On the least-watched PGA Championship Sunday in 15 years, it was a 15th-place finish that stole the show.
Final round coverage of the PGA Championship averaged a 2.6 rating and 4.52 million viewers on CBS Sunday, down 16% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (3.1, 5.27M) and the least-watched final round of the tournament since 2008 — when coverage aired opposite the Olympics (4.02M).
The 2.6 rating is also the lowest for final round coverage in at least 42 years (dating back to 1982).
Brooks Koepka’s win peaked with 6.67 million viewers from 6-6:15 PM ET, the quarter-hour in which club pro Michael Block clinched a top 15 finish and a a berth in next year’s PGA with a putt on 18. That is well below last year’s peak of 9.34 million from 7:15-7:30 PM, during a 45-minute playoff.
Third round action on Saturday drew a 2.0 and 3.22 million, down 11% from last year (2.2, 3.62M) and the lowest since 2016 (1.3) and 2017 (3.21M), respectively.
After a strong start to the season, nine of the past 10 PGA Tour windows on broadcast television have declined from last year. The lone exception was the final round at Mexico, which was up 1% year-over-year. Going back further, viewership has declined for 12 of the past 15 windows (excluding a third round rainout at the Masters).
For the weekend, Sunday’s final round trailed NBA conference final games on ESPN and the Preakness Stakes on NBC, but dominated a competing Stanley Cup conference final game on ABC (1.62M).
Lead-in coverage on ESPN drew a 0.8 (-20%) and 1.18 million viewers (-19%) on Saturday and a 0.7 (flat) and 1.11 million (+3%) on Sunday.
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 5.23, PR)
