Bulls' ratings on NBC Sports Chicago up 86%

The Bulls have made a 180-degree turn in the NBA standings since last season, and their TV ratings have followed suit.

Through 42 games aired live on NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls averaged a 2.56 household rating in the Chicago DMA (designated market area), according to Nielsen. That’s an increase of 86% from the same span last season. One household ratings point equals roughly 35,400 households.

The Bulls’ TAD (total audience delivery), which includes streaming viewership, is up 99% compared to last season. On average, the games drew roughly 140,000 total viewers per game.

Those figures are through the game Monday at the Magic and don’t include the four games picked up by national networks, three by ESPN and one by TNT. The Bulls have two remaining nationally televised games scheduled: Feb. 9 at the Hornets and March 4 against the Bucks. The latter will be the teams’ first meeting since Grayson Allen’s flagrant foul resulted in Alex Caruso’s fractured wrist.

If the Bulls continue their winning ways, ESPN might take more games away from NBCSCH. The game Jan. 14 against the Warriors originally was scheduled just for NBCSCH before ESPN added it for a national audience.