Amidst the bustling landscape of Chicago’s sports media, a recent survey has shed light on listener preferences and show performance. After a three-year hiatus, the survey witnessed a significant increase in participation, with over 5,191 responses collected, marking a doubling in turnout compared to the previous election in 2022.
The results delved into various aspects of Chicago sports media, starting with favorite radio stations. With 4,371 votes cast, 670 The Score emerged dominant once again, capturing 68.4 percent of the votes. This result, albeit a slight decline from 2022’s 71.3 percent, still firmly positions The Score ahead of ESPN 1000, which garnered 31.6 percent.
A follow-up question regarding general listenership to Chicago sports radio revealed that 76 percent of respondents tune into sports radio in some capacity. Out of 4,586 answers, the bulk of respondents, 41.3 percent, claimed to listen regularly, while 34.7 percent said they sometimes listen. A noteworthy 20.9 percent replied that they did not listen but had in the past, indicating a steady interest in the medium.
In terms of favorite sports radio shows, ESPN 1000’s “Waddle & Silvy” led the pack with 28.1 percent of 4,248 votes. The dynamic duo of Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle continues to engage audiences, especially given their long-standing presence since 2007.
Trailing closely was the newly formed team of Laurence Holmes and Matt Spiegel at 26.6 percent, followed by 21.7 percent for the established morning show duo, Mike Mulligan and David Haugh at The Score. Notably, “Bernstein & Holmes,” which previously triumphed in 2022, did not secure a top spot this time around.
The survey also sought to identify the best sports radio host in Chicago. Laurence Holmes claimed victory for the second consecutive time with 20.8 percent from 4,253 votes. David Kaplan from ESPN 1000 came in second with 16 percent, while Matt Spiegel secured third place with 13 percent. Other notable hosts like Waddle and Mulligan garnered 12 and 8.4 percent, respectively.
Curiously, the survey also addressed the impact of former hosts on listeners. When asked if they missed Dan Bernstein following his departure from the airwaves, 56.9 percent of respondents indicated they did not miss him, while 31.4 percent admitted they did, and 11.6 percent said they missed him only during major events. In a follow-up query regarding a potential podcast from Bernstein, 64.8 percent of respondents expressed they would not listen, suggesting his strong legacy compared to current market sentiment.
The survey further explored sentiments regarding another former Score host, Danny Parkins. In a closely contested vote, 48.5 percent stated they did not miss Parkins, while 45.8 percent said they did, revealing a nearly even split across the audience.
In a comprehensive evaluation of The Score’s overall quality compared to the previous year, 53.8 percent of respondents expressed that it was worse, and 56.5 percent said the recent lineup changes made them less likely to listen. Despite saying they missed certain hosts, respondents suggested a decline in The Score’s overall quality.
Within The Score, opinions on the best shows were hotly debated. The reigning pairing of “Spiegel & Holmes” narrowly edged out “Mully & Haugh,” with 43.9 percent to 43 percent, reflecting a tight race decided by only 38 votes. Newcomer “Rahimi & Harris” managed to attract 13.1 percent of the votes, showcasing the dynamic competition within the schedule.
ESPN 1000’s top show again proved to be “Waddle & Silvy,” which secured a commanding 63.8 percent of the votes, with “Kap & J. Hood” and “Carmen & Jurko” trailing behind at 24.3 and 11.9 percent, respectively.
On the broader subject of content, the survey gauged opinions on how much the stations discuss the Chicago Bears. Interestingly, 42.1 percent of respondents felt there was not too much discussion on the Bears, while 37.3 percent stated that there was. The remaining 20.6 percent opted to humorously respond with variations of “Bearsssss.”
Another intriguing question asked respondents to weigh in on the best sports broadcast team in Chicago. The Cubs radio broadcast, headed by Pat Hughes, emerged victorious with 37.9 percent of the votes. Following closely were the Bears radio team with 19.4 percent and the Bulls’ TV crew with 14.5 percent.
In a comparison to the previous survey, the White Sox TV team saw a significant decline in their popularity, dropping from first place in 2022 to nearly the bottom bracket with just 1.5 percent of the votes.
Podcast consumption also featured prominently in the survey. Around 38.9 percent of respondents indicated they listen to Chicago sports podcasts regularly, while 34.7 percent said they subscribe occasionally. This trend indicates a growing engagement with the format.
Regarding favorite Bears podcasts, “Hoge & Jahns” topped the list with 47.3 percent, while “Take The North” hosted by Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote followed with 15.9 percent. The CHGO Bears podcast was next with 10.7 percent.
In an exploration of non-Bears sports podcasts, “Locked On Cubs” came out on top with a substantial 23.2 percent of the vote, closely contested with “North Side Territory” at 11.5 percent and CHGO’s podcast at 10.6 percent.
The survey also probed the viewership of local Chicago sportscasts during the evening news. About 56 percent of participants reported not watching nightly sportscasts, and only 25.6 percent stated they do so occasionally. Nevertheless, 9.4 percent maintain a regular watching habit.
In the realm of postgame shows, the White Sox postgame featuring Chuck Garfien and Ozzie Guillen gained recognition, receiving 23.2 percent of the votes, while a Marquee Sports Network show hosted by Cole Wright collected 18.1 percent. Notably, another 32.1 percent of respondents reported they don’t watch any postgame shows.
One significant aspect illuminated by the survey is viewership concerning Marquee and CHSN. Results indicated that 39.4 percent of respondents do not receive the channels, while 30.4 percent reported they have both. A staggering 84.9 percent of respondents noted that if they are Comcast customers, they have not upgraded their package for CHSN, even considering the upcoming Bulls and Blackhawks season.
The evolving media landscape has pushed some content into platforms like YouTube, and the survey sought to measure engagement. Over half of the respondents (52.7 percent) revealed they never watch sports radio shows or podcasts on YouTube, although 47.3 percent indicated they watch occasionally or regularly.
Regarding overall content consumption, responses were fairly balanced between different viewing methods: 34.7 percent stated they consume sports via cable subscriptions and streaming apps, 32.9 percent use YouTube TV alongside streaming apps, and 28.9 percent rely solely on streaming. This marks a notable shift away from traditional cable subscriptions compared to earlier surveys.
The Athletic has seen an overall increase in subscriber numbers as well. About 84.2 percent of respondents said they have a subscription, a rise from 81.8 percent in 2022.
Lastly, the survey included open-ended questions about favorite sportswriters. The distinction went to The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma, who received 10.2 percent, narrowly surpassing Brad Biggs from the Chicago Tribune at 9.2 percent.
On the topic of social media, the best Twitter/X or BlueSky follow in Chicago sports went to Sam Olbur, who claimed 9.2 percent of the votes, surprising many by outperforming popular figures like Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz, who followed at 4.4 percent. As the landscape of sports media continues to change, these survey results provide a fascinating snapshot of audience preferences and engagement in Chicago’s sports scene.
image source from：nytimes
