U.S. Open ratings fell to historic lows for a fourth straight year.
Final round coverage of the U.S. Open earned a 3.1 final rating and 5.1 million viewers on FOX Sunday, down 9% in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (3.4, 5.4M) and down 25% and 24% respectively from 2015, when the tournament took place on the West Coast and coverage went further into primetime (4.2, 6.7M).
Brooks Koepka‘s win, which peaked with 8.3 million viewers from 8:45-9 PM ET, delivered the second-smallest final round audience in at least 30 years. 2014 was the least-watched over that span, with 4.6 million on NBC.
It was also the second-lowest rated final round of the tournament since at least 1981, again ahead of only 2014 (3.0). The past four final rounds rank as the lowest rated on record, with last year ranking third and 2015 fourth.
Just four years ago, final round coverage pulled a 5.4 rating and 8.4 million viewers. That was the last year Tiger Woods made the cut. The last time Woods won the tournament, nine years ago, final round coverage pulled a 7.5 and 12.1 million and a Monday afternoon playoff earned a 6.7 and 9.2 million.
Third round coverage on Saturday pulled a 2.2 and 3.32 million, even in ratings and down 1% in viewership from last year (2.2, 3.33M) and down 21% and 22% respectively from 2015 (2.8. 4.2M). It tied last year as the lowest rated third round on record and ranks as the second-least watched, topping only 2014 (3.2M).
Second round coverage on Friday averaged 1.44 million across FOX and Fox Sports 1, up 7% from last year’s expanded first and second round coverage (1.35M) and down 27% from 2015 (2.0M).
The complete U.S. Open averaged 2.7 million viewers across FOX and FS1, up 10% from last year (2.4M) but down 23% from 2015 (3.5M). It was the third-least watched U.S. Open since at least 1994, ahead of only last year and 2014 (2.4M).
| LOWEST RATED, LEAST-WATCHED FINAL ROUNDS OF U.S. OPEN |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest Rated | Least-Watched | ||||||
| # | Year | Net | Rtg. | # | Year | Net | Vwrs. |
| 1 | 2014 | NBC | 3.0 | 1 | 2014 | NBC | 4.63M |
| 2 | 2017 | FOX | 3.1 | 2 | 2017 | FOX | 5.08M |
| 3 | 2016 | FOX | 3.4 | 3 | 2016 | FOX | 5.39M |
| 4 | 2015 | FOX | 4.2 | 4 | 1988 | ABC | 5.86M |
| 5 | 2011 1988 |
NBC ABC |
4.5 | 5 | 1991 | ABC | 5.91M |
[Numbers from Fox Sports, ShowBuzz Daily 6.20]
