The PGA Tour’s second tournament back was a weak draw for CBS and a strong one for Golf Channel. Also: the Premier League could not pick up where it left off on NBC; UFC and Top Rank numbers remain stagnant; and more.
Heritage weak on CBS, strong on Golf Channel
Last Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour Heritage tournament averaged a 1.3 rating and 2.04 million viewers on CBS, marking the tournament’s least-watched final round on broadcast TV since 2014 (1.96M). Ratings declined 19% and viewership 21% from last year, when the tournament was contested in April (1.6, 2.60M).
Due to rain, play continued after CBS left the air. Golf Channel averaged a 0.8 and 1.26 million viewers for the conclusion Sunday night, the network’s largest audience since the final day of last year’s Presidents Cup (1.71M).
Golf Channel also averaged a 0.6 (+13%) and 935,000 (+16%) leading into CBS coverage, its largest lead-in audience at the Heritage on record. That comes a week after the network delivered its largest first, second, third and final round audiences ever at Colonial, including a tournament-record 1.05 million for a final round lead-in.
Third round action on Saturday averaged a 1.3 (-7%) and 1.82 million (-10%) on CBS and a 0.51 (+11%) and 739,000 (+7%) on Golf Channel.
Premier League’s return no match for previous NBC window
The Premier League returned to NBC last weekend with a 0.6 rating and 997,000 viewers for Liverpool-Everton and a 0.46 and 716,000 for Wolverhampton-West Ham, both trailing the network’s previous match on March 8 (Manchester Derby: 0.9, 1.34M). Keep in mind the March 8 match was the most-watched EPL window on a single U.S. network since 2015.
Over on NBCSN, Chelsea-Aston Villa averaged a 0.37 and 612,000 last Sunday and Manchester United-Tottenham a 0.35 and 533,000 last Friday, the top two EPL audiences on cable since the season restarted last week (11 windows).
UFC, Top Rank numbers barely budge
The 11th UFC on ESPN main event averaged a 0.57 rating and 912,000 viewers last Saturday night, up a hair in ratings and viewership from the previous week (0.56, 908K). It was ESPN’s first main event to increase over the preceding telecast since May 23.
Later Saturday night, Top Rank Boxing averaged a 0.22 and 327,000. Through Tuesday, Top Rank has averaged 335,000 viewers since its return from hiatus, with none of its six cards cracking the 400,000 mark.
Plus: Talladega, Supercross, Royal Ascot, PBR
Last Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Talladega averaged a 0.65 rating and 998,000 viewers on FS1, up 3% in ratings and 1% in viewership from last year, when the race was run as scheduled in April (0.63, 988K). The preceding ARCA race there had a 0.24 and 360,000. … The finale of the AMA Supercross season averaged a 0.41 and 666,000 on NBC last Sunday, up 14% and 19% respectively from the network’s previous window on May 31. … Horse racing’s Royal Ascot averaged a 0.53 and 712,000 on NBC last Saturday morning, down 34% and 35% respectively from last year, when it was run on the same June weekend (0.8, 1.10M). … Coverage of the Professional Bull Riders Tour averaged a 0.41 and 576,000 on CBS last Sunday, the tour’s smallest audience since returning to the network last month.
