FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 3rd, 2016

2016 MLB POSTSEASON-BOUND CHICAGO CUBS SET SIGNIFICANT YEAR-TO-YEAR TV RATINGS INCREASES ON CSN CHICAGO

2016 Final Season Average Increased 35% for Households (up 55% for Adults 25-54) compared to 2015;

Highest Final Season Cubs Average on CSN in EIGHT YEARS;

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

CSN also announces its Friday & Saturday NLDS coverage details including “SportsNet Central: Cubs Playoff Preview” airing this Thursday night at 8:30 PM CT

Chicago, IL (October 3, 2016) – Comcast SportsNet (CSN), the television home for the most games and most comprehensive coverage of the 2016 MLB Postseason-bound Chicago Cubs (finished 2016 with a league best 103-58 record), posted significant year-to-year television ratings increases in overall Chicago market households and in every key demographic category, along with scoring solid TV ratings increases for its surrounding pre/postgame programming.

CSN’s Cubs television ratings averaged a 4.48 Chicago market household rating in 2016 (approx. 155,689 Chicago market TV households tuning in per game) — a 35% increase over 2015’s 3.32 household final season average (NOTE: Approx. 43,372 MORE Chicago market TV homes tuned in per game this season compared to last season).  Compared to just two seasons ago, CSN Chicago’s Cubs household average increased 199% (4.48 vs. 1.50).  The 4.47 Chicago market household average in 2016 is also the highest Cubs final season average on CSN in EIGHT YEARS (4.96 avg. in 2008).

CSN also experienced exponential year-to-year ratings growth in EVERY key advertising demo category, including Adults 18-34 (up 62%)…Adults 18-49 (up 32%)…Adults 25-54 (up 55%)…Men 18-34 (up 112%)…Men 18-49 (up 73%)…and Men 25-54 (up 52%).

On September 15 vs. Milwaukee, CSN delivered its highest Cubs single game rating ever — an 11.19 Chicago market household rating.  The 11.19 rating also reigns supreme as highest-rated regular season game telecast – for any team – in CSN history (previous high – 8.73 HH: Bulls vs. IND on January 25, 2012).  Plus, out of 80 total Cubs telecasts on CSN in 2016, eight games averaged “at least a 6.0 household rating,” while 27 games averaged “at least a 5.0 household rating” (NOTE: only seven games in 2015 averaged “at least a 5.0 household rating”).  The network’s highest-rated Cubs game in 2015 (among 83 total game telecasts) was a 5.7 (occurred on Sept. 8, 2015 at St. Louis).

In addition to its Cubs game ratings success 2016, CSN’s Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group household ratings finished up 44% compared to last season (57% increase in Adults 25-54), while Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois household ratings increased 19% (up 36% in Adults 25-54).  Source for all ratings information is provided by Nielsen Media Research.

Beginning this Thursday night, October 6th at 8:30 PM CT — CSN’s expanded Cubs National League Division Series coverage gets underway with SportsNet Central: Cubs Playoff Preview. Hosted by CSN’s Cubs Pre/Postgame Live tandem of David Kaplan (@thekapman) and Todd Hollandsworth (@hollytime28), this special edition of SportsNet Central will provide fans with a full, detailed preview of the Cubs NLDS match-up against either the NY Mets or San Francisco Giants.  Additional reports will be provided from CSN Cubs beat reporter Kelly Crull (@Kelly_Crull) and CSNChicago.com Cubs “Insider” Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney), along the latest team/player news & interviews, season-long opponent match-up highlights, key to the series, special features, and an overview of every upcoming MLB Playoff series.

Game 1 (Friday, October 7) and Game 2 (Saturday, October 8) of the NLDS will take place at Wrigley Field and Comcast SportsNet will provide viewers with expanded editions of Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group and Cubs Postgame Live presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois featuring hosts David Kaplan (@thekapman) and Todd Hollandsworth (@hollytime28), along up-to-the-minute on-site reports from Cubs beat reporter Kelly Crull (@Kelly_Crull) and CSNChicago.com Cubs “Insider” Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney).  Please note the following details for CSN’s surrounding Cubs/NLDS coverage at Wrigley Field this coming weekend:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
7:00 PM Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group – Hosted by David Kaplan and Todd Hollandsworth, this special one-hour edition of Cubs Pregame Live will break down and preview Game 1 of the NLDS featuring numerous interviews, a complete series overview, a recap of regular season Cubs-TBD opponent head-to-head highlights, along with live, on-site reports from Crull and Mooney.
11:00 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 1, plus, additional live on-field post-game reports and much more.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8
6:00 PM Cubs Pregame Live presented by Fields Auto Group – Hosted by David Kaplan and Todd Hollandsworth, this special one-hour edition of Cubs Pregame Live will break down and preview Game 2 of the NLDS featuring a thorough Game 1 recap, pitching match-up previews, numerous interviews, along with live, on-site reports from Crull and Mooney.
10:00 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 2, plus, additional live on-field post-game reports, a look head to Game 3 (and Game 4 if nec.) on the road, and much more.

NOTE: Comcast SportsNet’s surrounding coverage details for GAME 3 on Monday, Oct. 10 (and GAMES 4 & 5 if nec.) will be announced directly on CSNChicago.com.

In addition to the comprehensive Cubs NLDS coverage on Comcast SportsNet, viewers are urged to visit CSNChicago.com throughout the playoffs even more comprehensive 24/7 coverage, including:

  • Live stream of Cubs manager Joe Maddon’s post-game press conferences.
  • “Cubs Pulse,” 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. CubsTalk contains interactive content and continually updated insights from the network’s digital and on-air talent, which includes the upcoming #CubsTalk podcast.
  • CSNChicago.com Cubs “Insider” Patrick Mooney will provide extensive team/player news, special feature stories, and much more throughout the NLDS. Follow him on Twitter @CSNMooney for 24/7 inside access.  Cubs digital reporter and producer Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) 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.
  • 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 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

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