It was a mixed weekend for the Bridgestone Invitational, with final round coverage nearing historic lows.
Final round coverage of the PGA/WGC-Bridgestone Invitational had a 1.8 rating and 2.7 million viewers on CBS Sunday, down a tick in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year, when it aired a month earlier to avoid the Olympics (1.9, 2.8M), and down 25% and 23% respectively from 2015 (2.4, 3.5M).
The 1.8 rating is the lowest for final round coverage since 2012 (1.3) and the second-lowest since at least 1998.
Though low historically, Hideki Matsuyama‘s win performed better than most other tournaments this summer. Excluding majors, it trailed only Jordan Spieth‘s dramatic win at the Hartford Open as the highest rated and most-watched PGA window since The Memorial in early June.
Third round action on Saturday pulled a 1.4 and 2.1 million, actually up a tick in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (1.3, 1.9M) but down 18% and 10% respectively from 2015 (1.7, 2.3M).
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel had a 0.38 (-12%) and 539,000 (-10%) on Saturday and a 0.40 (-18%) and 553,000 (-19%) on Sunday.
[Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 8.8]
