The final golf major of the season got off to a slow start. In other news, last weekend’s Senior British Open posted big gains, and NASCAR’s Xfinity Series race from the Brickyard sank double-digits.
PGA Championship Opens With 30 Percent Decline
- First round coverage of the PGA Championship scored 977,000 viewers on TNT Thursday afternoon, down 30% from last year (1.4M). Compared to the season’s other majors, Thursday’s telecast topped the opening round of the British Open on Golf Channel (900K) and rainout U.S. Open coverage on Fox Sports 1 (966K) but was no match for round one of The Masters on ESPN (2.4M). (via ShowBuzz Daily)
Senior British Open Up Big in Move to NBC Sports
- Final round coverage of the Senior British Open pulled 602,000 viewers on Golf Channel last Sunday, up 73% from last year on ESPN2 (349K). Ratings were not available. Third round action the previous day had a 0.6 final rating and 773,000 viewers on NBC, up 200% and 244%, respectively, from last year’s 0.2 and 225,000. (via Sports Business Daily)
Xfinity Brickyard Race Down Double-Digits
- NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Indianapolis earned a 1.0 final rating and 1.6 million viewers on NBCSN last Saturday afternoon, down 38% in ratings and 31% in viewership from last year on the NBC broadcast network (1.6, 2.3M) and down 23% and 20%, respectively, from 2014 on ESPN (1.3, 2.0M). Despite the drop, it was the most-watched Xfinity Series race since Talladega on FOX in April (2.9M). (via ShowBuzz Daily)
