Bolstered by a move from cable to broadcast, the Women’s PGA Championship scored substantial gains last weekend. In other news, FOX scored a likely World Cup high for last weekend’s England/Mexico match, and Fox Sports 1 scored one of its top MLB audiences of the season.
Huge Gains For Women’s PGA Championship
- Final round coverage of the Women’s PGA Championship, the second major of the LPGA Tour season, drew a 0.5 final rating and 695,000 viewers on NBC last Sunday — up 67% in ratings and 72% in viewership from last year (0.3, 405K) and up 67% and 89%, respectively, from 2013 (0.3, 367K). Prior to this year, the tournament aired on Golf Channel. Third round action on Saturday drew a 0.5 and 663,000 viewers, up 150% in ratings and 148% in viewership from last year (0.2, 267K) and up 150% and 134%, respectively, from 2013 (0.2, 284K). (via Sports Business Daily)
FOX Hits Likely World Cup High For England/Mexico
- The FOX broadcast network drew a 0.9 final rating and 1.4 million viewers for the England/Mexico FIFA Women’s World Cup match last Saturday, almost certainly the largest audience for a non-U.S. match thus far. Viewership for the five weekday afternoon windows on FOX was not immediately available, though it is doubtful any scored a larger audience. France/Colombia drew a 0.8 and 1.3 million earlier in the day. Each of the four weekend Women’s World Cup matches on FOX has failed to hit the 1.0 mark. (via Sports Business Daily)
FS1 Earns Fourth-Best MLB Audience of Season
- Thursday’s Brewers/Royals Major League Baseball game drew 645,000 viewers on Fox Sports 1, the network’s fourth-largest MLB audience of the season. Only Indians/Tigers (817K) and Mets/Yankees (647K) on April 25 and Royals/Tigers on May 9 (715K) earned a larger audience. The telecast had a direct lead-in from the U.S. Open (1.5M). (via ShowBuzz Daily)
