British Open viewership outpaced the two previous editions, ranking as the highest for the tournament since Tiger Woods was in the mix four years ago.
The complete British Open averaged 2.52 million viewers across NBC’s TV and digital platforms, including additional streaming viewership not tracked by Nielsen — up 16% from last year (2.17M) and up 27% from 2019 (1.98M). This year’s Open ranks as the most-watched since Woods’ top-ten finish in 2018 and the second-most watched in the past nine years.
Viewership outpaced the previous British Open at St. Andrews in 2015, which aired on ESPN (2.33M). Keep in mind that the 2015 average does not include additional streaming viewership — much less the out-of-home viewing that has been included in Nielsen’s final nationals over the past two years.
Sunday’s final round averaged a 2.8 rating and 4.55 million viewers on NBC (4.73M including additional streaming viewership on Peacock and other digital platforms), the tournament’s largest final round audience since 2018 (6.48M). The 2.5 rating is the same as last year and 2019. The across-all-platforms audience increased 12% from year-over-year (4.21M).
Cameron Smith’s win, which peaked with 7.1 million viewers, posted the fifth-largest golf audience of the year behind the third and final rounds of the Masters (7.43 and 10.17 million) and the final rounds of the U.S. Open and PGA Championship (both 5.27 million).
Figures do not include two hours of early morning coverage that averaged a 1.1 and 1.60 million.
NBC’s main window finished as television’s top Sunday show in all of the key adult demographics, no small feat for older-skewing golf. It narrowly defeated the CBS reality show “Big Brother” in 18-49 (0.67 to 0.62) and 25-54 (1.0 and 0.9) and won by a more comfortable margin in 18-34 (0.49 to 0.35).
Saturday’s third round averaged a 2.1 and 3.31 million (3.43 million including additional streaming data), the tournament’s largest third round audience since 2018 (3.72M). The 2.1 rating increased 11% from last year (1.9) and tied 2019. Again, that excludes two hours of early morning coverage at a 1.0 and 1.39 million.
Ft. Myers-Naples, Florida, was easily the top market for Sunday’s final round at a 7.2 rating and 23 share. West Palm Beach was a distant second (4.8/16), followed by Dayton (4.6/14) and Detroit (4.6/19).
(Nielsen estimates from NBC Sports, ShowBuzz Daily 7.19 a, b)
