April 07--The Cubs opened the 2016 season Monday night with high expectations, a 9-to-0 road victory over the Los Angeles Angels and a huge ratings hit for WLS-Ch.7, now in its second season of broadcasting the games.
The opening night game, which started at 9 p.m. to accommodate West Coast fans, scored an 8.0 household rating, or about 278,000 homes, making it the highest-rated Cubs broadcast to date on WLS, the station said. The Cubs averaged a 4.8 household rating over 24 games last season.
The team inked five-year broadcast deals before last season with Tribune Media's WGN-Ch. 9 and ABC-owned WLS. This season, WGN will produce 45 games, including five broadcast on WPWR-Ch. 50, while WLS will air 25 games. Comcast SportsNet Chicago -- a partnership among Comcast and the Cubs, White Sox , Blackhawks and Bulls -- will carry 86 Cubs games this season.
The Cubs are looking to launch their own regional sports network in 2020, after the current local TV and cable broadcast rights deals expire.
rchannick@tribpub.com
