Ending a streak of eight straight declines, the PGA Tour season finale pulled even in the metered markets.
Final round coverage of The Tour Championship, the final event in the PGA Tour FedEx Cup, scored a 1.9 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon — even with last year, up 12% from 2014 (1.7), and tied as the highest for final round of the tournament since 2012 (2.2).
Dating back to the start of the FedEx Cup in 2007, the 1.9 overnight is tied as the fourth-highest for final round coverage of the event (10 telecasts).
Sunday’s telecast, which saw Rory McIlroy win both the tournament and the FedEx Cup in a playoff, ended a streak of 15 straight declines for the PGA Tour on broadcast — a stretch that dated back to the British Open. Other than the British Open, it was the first PGA telecast on NBC or CBS to avoid a decline since the St. Jude Classic in June.
Third round action on Saturday pulled a 1.2 overnight, down a tick from last year (1.3) and down a third from 2014 (1.8).
(Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily 9/26)
