The Women’s British Open benefited from a return to broadcast television.
Final round coverage of the Women’s British Open earned a 0.6 final rating and 858,000 viewers on NBC Sunday morning, up 200% in ratings and 142% in viewership from last year (0.2, 354K) and up 200% and 234%, respectively, from 2014 (0.2, 257K). Coverage aired on ESPN2 in both of those years.
It was the most-watched final round of the Women’s British Open since the tournament last aired on a broadcast network in 2009. That year, ABC pulled a 0.8 and 997,000 for its coverage.
Sunday’s telecast delivered the third-largest LPGA audience of the season, behind the final rounds of the U.S. Women’s Open on FOX (1.3M) and the non-major Marathon Classic on CBS (1.0M) earlier in the month. The season’s two other majors, the Women’s PGA Championship in June and the ANA Inspiration in April, posted final round audiences of 829,000 and 398,000, respectively.
Third round action last Saturday had a 0.45 rating and 608,000 viewers, up 114% in ratings and 113% in viewership from last year’s 0.21 and 285,000 on ESPN2. In other action, Golf Channel had 187,000 for its main telecast window on Friday (+12%) and 179,000 on Thursday (-20%).
Overall, the full Women’s British Open was the most-watched since 2009.
(Numbers via ShowBuzz Daily, Sports TV Ratings [1], [2]; additional info from NBC Sports)
