A dramatic finish to the year’s first major was not enough to overcome the absence of Tiger Woods and an unusually big dip in households watching TV.
Final round coverage of The Masters earned a 7.6 overnight rating on CBS Sunday afternoon, down 11% from last year (8.5), down 21% from 2015 (9.6), and the lowest since 2004 (7.3). The previous low over that span was a 7.8 in 2014.
Going back further, the 7.6 is the second-lowest for final round coverage of the event since at least 1995, the first year Tiger Woods entered the field. Four of the five lowest overnights since ’95 have come in the past five years, with three of those in years when Woods missed the event due to injury — this year, last year and 2014 (7.8).
Overnights steadily rose during the final portion of the telecast, rising from 8.0 (6-6:30 PM ET) to 9.1 (6:30-7 PM) to the peak of 11.2 (7-7:30 PM). Last year’s peak quarter-hour was not immediately available for comparison.
Third round action on Saturday pulled a 4.6 overnight, down 19% from last year (5.7) and down 29% from 2015 (6.5). The 4.6 ranks ahead of only 2014 (4.4) as the lowest for any round of The Masters on CBS since at least 1995. Saturday coverage peaked at a 5.0 from 6-6:30 PM.
Beyond the absence of Tiger Woods, a major factor this weekend was an unusual dip in households using televisions. HUT levels were down 10% on Saturday and 9% on Sunday.
Despite the lower numbers, The Masters still reigns supreme as by far the most popular golf event. Final round overnights doubled those of the U.S. Open last June (3.8) and topped last year’s British Open by 95% (3.9).
(Wknd. numbers from CBS, with additional info from Sports Business Daily)
