Ratings and viewership increased for the final round of the British Open, but the numbers were still quite low historically.
Final round coverage of the 2011 British Open earned a 2.3 U.S. rating and 3.246 million viewers on ESPN Sunday morning, up 10% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (2.1, 2.966M), but down 40% and 42%, respectively, from 2009, when the event aired on broadcast network ABC (3.8, 5.545M).
The 2.3 rating is the second-lowest ever for the British Open, and the second-lowest for the final round of any major golf tournament dating back to 1982.
Final round coverage was not only topped by Sunday’s Japan/United States Women’s World Cup final (7.4, 13.458M), but also drew fewer viewers than the United States/France semifinal (3.354M) earlier in the week.
On Saturday, third round action drew a 1.8 and 2.564 million viewers on ESPN, down 22% in ratings and 18% in viewership from last year (2.3, 3.128M), and down 25% and 23%, respectively, from 2009 (2.4, 3.317M).
The 1.8 rating is the lowest for third round coverage of the British Open dating back to 1982. That excludes coverage in 1999, which was moved from ABC to ESPN due to coverage of John F. Kennedy Jr.‘s death.
The complete 2011 British Open averaged a 1.2 U.S. rating and 1.697 million viewers on ESPN, according to Sports Business Daily, down 20% in ratings and 16% in viewership from last year (1.5, 2.020M), and down 43% and 39%, respectively, from 2009, when the event aired on ABC and TNT (2.1, 2.778M).
Ratings/Viewership For Last Five British Opens
|
Year
|
Net
|
Third
|
Final
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Date
|
Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
Date
|
Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
||
|
2011
|
ESPN | Sat., 7/16/11 |
1.8
|
2,564
|
Sun., 7/17/11 |
2.3
|
3,246
|
|
2010
|
ESPN | Sat., 7/17/10 |
2.3
|
3,128
|
Sun., 7/18/10 |
2.1
|
2,966
|
|
2009
|
ABC | Sat., 7/18/09 |
2.4
|
3,317
|
Sun., 7/19/09 |
3.8
|
5,545
|
|
2008
|
ABC | Sat., 7/19/08 |
2.4
|
3,387
|
Sun., 7/20/08 |
3.3
|
4,640
|
|
2007
|
ABC | Sat., 7/21/07 |
2.4
|
3,040
|
Sun., 7/22/07 |
3.7
|
5,147
|
(This year’s numbers from Sports Business Daily)
