Ryder Cup ratings bounced back from the all-time lows of four years ago.
Sunday’s final day coverage of the Ryder Cup earned a 1.8 rating and 2.67 million viewers on NBC, up 13% in ratings and 21% in viewership from 2014, the last time the tournament took place in Europe (1.6, 2.20M).
Compared to the last Ryder Cup in 2016, which took place in the United States, ratings fell a third (from 2.7) and viewership 37% (from 4.27M).
Though up from 2014, ratings and viewership were the second-lowest for the final day of the Ryder Cup since at least 1997.
Viewership peaked at 4.03 million from 10:15-10:30 AM ET. Europe clinched victory at 11 AM, 90 minutes before the end of NBC’s telecast window.
Saturday’s coverage pulled a 1.6 and 2.27 million, up 14% in ratings and 19% in viewership from ’14 (1.4, 1.91M). Compred to 2016, ratings fell 24% (from 2.1) and viewership 31% (from 3.31M).
Keep in mind that NBC’s figures exclude early morning coverage. NBC came on air at 3 AM on Saturday and 6 AM on Sunday, but the above ratings cover only 7 AM onward.
Day one coverage last Friday delivered 765,000 over Golf Channel’s full ten-hour telecast window, up 12% from 2014 (685K) but down 41% from 2016 (1.3M). Golf Channel averaged 489,000 viewers from 2-6 AM ET, the network’s best-ever audience during that specific time period.
This year marked Tiger Woods‘ first Ryder Cup appearance since 2012, and his first appearance at a European-based Ryder Cup since 2010. The weekend rounds in both years were stronger, with 2010 coverage delivering a 1.8 and 2.57 million on Saturday and a 2.1 and 2.92 million on Sunday.
[Numbers from NBC Sports]
