“The Tiger effect” was not particularly strong, but ratings and viewership still hit highs for the Memorial.
Last Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour Memorial tournament had a 2.1 rating and 2.96 million viewers on CBS, up 31% in ratings and 26% in viewership from last year, when most coverage aired on tape delay due to rain (1.6, 2.35M), and up 11% and 6% respectively from 2017, when Tiger Woods did not play (1.9, 2.80M).
Patrick Cantlay‘s win delivered the largest audience for the event in three years (2016: 3.16M) and tied the highest rating in four (2015: 2.3). Woods finished in a tie for ninth, but ten shots off the lead.
Excluding majors, ratings and viewership were the highest for any golf tournament since Saturday coverage of the WGC Match play in March, which featured Woods in contention (2.2, 3.18M).
The telecast ranked second for the weekend among sporting events behind only Game 2 of the NBA Finals. As one would expect, it ranked further down the list in adults 18-49 (fifth).
Third round action the previous day had a 1.5 and 2.06 million, down 17% in ratings and 22% in viewership from last year (1.8, 2.63M). Compared to 2017, ratings increased a tick, but viewership fell 2% (from 2.10M).
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel scored a 0.6 (-26%) and 892,000 (-29%) on Saturday and a 0.7 (-19%) and 1.05 million (-17%) on Sunday. Second round coverage last Friday had a 0.6 and 808,000 (+15%).
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 6.5]
