FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 5th, 2015

2015 MLB POSTSEASON-BOUND CHICAGO CUBS SET MASSIVE YEAR-TO-YEAR TV RATINGS INCREASES ON COMCAST SPORTSNET

2015 Final Season Average Increased 121% for Households (up 153% for Adults 25-54) compared to 2014

Highest Final Season Cubs Average on Comcast SportsNet in SIX YEARS

Significant Year-to-Year Increases for “Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto” & “Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois”

Chicago, IL (October 5, 2015) – Comcast SportsNet, the television home for the most games and most comprehensive coverage of the 2015 MLB Postseason-bound Chicago Cubs (finished 2015 with a 97-65 record), posted massive year-to-year television ratings increases in overall Chicago market households and in every key demographic category, along with scoring significant TV ratings increases for its surrounding pre/postgame programming.

Comcast SportsNet’s Cubs television ratings averaged a 3.32 household rating in 2015 (approx. 112,317 Chicago market TV households tuning in per game) — a 121% increase over 2014’s 1.50 final household season average (NOTE: Over 60,000 MORE Chicago market TV homes tuned in per game this season compared to last season).  The 3.32 Chicago market household average is also the highest Cubs final season average on Comcast SportsNet in SIX YEARS (4.13 avg. in 2009).

Comcast SportsNet also experienced exponential year-to-year ratings growth in EVERY key advertising demo category, including Adults 18-34 (up 132%)…Adults 18-49 (up 169%)…Adults 25-54 (up 153%)…Men 18-34 (up 129%)…Men 18-49 (up 159%)…and Men 25-54 (up 172%).

On September 8 at St. Louis, Comcast SportsNet posted its highest Cubs single game rating since August 2009 with a 5.7 household average and a 7.1 peak rating.  In addition, the 3.0 Adults 25-54 rating for this game was also the network’s highest rating in this key demo since the 2011 season.

Out of 83 total Cubs telecasts on Comcast SportsNet in 2015, seven games averaged “at least a 5.0 household rating,” while 20 games averaged “at least a 4.0 household rating.”  The network’s highest-rated Cubs game in 2014 (among 79 total game telecasts) was a 3.4 (occurred on May 5 vs. White Sox).

In addition to its Cubs game ratings success 2015, Comcast SportsNet’s Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto household ratings finished up 64% compared to last season (75% increase in Adults 25-54), while Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois household ratings increased 158% (up 188% in Adults 25-54).  Source for all ratings information is provided by Nielsen Media Research.

In addition, Comcast SportsNet’s digital home – CSNChicago.com – experienced a solid 33% increase in Cubs-related web traffic compared to last season.

Beginning TONIGHT — Comcast SportsNet will carry expanded Cubs National League Wild Card coverage leading up to Wednesday night’s huge, one-game showdown in Pittsburgh.  Please note the following on-air programming line-up (all times are Central Time) and accompanying digital coverage on CSNChicago.com:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5
5:30 PM – SportsTalk Live presented by The Chevy Silverado – Extensive Cubs playoffs discussion & analysis with host David Kaplan (@thekapman) and numerous baseball experts.
6:30 PM – SportsNet Central presented by Comcast Business – The latest Cubs playoffs news, player/coaches interviews, and much more.
7:00 PM – Cubs Classic: Cubs vs. Pittsburgh (from 5/15/15) – This thrilling 12-inning battle between the Cubs and Pirates at Wrigley Field saw the Cubs holding on to a 10-5 lead heading into the eighth inning (featuring a 3-run HR from Kris Bryant in the third and an Anthony Rizzo solo shot in the fourth), but the Pirates stormed back to tie it at ten apiece in the ninth. The unexpected, however, took place in the bottom of the 12th inning when Pirates RF Gregory Polanco slipped on a routine pop fly, allowing Starlin Castro to score the winning run.
10:00 PM – GMC SportsNet CentralThe latest Cubs playoffs news, player/coaches interviews, and much more.
10:30 PM – We Are Good: A Celebration of the 2015 Chicago Cubs – Hosted by Cubs beat reporter Kelly Crull (@Kelly_Crull), this brand new, half-hour, magazine-style special includes a number of fascinating feature stories highlighted by a recap of the Cubs postseason-clinching celebration from Sept. 26 at Wrigley Field.  Plus, fans can look forward to a number of additional special features, including the following among others:

  • #WeAreGood – Feature on how Miguel Montero’s April 18th hashtag created a team slogan that caught on all season long in both the Cubs clubhouse and with fans throughout the nation.
  • Walk Up Music – How do players pick their walk-up music, and why they do it?  Cubs players weigh in on the new walk up feature brought to Wrigley Field, thanks to the brand new in-stadium video boards.
  • Maddon on atmosphere – Cubs manager Joe Maddon discusses what makes the Wrigley atmosphere arguably the best in baseball.
  • The ‘Old Scoreboard’ – With most of the attention on the ‘new’ video boards in 2015, SportsNet Central’s Luke Stuckmeyer (@LukeStuckmeyer) takes us inside the old scoreboard to show us it’s still very much a part of Wrigley Field.
  • The Best of the Cubs – A rollout feature with all the key highlights of the 2015 Chicago Cubs playoff-bound season.
  • Jake Arrieta – A detailed look at the overall dominance of the best pitchers in all of baseball.
  • NOTE: We Are Good: A Celebration of the 2015 Chicago Cubs will re-air Tue, Oct. 6 at 9pm on CSN+

 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6
5:30 PM – SportsTalk Live presented by The Chevy Silverado – Extensive Cubs playoffs discussion & analysis with host David Kaplan, numerous baseball experts, along with live, on-site reports from Kelly Crull.
6:30 PM – SportsNet Central presented by Comcast Business – The latest Cubs playoffs news, player/coaches interviews, and live, on-site reports from Kelly Crull.
9:30 PM/10:00 PM – GMC SportsNet CentralThe latest Cubs playoffs news, player/coaches interviews, and much more.
10:30 PM – SportsNet Central: Cubs Playoff Preview – Hosted by CSN’s Cubs Pre/Postgame Live tandem of David Kaplan and Todd Hollandsworth (@hollytime28), this special edition of SportsNet Central will provide fans with a full, detailed preview of the Cubs-Pirates Wild Card match-up, including live reports from Kelly Crull and CSNChicago.com Cubs “Insider” Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney), along the latest team/player news, interviews, season-long match-up highlights, and an overview of every upcoming MLB Playoff series.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
5:30 PM – SportsTalk Live presented by The Chevy Silverado – Extensive Cubs-Pirates Wild Card Game night preview discussion & analysis featuring host David Kaplan, numerous baseball experts, along with live, on-site reports from Pittsburgh via Kelly Crull and Cubs “Insider” Patrick Mooney.
6:00 PM – Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto – Hosted by David Kaplan and Todd Hollandsworth, this special, one-hour edition of Cubs Pregame Live will break down and preview every aspect of the Cubs-Pirates battle and will feature numerous interviews, preview highlights, and live, on-site reports from Pittsburgh via Crull and Mooney.
10:30 PM (time approx.) Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois – An expanded edition of Cubs Postgame Live, hosted by Kaplan and Hollandsworth, will feature Cubs manager Joe Maddon’s post-game press conference, live locker room player interviews, a complete breakdown of the game, plus, additional live on-field post-game reports from Pittsburgh and much more.

In addition to the comprehensive Cubs Wild Card playoff coverage on Comcast SportsNet, viewers are urged to visit CSNChicago.com throughout the week for even more comprehensive 24/7 coverage, including:

  • Live stream of Cubs manager Joe Maddon’s post-game press conference (sponsored by Xfinity).
  • “Cubs Pulse presented by AT&T U-Verse,” a one-stop social media and behind-the-scenes destination that reveals the latest real time trending topics, player buzz and expert insight from Twitter and Instagram.  Plus, “Cubs Pulse” aggregates all Cubs player tweets, along with fan tweets that utilize the hashtag #CubsTalk.
  • “Cubs In-Game Live,” – featuring STATS Inc.’s enhanced Game Zone real-time tracking system – is a second screen platform for PCs, tablets and mobile devices that combine state-of-the-art infographics, data visualization of real-time statistics and game info with rich social interactivity tied to CSN Chicago’s live game broadcasts.
  • Push Alerts: CSN Chicago will deliver Cubs push notifications for breaking team and player news, “Insider” reports, plus game reminder alerts via CSN Chicago’s SportsTalk app for iOS and Android devices.
  • CubsTalk, CSNChicago.com’s high-velocity, real-time, comprehensive Cubs playoffs news and opinion section featuring original commentary, reporting and aggregation. BullsTalk is under the banner of NBC SportsTalk, NBC’s successful digital franchise on NBCSports.com that includes ProFootballTalk, HardballTalk, ProBasketballTalk, ProHockeyTalk, CollegeFootballTalk and Golf Central. SportsTalk was extended to CSNChicago.com through the creation of BlackhawksTalk, BullsTalk, CubsTalk, WhiteSoxTalk and BearsTalk, PrepsTalk and B1GTalk which contains interactive content and continually updated insights from the network’s digital and on-air talent.
  • CSNChicago.com Cubs “Insider” Patrick Mooney will provide extensive team/player news, special feature stories, and much more throughout the week. Follow him on Twitter @CSNMooney for 24/7 inside access.  Cubs digital reporter and producer Tony Andracki will also provide Cubs reports/features on the beat with Mooney.  Follow @CSNCubs on Twitter for full team coverage, giveaways, fan photos and the very latest team news.
  • CSNChicago.com’s state-of-the-art “AT&T U-Verse Lounge” to provide expanded Cubs playoffs content through daily and weekly shows and segments.
  • CSNChicago.com, NBC Sports and HardBallTalk.com will also produce Cubs content in tandem, which will include on-camera segments and digital reports.
  • Yahoo: Via the Yahoo Sports – NBC Sports Network digital alliance, CSNChicago.com’s Cubs content will be available via sports.yahoo.com.
  • Cubs coverage on CSNChicago.com/Cubs is presented by Toyota.

 

Comcast SportsNet Chicago, a partnership between the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago Cubs (MLB), Chicago White Sox (MLB) and the NBC Sports Group, features over 275 live pro games in high definition each year.  In addition, CSN delivers extensive pre/post-game coverage for its core pro team partners, as well as the Chicago Bears, along with Emmy Award-winning regional sports news and analysis via SportsNet Central and SportsTalk Live.  Through the network’s growing digital platform, CSNChicago.com, Chicago sports fans tap into the most comprehensive and dedicated 24/7 online destination for breaking news, up-to-the-minute game previews/recaps, highlights, multimedia video clips, blogs and standout coverage from CSNChicago.com’s team of “Insiders.”  Follow the network on Twitter via @CSNChicago.

NBC Sports Regional Networks, part of the NBC Sports Group, consist of 11 regional networks that deliver more than 2,400 live sporting events annually, along with award-winning breaking news, comprehensive analysis, digital content and original programming to more than 43 million homes. The NBC Sports Regional Networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, which serves Baltimore and Washington D.C., Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, The Comcast Network, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and SportsNet New York. For more information, visit ComcastSportsNet.com. For more information about NBC Sports Group properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com

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