The PGA Tour started 2016 on a strong note.
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Tournament of Champions drew a 0.7 overnight rating on Golf Channel Sunday evening, more than double last year (0.3) and the event’s highest final round overnight since moving to Golf Channel in 2007. Overnights peaked at a 0.9 from 9:30-10 PM ET.
Third round action the previous day also had a 0.7 overnight across Golf Channel (0.5) and NBC (0.9) — tied as the highest on record for any of the first three rounds of the tournament. Coverage peaked at a 1.1 from 5:30-6 PM ET, the final half-hour of NBC’s two-hour window.
Jordan Spieth‘s win continued a positive trend for the PGA Tour, which posted gains for 39 of its final 52 third and final rounds last season.
The increases were not limited to the weekend. Friday’s second round coverage had 477,000 viewers on Golf Channel, up 27% from last year (376K) and up 18% from 2014 (405K), both of which aired on a Saturday. As previously noted, Thursday’s opening round scored a 34% viewership bump (from 282K to 378K).
In the metered markets, all four rounds were the highest rated since the tournament moved from ESPN to Golf Channel in 2007.
(Wknd. numbers from Golf Channel, with additional info from ShowBuzz Daily)
