Golf’s final tournament before the Olympics was crushed by the Olympics.
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Hartford Open earned a 0.9 final rating and 1.4 million viewers on CBS Sunday afternoon, down 55% in ratings and 52% in viewership from last year (2.0, 3.0M) and flat and up 7%, respectively, from 2014 (0.9, 1.3M). Last year’s final round was the highest rated since 2005.
Sunday’s 0.9 is tied as the tournament’s lowest final round rating since at least 1998, matching 2014. Excluding postponed or canceled tournaments, ratings and viewership were the lowest of the season for final round coverage on broadcast.
The Olympics were a clear culprit in Sunday’s low numbers. On the opening weekend of the 2012 Olympics, the final round of the RBC Canadian Open put up a 0.8 rating.
On Saturday, third round action had a 0.7 and 950,000 viewers — easily the lowest figures for any PGA Tour round on broadcast this season.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
