Though the numbers were not as bad as two years ago, the final round of The Masters was among the lowest rated ever.
Final round coverage of The Masters drew a 7.7 final rating and 12.4 million viewers on CBS Sunday afternoon, down 12% in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year (8.7, 14.0M) but up 12% in both measures from 2014, which was the lowest rated final round since 1993 (6.9, 11.1M).
The 7.7 rating ranks as the third-lowest for final round coverage of The Masters since ’93, ahead of 2014 and 2004 (7.3), and is tied as the ninth-lowest since Nielsen began providing ratings for the event in 1957. The Masters has now earned one of its ten lowest final round ratings in two of the past three years. It should be noted that those two years had in common the absence of Tiger Woods.
This year’s final round was particularly dramatic, as Jordan Spieth melted down on the back nine and Danny Willett came away with the surprise win. It is not the first time Masters drama has failed to translate to big ratings; even Jack Nicklaus‘ iconic 1986 win ranks among the bottom ten (7.5).
Ratings and viewership peaked at a 9.3 and 15.6 million from 6:30-7 PM ET, per Sports Business Daily, as Spieth attempted to mount a comeback.
Compared to other sports, Sunday’s telecast had a lower rating and fewer viewers than every NBA Finals game since 2007, all five games of last year’s World Series, and last year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes horse races. It did top February’s Daytona 500 NASCAR race (6.6, 11.4M) and fell in between this year’s NCAA Final Four semifinals on TBS, TNT and TruTV (10.9M and 12.9M).
Final ratings and viewership for Saturday’s third round were not immediately available.
(Sun. numbers via Sports Business Daily)
