Rory McIlroy is no Tiger Woods.
Final round coverage of the 2011 U.S. Open, won by McIlroy, earned a 5.1 overnight rating on NBC — down 26% from last year (6.9), but even with Sunday coverage in 2009 (5.1).
Keep in mind last year’s U.S. Open aired until 9:15 PM ET, as opposed to a 7:45 PM finish this year. The 2009 U.S. Open concluded on Monday due to rain.
The 5.1 overnight is tied as the lowest for Sunday coverage of the U.S. Open since at least 1996 (overnights prior to 1997 were not available), and marks just the fifth time during that span that the event has failed to draw at least 6% of U.S. metered market homes.
McIlroy set multiple records in winning this year’s U.S. Open, setting up comparisons to Woods’ dominating victory in 2000. From a ratings perspective, however, there is no comparison. Final round coverage of Woods’ 2000 victory drew an 8.8 overnight.
Even third round action in 2000 (6.5) drew a higher overnight than this year’s final round.
Of course, Woods is one of the most recognized athletes in the world, whose private indiscretions resulted in special report bulletins on the major news networks. It stands to reason that he would attract more of an audience than McIlroy, a relatively new European star.
That said, for someone already being hailed as the “new king of golf” (heraldtribune.com, 6/20), McIlroy has a ways to go as a television draw.
(This year’s numbers from Bloomberg)
