CBS got its wish — a Tiger Woods victory at the Masters — but it came with a catch.
Sunday’s final round of the Masters, which moved up several hours to avoid inclement weather, had a 6.9 rating and 10.81 million viewers on CBS — down 13% in ratings and 17% in viewership from last year (7.9, 13.03M), but up a tick and down 2% respectively from 2017 (6.8, 11.1M). The CBS telecast began at 9 AM ET, five hours earlier than usual.
Woods’ win, which peaked with 18.3 million viewers from 2:15-2:30 PM ET, was the most-watched morning golf telecast on record (dates back to 1988). The peak audience increased 9% from last year’s high water mark of 16.8 million (6:15-6:30 PM).
Even so, the time change clearly took a toll. In a typical circumstance, Woods winning his first Masters in 14 years — and his first major in 11 — would have surely set ratings highs. Instead, the telecast delivered the smallest final round Masters audience in at least 25 years, and tied the second-lowest rating in 39.
An encore presentation of the final round had a 3.0 and 4.54 million viewers later Sunday afternoon. It topped every non-Masters sporting event on Sunday, including an NBA playoff game on ABC head-to-head (2.55, 3.90M). It also topped every non-Masters golf telecast this year.
Combined, the live and encore telecasts grossed a 9.9 rating and 15.35 million viewers. The combined figures are the highest for any Masters telecast since the final round in 2010 (10.7, 16.68M), and exceed Woods’ previous Masters victory in 2005 (9.8, 14.63M).
Third round action on Saturday pulled a 5.5 rating and 8.63 million viewers, up 4% in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (5.3, 8.14M), up 28% and 33% respectively from 2017 (4.3, 6.47M), and the highest rated and most-watched third round of the tournament since 2015 (5.8, 8.9M).
It was the only round of the tournament to increase over last year, though Sunday’s results come with an obvious caveat.
[Numbers from CBS, Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 4.16]
