Featuring several big names, but ultimately dominated by a relative newcomer, the final round of The Masters did about as well as CBS could have hoped.
Final round coverage of The Masters drew a 9.6 overnight rating on CBS Sunday afternoon, up 23% from last year (7.8), but down 6% from 2013 (10.2). The 9.6 is the fourth-highest overnight for final round coverage of the tournament in a decade, trailing only 2010 (12.0), 2011 (10.4) and 2013 (10.2).
Jordan Spieth won the tournament wire-to-wire, with the result never truly in doubt. Even so, numerous big names entered Sunday in the top ten — Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, and Tiger Woods.
Woods, it should be noted, finished in a tie for 17th. The 9.6 overnight is the highest for final round coverage in a year when he finished out of the top five since 1999 (10.7).
Overall, this year’s Masters surged over last year in the metered markets. Sunday’s 23% increase in overnights came on the heels of a 48% increase for Saturday’s third round and a 60% jump for Thursday’s opening round. Year-over-year comparisons for Friday’s second round were not immediately available.
Ft. Myers, FL, was the top market for Sunday’s telecast with a 15.1 rating. Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem ranked second with a 14.6, followed by Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville (14.4), Tampa-St. Petersburg (13.3) and West Palm Beach (12.9).
(Sun. numbers from CBS Sports via TV By the Numbers)
