Just once in the past two decades has golf’s final major earned a lower Sunday overnight.
Final round coverage of the PGA Championship earned a 3.6 overnight on CBS Sunday afternoon, down 8% from last year (3.9), down 29% from 2015 (5.1), and the event’s second-lowest final round overnight since at least 1995. It tops only 2008, when coverage aired opposite the Olympics.
Since hitting a 6.0 three years ago, final round overnights have declined in each successive year.
Justin Thomas‘ win, which peaked at a 5.0 from 6:30-7:15 PM ET (-23%), earned the same overnight as the final rounds of the U.S. Open on FOX and British Open on NBC. All four major Sundays this season posted a decline, ranging from a 5% drop for the U.S. Open to an 11% dip for The Masters on CBS.
Third round action on Saturday had a 2.4 overnight, down 25% from 2015 (3.2). Last year’s Saturday action was affected by rain and had a 1.3. Excluding rainout coverage, the 2.4 is the lowest for third round coverage since at least 1995.
[Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily 8.14]
