Ratings and viewership hit highs for the PGA Tour Canadian Open. Also: NASCAR scored a solid Monday audience; the F1 Canadian GP rebounded; the French Open finals were mixed.
PGA Tour Canadian Open hits ratings, viewership high
Last Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour Canadian Open earned a 1.7 rating and 2.63 million viewers on CBS, up 21% in ratings and 27% in viewership from last year, when play was delayed due to rain (1.4, 2.07M), and up 13% and 18% respectively from 2017 (1.5, 2.24M).
Rory McIlroy‘s win delivered the tournament’s largest audience since it moved to the summer in 2007. It also tied its highest rating since 2011 (1.8). This year’s tournament took place earlier in the summer than usual, moving from the week after the British Open to the week before the US Open.
Third round action the previous day had a 1.2 (-8%) and 1.68 million (-10%). Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel drew a 0.36 (+16%) and 503,000 (+11%) on Saturday and a 0.47 (+21%) and 694,000 (+26%) on Sunday.
Monday evening NASCAR solid for FS1
Monday’s rescheduled NASCAR Cup Series race from Michigan drew a 1.0 rating and 1.58 million viewers on FS1, marking the third-largest audience for a Monday race under the current TV deal (eight races). Bristol scored 2.24 million in 2017 and 1.96 million in 2018, both on the FOX broadcast network.
The race had a 5 PM ET start time, later than most rescheduled Monday races. Last year, when the race was run as scheduled, it had a 2.2 and 3.71 million on FOX.
F1 Canadian GP bounces back from last year’s low
In other action, Sunday’s Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix had a 0.8 rating and 1.13 million viewers on ABC, up a third in ratings and 17% in viewership from last year (0.6, 969K) and flat and down 6% respectively from 2017 on NBC (0.8, 1.20M). ABC coverage was preempted in both New York and Los Angeles, where the race aired on alternative stations.
French Open men’s final hits high; women’s final low
French Open coverage featuring the men’s final had a 1.2 rating and 1.79 million viewers on NBC last Sunday morning, up a tick in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (1.1, 1.62M) and up a tick and 13% respectively from 2017 (1.1, 1.58M). It was the largest audience for any French Open final since the 2016 men’s final (2.00M).
Coverage featuring the women’s final drew a 0.7 (-30%) and 1.03 million (-29%) the previous morning. It tied the lowest rating for a French Open final since at least 1996 and delivered the smallest audience since at least 2001.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 6.11, Programming Insider 6.12]
