As was the case Thursday, Friday’s second round of The Masters hit a TV low and a streaming high.
Second round coverage of The Masters earned a 1.8 rating and 2.6 million viewers on ESPN Friday afternoon, per Nielsen fast-nationals — down 18% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (2.2, 3.1M) and down 14% and 12% respectively from 2015 (2.1, 3.0M).
The telecast tied the lowest rating for round two of The Masters since ESPN began airing the event in 2008, matching 2014. It was the second-least watched, ahead of only 2014 (2.5M).
The first two rounds of The Masters pulled the exact same ratings as in 2014, not exactly a good sign heading into the weekend. That year, final round coverage tied its lowest rating since 1980 and the full weekend posted its lowest average since 1957.
Despite the lower TV numbers, streaming viewership increased for a second straight day. Coverage on the WatchESPN averaged 49,000 viewers, a record for The Masters on the platform.
Orlando led all markets Friday with a 4.0 rating, followed by Greenville, S.C. (3.9), San Diego (3.2), Greensboro, N.C. and Norfolk, Va. (3.0 in both markets).
(Fri. numbers from ESPN Media Zone 4.8)
