For the second straight week, PGA ratings soared to multi-year highs on CBS.
Final round coverage of the PGA Phoenix Open earned a 2.5 rating and 4.1 million viewers on CBS Sunday, up 32% in ratings and 30% in viewership from lasts year (1.9, 3.1M) and up 19% and 23% respectively from 2015 (2.1, 3.3M).
Gary Woodland’s win delivered the tournament’s largest audience in five years (2013: 4.3M).
Outside of Super Bowl programming, Sunday’s telecast was the highest rated and most-watched sporting event of the weekend. In adults 18-49, it ranked third behind ABC’s two NBA games.
On Saturday, third round action scored a 2.1 and 3.3 million — up 40% in ratings and 46% in viewership from last year (1.5, 2.3M) and up 50% and 59% respectively from 2015 (1.4, 2.1M). It was the most-watched third round of the tournament since it returned to broadcast television in 2011.
The multi-year highs at the Phoenix Open followed similar results at Torrey Pines the previous week. That tournament hit a ten-year high on Saturday and a five-year high on Sunday, with both rounds up more than 30%. Tiger Woods’ presence was the explanation for that strong performance, but given Woods’ absence at Phoenix, perhaps other factors are at play.
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel had a 0.8 (+65%) and 1.2 million (+69%) on Saturday and a 0.9 (+52%) and 1.4 million (+55%) on Sunday.
[Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 2.6]
