Ratings: Torrey Pines, College hoops, NBA

Last Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines averaged a 2.1 rating and 3.25 million viewers on CBS, up 5% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (2.0, 3.04M) but down 19% and 20% respectively from 2018 (2.6, 4.06M). The CBS telecast began within an hour of the first news reports regarding the death of Kobe Bryant.

On Saturday, third round coverage averaged a 1.8 (+29%) and 2.64 million (+23%). Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel averaged a 0.6 (+28%) and 833,000 (+29%) on Saturday and a 0.8 (+32%) and 1.16 million (+32%) on Sunday.

Last Saturday’s Kentucky-Texas Tech men’s college basketball game averaged a 1.3 rating and 2.14 million viewers on ESPN, down 24% in ratings and 23% in viewership from Kansas-Kentucky last year (1.7, 2.78M). Compared to Kentucky-West Virginia two years ago, ratings increased 3% (from 1.25) but viewership slipped 4% (from 2.23M).

In other action from the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, ESPN scored a 0.9 (-10%) and 1.40 million (-9%) for Tennessee-Kansas on Saturday and a 0.8 (+14%) and 1.40 million (+23%) for Baylor-Florida.

In other weekend action, CBS drew a 1.2 (+9%) and 1.71 million (+2%) for Maryland-Indiana on Sunday and a 0.65 (flat) and 922,000 (+2%) for Villanova-Providence on Saturday; FOX drew a 0.7 (+59%) and 1.08 million (+70%) for Michigan State-Minnesota and a 0.39 and 545,000 for UCLA-Oregon on Sunday.

Shifting to the workweek, ESPN averaged a 0.48 (-13%) and 730,000 (-20%) for Pittsburgh-Duke and a 0.42 (-29%) and 621,000 (-32%) for Florida State-Virginia on Tuesday, and a 0.7 (-13%) and 1.01 million (-19%) for North Carolina-NC State on Monday.

TNT averaged a 0.6 rating and 945,000 viewers for its pre- and postgame NBA studio coverage Tuesday night, which saw the usual cast of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal joined by a number of guests from the floor of Staples Center to honor the late Kobe Bryant. As one would expect, it was the most-watched studio show of the season.

The night’s Celtics-Heat game averaged a 0.8 and 1.25 million. Ratings increased a tick and viewership 12% from the same Tuesday last year, which was one week later in the season (Pelicans-Rockets: 0.7, 1.11M). TNT did not carry a Tuesday game during the comparable week of last season.

In other action, ESPN averaged a 0.8 (flat) and 1.15 million (-6%) for Rockets-Blazers and a 0.6 (-33%) and 876,000 (-40%) for Pistons-Nets on Wednesday; TNT drew a 0.6 (-45%) and 904,000 (-47%) for Warriors-Celtics and a 0.55 (-47%) and 802,000 (-50%) for Jazz-Nuggets on Thursday.