Chicago Bears fans can argue whether Sunday’s 34-30 implosion against the Detroit Lions was worse than getting rocked by the Green Bay Packers the week before, but both losses were roughly the same from a local TV ratings standpoint.
Fox-32’s coverage of the debacle versus the Lions at Soldier Field averaged a 23.8 household rating in the Chicago market, according to Nielsen estimates.
That translates to 23.8% of area homes with televisions, or roughly 826,000 households.
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It’s up one-tenth of a percentage point — fewer than 3,500 homes — from the Bears’ Nov. 28 loss in Green Bay in prime time on NBC-5, an insignificant margin in the scheme of things.
Chicago-area viewing peaked in the final 15 minutes at a 27.4 household rating between 3 and 3:15 p.m., ensuring the largest possible audience saw the very worst of the Bears as they dropped their sixth successive game.
That stretch included a turnover by Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky that contributed to a 10-point Lions deficit becoming a four-point lead, followed by the Bears offense’s failure to rally in the closing minute.
As bad as the Bears have been this season, and as lackluster as their Chicago TV ratings have been by Bears standards, they remain the most popular show in the area by a wide margin.
Their 2020 ratings through the first three-quarters of this 5-7 season are up roughly 3% from the same 12-game point a year ago, rising to a 25.7 from a 24.9.