By all accounts, the Chicago Bulls have yet to hit full stride on court, but CSN Chicago is charging with team telecasts.
Through Feb. 4, CSN Chicago has scored a 65% rise in household ratings to a 4.8 mark in the DMA, up from a 2.9 average at that stage of the 2013-14 season, according to Nielsen data. That translates into some 167, 2500 households on average in the Windy City.
The demo growth has been even stronger, with the RSN ringing up gains in all demos, notably a 113% increase among adults 18 to 49 and 116% against adults 25 to 54.
Deliveries have benefited from the Jan. 5 game against Houston that notched a 7.59 rating and 264,000 households to stand as the network’s second-highest-rated Bulls regular-season telecast behind the 8.73 mark versus Indiana on Jan. 25, 2012.
Meanwhile, the ratings for Bulls Pregame Live presented by Miller Lite household ratings rose 38% compared to la while Kia Bulls Postgame Live ratings were up 35%.
On the digital side of the court, CSN Chicago’s rookie season of in-market, live streaming of Bulls game simulcasts on CSNChicago.com and the NBC Sports Live Extra app has generated some 3 million total minutes watched thus far, according to Adobe Reports & Analytics.
The Jan. 27 Bulls-Golden State game ranks as the most-streamed game to date, with some 326,000 minutes, 5,800 in-game visits and 12,000 live starts.
Although the Bulls currently reside atop the NBA Central, many believe the club is not yet playing its best basketball, as it looks to better integrate the talents of oft-injured point guard Derrick Rose and free-agent acquisition Pau Gasol. Many deem Chicago to be one of the favorites to emerge from the Eastern Conference to reach the NBA Finals, and a strong run-up to the playoffs would potentially serve to boost CSN's ratings roll even higher.
