Make it eight straight Sunday declines for the PGA Tour.
The finals of the PGA-WGC Match Play had a 1.5 final rating and 2.3 million viewers on NBC last Sunday, down 25% in ratings and 29% in viewership from last year (2.0, 3.2M), but flat and up 8% respectively from 2015 (1.5, 2.1M).
Unlike the previous two years, Sunday’s telecast aired opposite the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Last year’s coverage faced unusually light competition — avoiding the NCAA, NBA and NASCAR — and the 2015 event took place in May.
Keeping that caveat in mind, the 1.5 rating is tied as the lowest for final round coverage of the event since 2010 (1.2).
Ratings and viewership have now declined for eight straight final round windows on broadcast, seven of those by double-digits. Overall, 11 straight PGA Tour windows on broadcast — and 13 of the past 15 — have declined from last year.
Semifinal coverage last Saturday had a 1.3 and 1.8 million viewers, down 13% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (1.5, 2.2M) and down 24% and 27% respectively from primetime coverage in 2015 (1.7, 2.5M).
On Golf Channel, lead-in coverage delivered a 0.4 (-20%) and 603,000 (-6%) on Saturday and a 0.5 (-29%) and 796,000 on Sunday (-28%).
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 3.28)
