With Tiger Woods the driving force, PGA Tour ratings are on the rise in 2018.
Sunday’s final round of the PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational earned a 3.2 rating and 5.0 million viewers on NBC, up 129% in ratings and 134% in viewership from last year (1.4, 2.1M) and up 68% and 72% respectively from 2016 (1.9, 2.9M).
Rory McIlroy‘s win, in which Woods tied for fifth, ranks as the highest rated and most-watched round of the tournament since Woods’ 2012 win (4.3, 6.5M).
Excluding majors, it also posted the second-highest PGA rating and viewership since the 2015 Wyndham Championship (3.4, 5.0M). The previous week’s Tampa Bay Championship, which saw Woods just one birdie putt away from forcing a playoff, holds the top spot (4.4, 6.9M).
PGA ratings have surged this season thanks largely to Woods’ resurgence. Eleven of the 16 PGA windows on broadcast television have posted an increase in ratings and viewership, ten of those hitting multi-year highs. All eight windows featuring Woods have increased, compared to only three of the other eight.
Outside of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday’s final round was the weekend’s top sporting event in ratings, viewership and adults 18-49 (0.8). It easily topped the competing NASCAR Cup Series race on FOX (2.4, 4.0M, 0.7 A18-49).
Third round action last Saturday pulled a 2.0 and 3.0 million, up 82% in ratings and 91% in viewership from last year (1.1, 1.6M) and up 82% and 84% respectively from 2016 (1.1, 1.7M). The 2.0 is tied as the highest for third round coverage since 2012 (2.7).
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel drew a 0.9 rating (+146%) and 1.26 million viewers (+147%) on Saturday and a 0.9 (+123%) and 1.36 million (+135%) on Sunday.
PGA Tour Ratings, Viewership, Compared to Last Year
| Tourney | Woods Finish |
Round | Net | Rtg. | vs. ’17 | Vwrs. | vs. ’17 |
| Torrey Pines | T-23rd | Third | CBS | 2.1 | +75% | 3.13M | +65% |
| Final | 2.6 | +30% | 4.06M | +32% | |||
| Phoenix | DNP | Third | CBS | 2.1 | +40% | 3.30M | +46% |
| Final | 2.5 | +32% | 4.08M | +30% | |||
| Pebble Beach | DNP | Third | CBS | 1.5 | -17% | 2.31M | -14% |
| Final | 2.2 | -19% | 3.48M | -18% | |||
| L.A. | CUT | Third | CBS | 1.5 | flat | 2.19M | -2% |
| Final | 2.0 | flat | 3.00M | -2% | |||
| Honda | T-12th | Third | CBS | 1.7 | +42% | 2.44M | +33% |
| Final | 2.6 | +44% | 4.01M | +45% | |||
| WGC-Mexico | DNP | Third | NBC | 1.4 | -13% | 2.11M | -15% |
| Final | 2.6 | +18% | 3.93M | +14% | |||
| Tampa | T-2nd | Third | NBC | 2.8 | +155% | 4.31M | +160% |
| Final | 4.4 | +193% | 6.91M | +201% | |||
| Bay Hill | T-5th | Third | NBC | 2.0 | +82% | 3.05M | +91% |
| Final | 3.2 | +129% | 4.96M | 134% |
[Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 3.20]
