With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson taking the week off, ratings and viewership dipped once again for professional golf.
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Tampa Bay Championship earned a 1.7 final rating and 2.5 million viewers on NBC last Sunday afternoon, down a tick in ratings and 2% in viewership from last year (1.8. 2.6M), but up 21% and 29%, respectively, from 2011 (1.4, 1.9M).
Though down only slightly from last year, the tournament ranks as the fifth of the past six to have a decline in ratings for final round coverage.
On Saturday, third round action drew a 1.1 and 1.5 million viewers — flat in ratings and down 4% in viewership from last year (1.1, 1.6M), but up 10% and 9%, respectively, from 2011 (1.0, 1.4M).
Of the past sixteen pro golf telecast windows on broadcast (eight tournaments dating back to the Farmers Insurance Open), ten were either down or flat in ratings compared to last year. The only telecasts to have increases were third and final round coverage of the Farmers Insurance Open, Phoenix Open, and WGC-Cadillac Championship — each won by either Woods or Mickelson.
Ratings For PGA Tour on Broadcast This Season
With comparisons to last year
| Date | Event | Round | Net | Rating | vs. ?12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., 1/26/13 | Farmers Insurance Open | PPD | CBS |
1.1
|
+10%
|
| Sun., 1/27/13 | Third/ Final | CBS |
3.2
|
+78%
|
|
| Mon., 1/28/13 | Final | CBS |
1.7
|
—
|
|
| Sat., 2/2/13 | Phoenix Open | Third | NBC |
1.9
|
+46%
|
| Sun., 2/3/13 | Final | NBC |
2.8
|
+40%
|
|
| Sat., 2/9/13 | Pebble Beach Nat’l Pro-Am | Third | CBS |
1.8
|
-31%
|
| Sun., 2/10/13 | Final | CBS |
2.7
|
-45%
|
|
| Sat., 2/16/13 | Northern Trust Open | Third | CBS |
1.5
|
-29%
|
| Sun., 2/17/13 | Final | CBS |
2.5
|
-41%
|
|
| Sat., 2/23/13 | Accenture Match Play | Third | NBC |
1.3
|
even
|
| Sun., 2/24/13 | Final | NBC |
1.8
|
-22%
|
|
| Sat., 3/2/13 | Honda Classic | Third | NBC |
1.6
|
-6%
|
| Sun., 3/3/13 | Final | NBC |
2.0
|
-29%
|
|
| Sat., 3/9/13 | WGC-Cadillac Championship | Third | NBC |
2.3
|
+15%
|
| Sun., 3/10/13 | Final | NBC |
3.7
|
+32%
|
|
| Sat., 3/16/13 | Tampa Bay Championship | Third | NBC |
1.1
|
even
|
| Sun., 3/17/13 | Final | NBC |
1.7
|
-6%
|
(Weekend numbers from Sports Business Daily)
