The Memorial opened with its largest first round audience in more than two decades. Plus: a strong outing for the Copa por México tournament and more.
Memorial posts largest first round audience in 23 years
Thursday’s opening round of The Memorial, which marked Tiger Woods’ return to competition for the first time since February, averaged 1.08 million viewers on Golf Channel — the tournament’s largest first round audience since 1997 on ESPN (1.18M).
It was also the most-watched weekday PGA Tour telecast on Golf Channel in nearly two years, since round one of the 2018 Tour Championship (1.25M).
Viewership increased 152% from last year (427K) and 74% from 2018 (621K), peaking at 1.25 million from 5:15-5:30 PM ET. Compared to the previous week’s opening round at the same Muirfield Village course, viewership jumped 100% (from 540K).
A lead-in “Freeview” averaged 400,000 viewers, while a primetime encore averaged 337,000.
Strong numbers for Copa por México semifinal
Univision averaged 1.4 million viewers for Thursday’s Chivas-Club America Copa por México semifinal, marking the second-largest soccer audience on any network this year. Univision averaged 1.48 million for Club America-UNAM in March.
The full Copa por México tournament — a preseason tune-up for the Liga MX Apertura season — is averaging 381,000 on the Univision networks.
Top Rank still stuck in 300K range
ESPN’s Top Rank Boxing is now averaging 330,000 viewers since its return from hiatus last month, including 326,000 for Thursday’s card. Outside of a June 27 telecast that had a direct lead-in from the UFC (418K), none of the Top Rank events have cracked the 400,000 mark.
Plus: Braves, Bull Riding, NBA on TNT
An Atlanta Braves intrasquad scrimmage averaged a 1.01 rating on Fox Sports Southeast Monday night, peaking at a 1.28… CBS averaged a 0.44 and 629,000 for the Pro Bull Riders Tour last weekend, down 6% and 12% respectively from the previous window two weeks earlier (0.47, 716K). … TNT’s NBA studio shows have averaged 189,000 viewers in the two weeks since returning to the schedule, led by 217,000 for the July 7 edition.
[Nielsen estimates from Golf Channel, Univision, ShowBuzz Daily 7.14, 7.17, Atlanta Business Chronicle 7.16]
