PGA Sony Open ratings hit a multi-year high. In other news, Thursday’s NBA action was mixed on TNT, and the Premier League neared a cable season-high.
PGA Ratings: Sony Open Hits High
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Sony Open earned a 0.33 rating and 524,000 viewers on Golf Channel last Sunday, up 94% in ratings and 86% in viewership from last year (0.17, 282K) and up 14% and 13% respectively from 2016 (0.29, 463K). According to Sports Business Daily, it was the largest audience for the event in a decade. [ShowBuzz Daily 1.17, Sports Business Daily 1.19]
Mixed Results For NBA on TNT
Sixers-Celtics scored just 1.2 million viewers on the NBA on TNT Thursday night, down 16% from last year (Wizards-Knicks: 1.4M) and down 41% from 2016 (Clippers-Cavs: 2.0M). Spectrum (Time Warner) subscribers throughout the country were unable to watch the game, though it was not clear how much of an impact that had on the numbers.
Later in the night, T’Wolves-Rockets had 1.5 million — up 24% from last year (T’Wolves-Clippers: 1.2M) and up 8% from 2016 (Spurs-Suns: 1.4M). Through Thursday, NBA viewership on ESPN/ABC and TNT is up 15% to 2.1 million. [ShowBuzz 1.19]
EPL Nears Cable Season-High
NBC drew a 0.6 rating and 889,000 viewers for last Saturday’s Tottenham-Everton English Premier League match, down 19% in ratings and 23% in viewership from West Ham-Manchester City two years ago (0.7, 1.2M). The comparable week of last season consisted of weekday matches.
Over on NBCSN, Liverpool-Manchester City drew a 0.51 and 773,000 last Sunday — the second-highest rated and third-most watched game of the season on cable. Chelsea-Leicester City had 518,000 on Saturday and Manchester United-Stoke City scored 329,000 on Monday. [ShowBuzz 1.17]
