The first major of the golf season got off to a solid start on ESPN.
Thursday’s first round of The Masters earned a 2.0 U.S. rating and 2.9 million viewers on ESPN, flat in ratings and up 7% in viewership from last year (2.0, 2.7M), and up 5% and 12%, respectively, from 2011 (1.9, 2.6M).
The telecast ranks as the most-viewed opening round of The Masters since 2010 (4.9M), and the third-most viewed first round since ESPN began airing the event in 2008.
First round coverage scored double-digit increases among both men 18-49 (+15%) and men 18-34 (+16%).
Ratings/Viewership For the Opening Round of The Masters
Since ESPN began televising the event in 2008
| Year | Date | Net | First Rd. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | Viewers | |||
|
2013
|
Thu., 4/11/13 | ESPN |
2.0
|
2.9M
|
|
2012
|
Thu., 4/5/12 | ESPN |
2.0
|
2.7M
|
|
2011
|
Thu., 4/7/11 | ESPN |
1.9
|
2.6M
|
|
2010
|
Thu., 4/8/10 | ESPN |
3.4
|
4.9M
|
|
2009
|
Thu., 4/9/09 | ESPN |
2.4
|
3.4M
|
|
2008
|
Thu., 4/10/08 | ESPN |
1.8
|
2.4M
|
(Thursday’s numbers from ESPN)
