Entering the first major of the season, the PGA Tour is suffering the same struggles as many other sports over the past year.
Tape delayed final round coverage of the PGA Houston Open earned 2.6 million viewers on NBC last Sunday afternoon, down 29% from last year (3.6M), down 34% from 2015 (3.9M) and the smallest final round audience for the event since 2013 (1.9M). Ratings declined 30% year-over-year (from 2.36 to 1.65).
The past nine final round windows on broadcast this season have posted declines in ratings and viewership, the lone exception being Torrey Pines in January. Four of those nine have hit multi-year lows. This week’s declines come with a major caveat — because play was moved up to avoid rain, NBC’s coverage was tape delayed.
Third round action last Saturday had a 1.3 and 2.0 million, down 13% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (1.5, 2.1M) and down 28% and 25% respectively from 2015 (1.8, 2.6M).
Overall, 15 of last 17 PGA Tour windows on broadcast have posted a decline in ratings and/or viewership.
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel had a 0.5 (-17%) and 724,000 (-15%) on Saturday and a 0.6 (-16%) and 1.0 million (-7%) on Sunday.
| 2017 PGA TOUR RATINGS/VIEWERSHIP ON BROADCAST Entering The Masters |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Net | Round | Rtg. | Vwrs. | vs. 2016 | |
| Rtg. | Vwrs. | |||||
| Torrey Pines | CBS | Third | 1.2 | 1.90M | +20% | +35% |
| Final | 2.0 | 3.08M | +33% | +35% | ||
| Phoenix Open | CBS | Third | 1.5 | 2.26M | +7% | +9% |
| Final | 1.9 | 3.13M | -10% | -6% | ||
| Pebble Beach | CBS | Third | 1.8 | 2.67M | +13% | +11% |
| Final | 2.7 | 4.23M | -16% | -13% | ||
| L.A. Open | CBS | Third | 1.5 | 2.24M | +15% | +17% |
| Final | 2.0 | 3.04M | -13% | -16% | ||
| Honda Classic | NBC | Third | 1.2 | 1.84M | -14% | -13% |
| Final | 1.8 | 2.76M | -14% | -13% | ||
| WGC-Mexico | NBC | Third | 1.6 | 2.49M | -11% | -2% |
| Final | 2.2 | 3.46M | -15% | -14% | ||
| Tampa Bay | NBC | Third | 1.1 | 1.65M | -8% | -8% |
| Final | 1.5 | 2.29M | -25% | -22% | ||
| Bay Hill | NBC | Third | 1.1 | 1.60M | flat | -3% |
| Final | 1.4 | 2.12M | -26% | -27% | ||
| WGC-Match Play | NBC | Third | 1.3 | 1.85M | -13% | -15% |
| Final | 1.5 | 2.27M | -25% | -29% | ||
| Houston | NBC | Third | 1.3 | 1.96M | -13% | -8% |
| Final (tape) | 1.65 | 2.58M | -30% | -29% | ||
(Wknd. numbers from NBC Sports, ShowBuzz Daily 4.4)
