FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 16th, 2016

COMCAST SPORTSNET DELIVERS ITS HIGHEST-RATED CHICAGO CUBS TELECAST IN NETWORK HISTORY

NEW All-Time CUBS (and new CSN Chicago “regular season” All-Time) TV Ratings Record: 11.19 (#1 in Chicago market); solid 6.0 rating in the key Adults 25-54 demo

Close to 389,000 Chicago TV homes watched CSN’s entire Cubs-Brewers game coverage (7:00 – 10:15 PM);

Over 465,000 homes were tuned in during the peak quarter-hour of 10:00-10:15 PM

CSN Chicago was also #1 in the Chicago market for 12-STRAIGHT HOURS (12:30 PM to 12:30 AM)

Chicago, IL (September 16, 2016) – Comcast SportsNet Chicago, the television home for the most games and the most comprehensive coverage of the 2016 NL Central Division champion Chicago Cubs, delivered its highest Cubs single game rating ever last evening (September 15) — an 11.19 Chicago market household rating for its live coverage of the Cubs match-up against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.  The 11.19 Chicago market household (HH) rating on CSN last evening also shattered the following previous records:

  • NEW Cubs game rating record for CSN Chicago (previous Cubs high on CSN – 8.30 HH on July 28, 2008 vs. MIL)
  • NEW record for the highest-rated Cubs game in the history of any Chicago regional sports network (previous Cubs high occurred on Fox Sports Net Chicago – 8.49 HH: Cubs at HOU on June 16, 2004)
  • NEW record for the highest-rated regular season game telecast – for any team – in CSN Chicago history (previous high – 8.73 HH: Bulls vs. IND on January 25, 2012)

 

For last night’s Cubs telecast, Comcast SportsNet attracted approx. 388,875 Chicago market households for the entire length of the game (7:00-10:15 PM) and scored a 13.4 “peak” rating during the 10:15 PM quarter-hour (over 465,600 Chicago market households).  Source for all ratings information is provided by Nielsen Media Research overnights.

Comcast SportsNet was also the #1-highest rated television network in the Chicago market for TWELVE-STRAIGHT HOURS (from 12:30 PM-12:30 AM) among Chicago DMA households last night & in virtually every key demographic category – which included the following roster of CSN programming:  White Pregame Live presented by the Kowalis Family of Dealerships (live), White Sox vs. Cleveland game telecast (live), Subaru White Sox Postgame Live (live), Bears Blitz presented by Xfinity (live), SportsTalk Live presented by The Chevy Silverado (live), SportsNet Central presented by Comcast Business (live), Bases Loaded (live), Cubs vs. Milwaukee game telecast (live), Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois (live), The Hard Count with Brian Urlacher presented by RESTORE (premiere), Inside Look: Kyle Hendricks presented by Cadillac (premiere), Pro Football Weekly, and SportsNet Central presented by CLR. 

Through 72 live telecasts so far this season, the Cubs on Comcast SportsNet are currently averaging a 4.52 Chicago market household rating, an increase of 36% compared to last season’s final 3.32 HH average.  In addition, Cubs games on CSN this season have also experienced massive year-to-year increases in every key demo category, including Adults 18-49 (up 36%) and Adults 25-54 (up 57%).

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Comcast SportsNet’s next Cubs telecast airs TODAY (Friday, September 16), as the Cubs will continue their home series against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Live coverage from the Wrigley Field gets underway with Cubs Pregame Live presented by Field Auto Group at 12:30 PM CT with first pitch set for 1:20 PM.  THEN…immediately after the game on Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, CSN will take viewers inside the Cubs clubhouse for LIVE coverage of the team’s official 2016 NL Central Division Championship celebration.

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 NBC Sports Group, consists of 10 regional networks that deliver more than 2,200 live sporting events annually, along with award-winning news, comprehensive analysis, digital content and original programming to more than 43 million homes. The NBC Sports Regional Networks are: CSN Bay Area, CSN California, CSN Chicago, CSN Mid-Atlantic, CSN New England, CSN Northwest, TCN, CSN Philadelphia and SNY. For additional information, visit CSN.com. For more information on NBC Sports Group properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios, headshots and logos, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com. 

 

####