Tiger Woods‘ presence lifted WGC Match Play ratings to a seven-year high on Saturday — and his absence sank the tournament to a nine-year low on Sunday.
Saturday coverage of the PGA Tour/WGC Match Play Championships earned a 2.2 rating and 3.18 million viewers on NBC, up 47% in ratings and 39% in viewership from last year (1.5, 2.29M) and up 69% and 72% respectively from 2017 (1.3, 1.85M).
The telecast, which featured Woods’ quarterfinal loss to Lucas Bjerregaard, delivered the tournament’s highest rating since 2012 (2.3) and its largest audience since 2016 (3.22M).
It also ranks as the highest rated and most-watched Saturday PGA Tour telecast this season. The previous highs were a 2.1 and 3.14 million for the third round of The Players Championship.
Early morning coverage, which featured Woods’ round of sixteen win over Rory McIlroy, had a 0.9 and 1.25 million Golf Channel — up 88% in ratings and 79% in viewership from last year (0.48, 696K), and the largest cable audience for the event since 2014. That year, Golf Channel earned 1.68 million for bonus coverage of the tournament’s conclusion.
Sans-Woods, Sunday’s coverage did not fare nearly as well. NBC earned a 1.3 and 2.02 million for the semifinals and finals, down 19% in both measures from last year (1.6, 2.49M) and down 13% and 11% respectively from 2017 (15. 2.27M).
Ratings and viewership were the lowest for Sunday coverage since 2010 (1.2, 1.66M).
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel had a 0.7 (flat) and 995,000 (-3%).
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 4.2]
