The Ryder Cup was not much of a draw on NBC this year.
NBC earned a 1.6 final rating and 2.2 million viewers for Sunday coverage of the Ryder Cup, down 58% in ratings and 60% in viewership from 2012 (3.8, 6.0M) and down 24% in both measures from 2010, the last time the tournament took place from Europe (2.1, 2.9M).
Saturday coverage drew a 1.4 and 1.9 million, down 53% in ratings and 55% in viewership from 2012 and down 22% and 27%, respectively, from 2010 (1.8, 2.6M). This year marked the first time that NBC has aired live Saturday coverage of a European Ryder Cup.
This year’s tournament produced the two lowest rated Ryder Cup telecasts since at least 1997, and almost certainly the two lowest rated ever on NBC (dates back to 1991). Individual ratings prior to ’97 were not available, but NBC’s two-day coverage averaged a 2.5 rating in 1991, a 3.8 in 1993 and a 4.1 in 1995 — making it unlikely that any individual telecast dipped as low as this year’s 1.4 and 1.6.
Golf Channel averaged a 0.5 rating for 11 hours of day one coverage on Friday, down 67% from the 2012 tournament on ESPN (1.5). Keep in mind the 2012 Ryder Cup took place in the U.S. and thus had a much better timeslot; ESPN aired coverage from 8:00-7:30 PM ET, compared to 2:30 AM-1:30 PM on Golf Channel this year.
(Wknd. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
