More Ratings: Tiger's Return, NBA on TNT, ACC-Big Ten

Tiger Woods still moves the needle like few others. In other news, the Golden State Warriors also move the needle like few others, and Indiana’s upset of North Carolina topped the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

Opening round coverage of golf’s Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods‘ return to competitive golf after a year-long layoff, earned 782,000 viewers on Golf Channel Thursday afternoon — up 190% from last year and up 74% from 2014, the last time Woods played in the event. It was the most-watched opening round of the tournament since it began airing on Golf Channel in 2007 and the top opening round of any tournament, excluding the Ryder Cup, since the British Open.

Rockets/Warriors had 1.6 million viewers on the NBA on TNT Thursday, up 88% from Spurs/Grizzlies last year (841K) and up 22% from Pelicans/Warriors in 2014 (1.3M). Ratings were not immediately available. It was the least-watched Warriors game on ESPN or TNT this season, but the sixth of seven to increase by double-digits. Earlier, Clippers/Cavaliers had 1.0 million — up 1% from Thunder/Heat last year (1.0M) but down 42% from Cavaliers/Knicks in 2014 (1.8M). The Clippers’ rout, which aired opposite a record-setting edition of Thursday Night Football (21.8M), was the least-watched NBA game to involve LeBron James since Sixers/Heat opposite the NCAA Final Four in 2013 (638K).

North Carolina/Indiana had 1.9 million viewers in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge Wednesday night, up 14% from Indiana/Duke last year (1.7M) but down 24% from Duke/Wisconsin in 2014 (2.6M). The Hoosiers’ win was the most-watched game of the annual ACC-Big Ten series. Purdue/Louisville had 1.1 million earlier in the night (-18%). On Tuesday, Michigan State/Duke scored 1.6 million — down 18% from Maryland/UNC last year (2.0M) but up 24% from Ohio State/Louisville in ’14 (1.3M). Syracuse/Wisconsin started things off with 1.3 million (+22%).

(Numbers from Golf Channel, ShowBuzz Daily 11/30, 12/1, 12/2)