300px|thumb|From left to right: stands beyond left field, stands beyond right field
Wrigley Rooftops is a name for the sixteen rooftops of residential buildings which have bleachers or seating on them to view baseball games or other major events at Wrigley Field. Since 1914 Wrigley roofs have dotted the neighborhood of Wrigleyville around Wrigley Field, where the Chicago Cubs play Major League Baseball. Venues on Waveland Avenue overlook left field, while those along Sheffield Avenue have a view over right field.
The rooftops had always been a gathering place for free views of the game, but until the 1980s, the observers were usually just a few dozen people watching from the flat rooftops, windows and porches of the buildings, with "seating" consisting of a few folding chairs, and with little commercial impact on the team. When the popularity of the Cubs began to rise in the 1980s, formal seating structures began to appear, and building owners began charging admission, much to the displeasure of Cubs management, who saw it as an unreasonable encroachment.
thumb|left|View from 1038 W Waveland
Various methods of combating this phenomenon were discussed. The idea of a "spite fence", as with Shibe Park in Philadelphia, or the Cubs' previous home, West Side Park, was discussed. The idea was not implemented, nor was it fully abandoned. Before Opening Day in 2002, a "wind screen" was temporarily erected on the ballpark's back screen behind the outfield wall, obscuring some of the view from Wrigley roofs.
When the majority were independent of Cub affiliate ownership prior to 2016, the Wrigleyville Rooftops Association's members were the 16 rooftop venues. Wrigley Rooftops is the Ricketts family's marketing arm and brand for their rooftop holdings through Greystone Sheffield Holdings
In 2000, real estate investor Donal Barry, through an entity, purchased 1010 W. Waveland (Beyond the Ivy I) and 1048 W. Waveland (originally Beyond The Ivy III, then Sky Lounge Wrigley Rooftop now 1048 Sky Lounge). Barry's entity in 2004 purchased 1038 W. Waveland (Beyond The Ivy II).
In 2002, the Cubs organization filed a lawsuit against the different facilities for copyright infringement. Since operators charge admission to use their amenities and sell licenses to view Major League Baseball, the Cubs asserted that the facilities were illegally using a copyrighted game and sued for royalties. In 2004, 11 of the 13 roofs settled with the club out of court, agreeing to pay 17% of gross revenue in exchange for official endorsement. The city also began investigating the structural integrity of the roofs, issuing citations to those in danger of collapse. With the Cubs and the neighbors reaching agreement, many of the facilities began to feature seating structures: some with bleachers, some with chair seats, and even one with a steel-girdered double deck of seats (see photo). The agreement was to last until 2023.
In 2013, principal owner Thomas S. Ricketts sought Commission on Chicago Landmarks permission to build "additional seating, new lighting, four additional LED signs of up to and a video board in right field." Ricketts said Wrigley has "the worst player facilities in Major League Baseball".
The Ricketts family, owners of the Cubs, began purchasing the rooftop properties in order to control the marketable sight lines into the stadium and by the end of the 2016 season, owned (or controlled via agreement) 11 of the rooftop locations. This led to a dispute with the Major League Baseball Players Association and other MLB clubs, which argued that these acquisitions made the rooftops' receipts baseball-related revenue for the purposes of revenue sharing.
In 2015, a family venture bought 3643 N. Sheffield Ave. building, 3639 N. Sheffield and 1032 W. Waveland. A Jerry Lasky-managed entity sold 3617, 3619 and 3637 N. Sheffield to the Ricketts in May 2015. Ricketts family's Greystone Sheffield Holdings bought the three W. Waveland rooftops from Donal Barry on January 13, 2016. Also in January, the Ricketts launched its Wrigley Rooftops marketing brand and arm.
In May 2017, the Cubs and the Rickets family formed Marquee Sports & Entertainment as a central sales and marketing company for the various Rickets family sports and entertainment assets, the Cubs, Wrigley Rooftops and Hickory Street Capital. As part of this process, the Cubs agreed to count the rooftops' revenues along with regular Wrigley Field receipts for the purposes of revenue sharing.
Rooftop venues
{| class="wikitable"
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! Rooftop !! address !! Wrigley Rooftops || Info || Source
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| Wrigley View Rooftop || 1050 W. Waveland Avenue || || ||
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| Brixen Ivy || 1044 Waveland || Ricketts (May 2016) || ||
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|Wrigley Field Rooftop Club || 3617 Sheffield Avenue
|rowspan=2| owned in 2005 by Tom Gramatis
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| Ivy League Baseball Club || 3637 Sheffield Avenue
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| Lakeview Baseball Club || 3633 Sheffield ||
|rowspan=2| Right Field Properties
|rowspan=2| On April 10, 2017, the Park at Wrigley outdoor plaza was opened to the public on the same day as the Chicago Cubs' home opener.
Portfolio
- Down the Line Rooftop managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts