting next to.

That setting gives the Cubs an opportunity to make Wrigley Field itself part of the story. Rather than using baseball simply as a backdrop, the series connects the rhythms of a game to the familiar structure of a romantic comedy, with the nine innings providing a natural timeline for the characters’ relationship.  

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The Cubs’ decision also reflects a broader shift in how sports organizations approach entertainment. Teams increasingly use social platforms to create original content rather than relying solely on game highlights, interviews, and traditional promotional material. Short-form “vertical dramas,” built around quick episodes and cliffhangers, have also become an increasingly popular format across the entertainment industry.

According to NBC Chicago, Nine Innings to Love also comes ahead of a Bears-themed holiday Hallmark movie, “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story,” scheduled for release in October.

Whether the series becomes a viral hit or simply an unusual experiment, the Cubs are taking a creative swing that extends the team’s identity beyond baseball. For a franchise built around one of the most recognizable ballparks in sports, the hope is that “Nine Innings to Love” proves there can be another kind of magic at Wrigley Field, one that has nothing to do with the final score.