The much anticipated return of Tiger Woods set a viewership record for golf on cable television.
First round coverage of The 2010 Masters drew a 3.4 U.S. rating and 4.9 million viewers on ESPN Thursday afternoon, according to Nielsen fast-nationals. Thursday’s telecast was up 42% in ratings and 47% in viewership from last year (2.4, 3.4 mil), and up 89% and 102%, respectively, from 2008 (1.8, 2.4 mil).
This marks the most-viewed golf telecast in cable history, topping the previous record of 4.8 million set by the 2008 Woods/Rocco Mediate U.S. Open playoff, which also aired on ESPN.
ESPN now owns the three most-viewed golf telecasts ever on cable, and four of the top five.
For perspective, Thursday’s telecast outdrew all four weekday afternoon windows of the recently-completed NCAA Tournament on CBS.
Coverage of Woods’ first tee shot, which aired live on SportsCenter prior to the start of ESPN’s Masters coverage, drew a 1.1 overnight rating from 1:30-1:45 PM, up 267% from the comparable time period last year (0.3).
(ESPN)
