The PGA Tour did not fare well on NBC over the weekend. In other news, local viewership for the L.A. Lakers has dropped nearly 50% from last year, and the NCAA Wrestling Championships declined by double-digits on ESPN.
Overnights Low For Bay Hill Invitational
- Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational earned a 1.8 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon, up a tick from rainout coverage last year (1.7), but down 63% from 2012 (4.8). Tiger Woods won the event in each of the previous two years. Third round action on Saturday earned a 1.2 overnight, down 50% from last year (2.4) and down 59% from 2012 (2.9). (Wknd. numbers from Sports Business Daily)
Lakers’ Viewership Down Nearly 50%
- Through mid-March, Los Angeles Lakers NBA games averaged 199,000 viewers on local RSN Time Warner Cable SportsNet, down a whopping 49% from last year (390K). Viewership has also declined double-digits for the Clippers, who have averaged 96,000 viewers on Fox Sports Prime Ticket — down 21% from last year (121K). (Variety)
Fewer Viewers For NCAA Wrestling Championship
- Saturday’s NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships earned 630,000 viewers on ESPN, down 22% from last year (860K), but up 14% from 2012 (537K). Keep in mind last year marked the second-largest audience ever for the event on ESPN. (Sat. numbers from The Futon Critic)
