For the second straight year, the PGA’s Byron Nelson Championship hit a multi-year high in the metered markets.
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Byron Nelson Championship earned a 2.5 overnight rating on CBS Sunday afternoon, up 25% from last year (2.0) and up 56% from 2014 (1.6). According to Sports Business Daily, the 2.5 tied the tournament’s highest final round overnight since 2004 (4.4).
Of the past sixteen PGA Tour rounds on broadcast TV, it was just the fourth to post an increase in the metered markets — joining third round coverage the previous day and the final rounds of the Texas Open and WGC Match Play. At least temporarily, it snapped a weeks long slump in which overnights dropped for 11 of 14 windows on broadcast (not counting rainouts).
Third round coverage the previous day had a 1.7, up 13% from last year (1.5), up 42% from 2014 (1.2) and the tournament’s highest third round overnight at least eight years.
No other tournament this year has posted a multi-year high on both Saturday and Sunday, and only three have done so on either day — Pebble Beach, Bay Hill and the WGC Match Play, all on Sundays.
Fueling the strong numbers was the play of Jordan Spieth, who in his first tournament since collapsing at The Masters entered the final round two shots of the lead. His fade down the stretch, which saw him finish in a tie for 18th, was the primary story coming out of the tournament.
(Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily)
