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The Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network is increasingly looking to Baton Rouge as both a growing audience base and a potential hub for regional business partnerships tied to professional sports content.
Network executives say the Capital Region’s strong sports culture and proximity to New Orleans have quickly turned the market into a key driver of ratings and advertiser interest for the network, which launched in September 2024 and is owned by Atlanta-based Gray Media.
“I think they’re just a solid number two behind New Orleans when it comes to the viewing in the network,” says Mikel Schaefer, vice president and general manager of both WVUE-TV and the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network. Monroe is the third-largest market, followed by Jackson, Mississippi, which rounds out the network’s top four markets, according to Steve McNelley, executive director of broadcast programming and media strategy for the Saints and Pelicans.
In Baton Rouge, GCSEN on Channel 9.3 is averaging a 1.0 rating, representing roughly 2,400 households and about 4,800 viewers, according to Comscore. Four of the six games simulcast on both GCSEN and WAFB have performed stronger, averaging a 3.8 rating, according to network data.
Some individual broadcasts have exceeded 20,000 viewers in the Capital Region, with overall ratings more than doubling year over year as distribution and awareness have expanded.
The network aired 80 of the Pelicans’ 82 games last season in its first year and is scheduled to carry all 82 games this season.
Expanded distribution—including the addition of DirecTV—has helped broaden the network’s reach to bars, restaurants, casinos and hotels that previously could not show the games.
“That’s part of the building of the network and making people aware that they can get the game for free,” Schaefer says. “All you need is an antenna and you can find the game.”
Programming has also expanded beyond Pelicans broadcasts to include Saints-focused shows, LSU-related podcasts, high school football and other regional sports content. Executives say the goal is to build a regional sports hub that reflects the interests of Gulf South fans.
Network leaders say Baton Rouge’s growing ratings also create new opportunities for local advertisers and businesses seeking exposure through broadcast commercials, in-arena signage that appears on television and hospitality packages tied to Pelicans games.
“We saw an uptick in New Orleans, but the one that’s coming up right behind it is Baton Rouge,” McNelley says. “The surge is really in Baton Rouge.”
As viewership expands, McNelley says the Pelicans increasingly see the Capital Region not just as a nearby market, but as a core part of the franchise’s regional identity.
“We’re really the only NBA team in the region,” he adds. “That makes us the Pelicans of the Gulf South.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated since its original publication to correct the spelling of Mikel Schaefer’s name and to clarify that the Baton Rouge TV ratings were provided by Comscore.
