Though under the most unusual circumstances, the Tiger effect was once again in full swing on Friday morning.
Tiger Woods‘ public statement, his first since allegations of marital infidelity surfaced last year, drew 1.7 million viewers on ESPN Friday morning — “about 4 times” the average viewership for the 11 AM SportsCenter during the previous week.
ESPN was not the only beneficiary. The Golf Channel attracted 745,000 viewers for its coverage from 11-11:20 AM, and 521,000 viewers for its complete 90-minute Special Report (10:30 AM-12 PM).
Friday’s Special Report gave The Golf Channel its second-highest rating of the year (including tournament coverage), and its best non-tournament rating since August of last year.
Elsewhere, Woods’ statement drew 2.1 million viewers on FOX News Channel and 833,000 on CNN. Numbers for MSNBC were not available.
