The final tournament before The Masters had a slight drop in ratings and viewership.
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Houston Open earned a 2.4 final rating and 3.6 million viewers on NBC last Sunday, down a tick in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (2.5, 3.9M) but up 26% and 32%, respectively, from 2014 (1.9, 2.7M). Though down from last year, the 2.4 rating is tied as the second-highest for the tournament in the past 11 years.
For the season, the telecast ranks third in ratings and viewership behind only final round coverage from Pebble Beach (3.2, 4.9M) and Doral (2.6, 4.0M).
Among sporting events last weekend, only NASCAR on Fox Sports 1 (2.5, 4.2M) and the men’s Final Four on Turner Sports put up better numbers. The PGA trounced ABC’s competing Thunder/Rockets game (1.5, 2.3M), marking the fifth time in six Sundays this year that the PGA has beaten the NBA head-to-head.
Third round action last Saturday scored a 1.5 and 2.1 million, down 17% in ratings and 18% in viewership from last year (1.8, 2.6M) but up a tick and 13%, respectively, from 2014 (1.4, 1.9M).
(Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily)
