Aug. 19--When WLS-Ch.7 struck a deal to broadcast 24 Cubs games this season, the ABC-owned station took a chance that the team's rising fortunes would translate into higher ratings.
On Saturday night, ABC 7 hit it out of the park with the Cubs-White Sox crosstown series. The broadcast scored a 7.6 household rating, or 264,000 homes, making it the highest-rated Cubs game of the season and the most-watched TV show in Chicago for the evening, according to the station. About 377,000 adults tuned in to the game, which was won by the Cubs 6-3.
"In their inaugural season with ABC 7, we couldn't be more thrilled with the performance of the team and the value Cubs baseball brings to our advertisers," John Idler, the station's president and general manager, said in a statement.
Cubs games on WLS-Ch. 7 have averaged a 4.7 household rating this season, the station said.
The Cubs opted out of a longer-term agreement with Tribune Media's WGN-Ch. 9 after last season, freeing up about 70 games per year. This season, WLS-Ch. 7 will broadcast 24 games and WGN-Ch. 9 will air 45 games after both inked new five-year deals.
Ratings for the Cubs games on WGN-Ch. 9 are up 95 percent versus a year ago, Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori said during a conference call last week.
ABC 7 has been airing mostly afternoon and weekend games to avoid disruption of its busy network prime-time schedule. The matchup Saturday against the White Sox was one of the few night games carried by the station, which last broadcast Cubs games in 1949.
The station has another prime-time game on deck tonight at 7 p.m. against the Detroit Tigers.
rchannick@tribpub.com
