The Masters numbers game.

Ratings for the final round of The Masters since 1982.

Final round coverage of the 2009 Masters drew an 8.3/20 final rating and 14.3 million viewers on CBS Sunday, down 3% in ratings but up 8% in total viewers from an 8.6/18 and 13.2 million for final round coverage last year.

The 8.3 rating is the lowest for the final round of The Masters since ’04, and is tied as the second-lowest rating of the past 15 years.

To put the 8.3 in perspective, not a single game of last year’s NBA Finals drew a rating that low, and only two games of last year’s World Series fell below the number. The 8.3 is also below the 9.0 average for the Final Four, the 8.9 for the Kentucky Derby, the 9.0 for The Belmont Stakes, the 9.2 for the Daytona 500, and the 10.2 average for the Bowl Championship Series.

Since drawing a 14.1 for Tiger Woods‘ first win at the event in ’97, ratings for The Masters have dropped 41%.

Ratings for the final round of The Masters since ’82.
Source: Sports Business Daily
Asterisk (*) indicates final round was played on Monday

Year	Date	Winner	Net	Rating
2009	Sun., 4/12/09	Cabrera	CBS	8.3/20
2008	Sun., 4/13/08	Immelman	CBS	8.6/18
2007	Sun., 4/8/07	Johnson	CBS	9.1/22
2006	Sun., 4/9/06	Mickelson	CBS	8.4/19
2005	Sun., 4/10/05	Woods	CBS	9.8/22
2004	Sun., 4/11/04	Mickelson	CBS	7.3/19
2003	Sun., 4/13/03	Weir	CBS	8.3/19
2002	Sun., 4/14/02	Woods	CBS	9.2/22
2001	Sun., 4/8/01	Woods	CBS	13.3/30
2000	Sun., 4/9/00	Singh	CBS	10.0/22
1999	Sun., 4/11/99	Olaz?bal	CBS	10.1/22
1998	Sun., 4/12/98	O’Meara	CBS	10.2/28
1997	Sun., 4/13/97	Woods	CBS	14.1/31
1996	Sun., 4/14/96	Faldo	CBS	9.2/21
1995	Sun., 4/9/95	Crenshaw	CBS	9.8/23
1994	Sun., 4/10/94	Olaz?bal	CBS	8.1/19
1993	Sun., 4/11/93	Langer	CBS	6.8/19
1992	Sun., 4/12/92	Couples	CBS	8.7/21
1991	Sun., 4/14/91	Woosnam	CBS	9.0/22
1990	Sun., 4/8/90	Faldo	CBS	10.5/25
1989	Sun., 4/9/89	Faldo	CBS	9.9/22
1988	Sun., 4/10/88	Lyle	CBS	8.6/22
1987	Sun., 4/12/87	Mize	CBS	9.9/24
1986	Sun., 4/13/86	Nicklaus	CBS	7.5/20
1985	Sun., 4/14/85	Langer	CBS	7.8/19
1984	Sun., 4/15/84	Crenshaw	CBS	8.8/21
1983	Sun., 4/10/83*	Ballesteros	CBS	9.3/21
1982	Sun., 4/11/82	Stadler	CBS	8.6/25

TNT/NBA TV playoff plans.

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.