WGN Hits Homers with MLB Ratings

By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 4/30/2004 8:08:00 AM MT

Superstation WGN is making strong viewer contact with its coverage of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs and White Sox.

Covering 10 Cubs and six Sox games through April 26, WGN has registered a 34% jump in households, to 417,000 per contest, measured against the comparable period during the 2003 season, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The 16 contests averaged 502,000 adult viewers, a 45% jump from the prior season.

WGN is going long with key demos, as well: The superstation was ahead 39% among adults 18-34 (105,000 of those watchers), 51% among adults 18-49 (230,000) and 44% among the 25-54 set (237,000). With males of those respective ages, the gains were 30% to 73,000, 49% to 163,000 and 42% to 157,000.

For the Cubs, households have grown 40% to an average 521,000 per game, while the team was up 52% among viewers 18-34, 58% among those aged 18-49 and 50% among the 25-54 crowd, with 137,000, 289,000 and 297,000 viewers, respectively. The Northsiders have reached an average of 623,000 adults per game, up 50% from 2003 levels.

As for the Sox, their telecasts have averaged 231,000 households, a 38% amelioration through this point last year. The Southsiders were up 16% among viewers aged 18-34, 62% among adults 18-49 and 56% among those aged 25-54, scoring 49,000, 124,000 and 130,000 of those viewers, respectively.

All told, WGN will air 70 Cubs and 30 White Sox games during the 2004 season.