The Solheim Cup hit a viewership high in its return to broadcast television.
Coverage of the Solheim Cup women’s golf tournament had a 0.7 rating and 968,000 viewers on NBC Saturday, the tournament’s largest audience in at least a decade. This year marked the first time that the Solheim Cup aired on broadcast TV since 2002 on NBC, having aired on Golf Channel in the interim.
For the season, the telecast ranks second only to the final round of the Women’s British Open on NBC (1.1M), topping the final rounds of the Women’s PGA Championship (840K) and the U.S. Women’s Open on FOX (790K).
Including coverage on Golf Channel, Saturday’s play averaged 641,000 viewers over 11 hours — up 211% from 2013, when the tournament took place in Europe (206K) and up 11% from 2013, when it took place in the U.S. (579K).
On Sunday, NBC coverage consisted only of highlights after tee times were moved up to avoid inclement weather. Even so, it earned a 0.6 and 946,000 — the event’s third-largest audience in at least a decade.
Live coverage on Golf Channel had 795,000 viewers, up 250% from 2015 (227K), up 23% from 2013 (646K), and the largest women’s golf audience on cable since the 2009 Solheim Cup (956K).
With the exception of the U.S. Women’s Open, it has been a strong year for women’s golf. In addition to the decade-plus high for the Solheim Cup, the Women’s British Open posted its largest final round audience 2006, the Women’s PGA Championship had its top final round since 2005, and the ANA Inspiration (the Dinah Shore) delivered its best final round since 2014.
CORRECTION 8.23: Previous version of post mixed up the viewership for NBC’s coverage, listing Saturday’s window as having 946,000 viewers and Sunday’s as having 968K.
[Wknd. number via ShowBuzz Daily 8.22, NBC Sports]
