Once a ratings drag, out-of-home has made Easter Sunday a high-viewing holiday — and boosted the Masters to a five-year high.
Sunday’s final round of the Masters averaged a 5.5 rating and 12.06 million viewers on CBS, down 6% in ratings but up 19% in viewership from last year, when the event did not coincide with the Easter holiday (5.8, 10.17M). Despite the viewership decline, this year’s audience is the highest for any golf tournament since the 2018 Masters (13.03M). (Tiger Woods’ 2019 win, which averaged 10.81 million viewers in the pre-out-of-home era, aired in a special early morning timeslot due to inclement weather.)
Out-of-home viewing accounts for nearly all of this year’s increase in viewership. The out-of-home audience was 2.78 million viewers, up 172% from last year (1.02M). Excluding out-of-home viewing, this year’s audience of 9.28 million increased 1% from last year (9.15M).
The out-of-home impact is also obvious from the difference between the household rating (which by definition does not include out-of-home viewing) and the viewership. While viewership hit a five-year high, the 5.5 rating is tied as the second-lowest ever for the event.
Easter was for years considered a ratings drag, particularly for the Masters, which often saw viewership dip in years the final round took place on the holiday. In the out-of-home era, that has changed significantly. Last year, NBA playoff games on Easter Sunday scored disproportionate viewership gains — including the largest opening weekend playoff audience in 20 years. Next year, Easter is set to coincide with the Elite Eight of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
The first and final rounds were the only Masters telecasts to air as scheduled this year due to inclement weather. Saturday’s scheduled third round window consisted primarily of rainout coverage and averaged a 2.2 and 3.80 million on CBS. The bulk of live third round play aired on Sunday morning, averaging a 2.5 and 4.19 million. As one would expect, neither telecast could match last year’s third round, which drew a 4.3 and 7.43 million.
ESPN averaged a 1.45 and 2.39 million for second round coverage Friday that was halted due to severe weather, including a tree falling near spectators on the 17th hole. The bulk of second round coverage aired Saturday morning, with ESPN drawing a 1.2 and 1.91 million. Again, it should be no surprise that neither window could match last year’s second round (2.4, 3.88M).
As previously noted, ratings and viewership dipped for last Thursday’s opening round, which was still the second-most watched in the past five years.
(Nielsen estimates from CBS Sports)
