Tribune Media President & CEO Peter Liguori said that the company "got off to a good start" in Q1 and is "looking for bigger things in the second and third quarters, in part due to its renegotiated rights agreement to broadcast Cubs games" on WGN-CW, according to Robert Channick of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. WGN's local ratings in Chicago for Cubs games are up 59% over last season. Liguori during an earnings call on Friday said, "People are tuning in again to watch the Cubs on WGN. Nothing builds a local connection to a television station like sports and meaningful coverage of the hometown team." Channick noted Tribune in January "secured over-the-air broadcast rights" to the Yankees on WPIX-CW and also "renewed a multi-year agreement with the Mets." Liguori said that the strong start by all three teams has "meant good ratings and profitable broadcasts." Liguori: "It's early, but so far our bet on these teams has come up big, and we're really looking forward to this year's second and third quarter, when the full impact of baseball will hit the bottom line of our stations in New York and Chicago" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/9).
