PGA Tour ratings continue to rise, with last weekend’s Houston Open nearing a 13-year high.
Sunday’s final round of the PGA Houston Open had a 2.3 rating and 3.9 million viewers on NBC, up 35% in ratings and 50% in viewership from last year, when coverage aired on tape delay (1.7, 2.6M). Compared to live coverage in 2016, ratings fell a tick (from 2.4) but viewership increased 7% (from 3.6M). Those telecasts aired on CBS.
Ian Poulter‘s win trails only 2015 (3.91M) as the most-watched round of the event since 2005 (4.5M).
Of the 20 PGA rounds on broadcast television this season, it was the 13th to hit a multi-year high in ratings and/or viewership. Overall, 15 of 20 windows have posted an increase over last year, including nine straight.
Third round action last Saturday pulled a 1.6 and 2.3 million, up 23% in ratings and 22% in viewership from last year (1.3, 2.0M) and up a tick and 13% respectively from 2016 (1.5, 2.1M). It was the highest rated and most-watched Saturday of the tournament since 2015 (1.8, 2.6M).
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel had a 0.6 rating (+18%) and 897,000 viewers (+24%) on Saturday and a 0.7 (+6%) and 1.1 million (+5%) on Sunday.
Entering the Masters, Golf Channel’s live PGA Tour coverage has averaged 675,000 viewers this season — up 41% from last year and the network’s highest average on record.
[Numbers from ShowBuzz Daily 4.2, NBC Sports PR]
