An eight-year ratings high for the latest PGA Tour event; another slow weekend for MLB; a rough start for the US Open; and more.
Eight-year high for BMW Championship
Last Sunday’s final round of the BMW Championship, the second event of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup, averaged a 2.2 rating and 3.44 million viewers on NBC — marking the highest rated and most-watched final round of the tournament in eight years (2012: 2.5, 3.6M). Ratings increased a tick and viewership 9% from last year (2.1, 3.15M).
Jon Rahm’s win — on a 66-foot playoff putt — delivered the third-best rating and viewership of the PGA Tour season, behind the final round at Pebble Beach in February (2.3, 3.51M) and the final round of the season’s only major thus far, the PGA Championship (3.3, 5.15M).
Third round coverage last Saturday averaged a 1.8 (+6%) and 2.62 million (+9%), marking the tournament’s highest rated third round since 2009 (2.1).
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel averaged a 0.7 and 1.04 million on Saturday (both -7%) and a 0.6 (+19%) and 934,000 (+22%) on Sunday.
Quiet weekend for MLB
FOX averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.36 million viewers for regional Major League Baseball last Saturday afternoon (Braves-Phillies or Indians-Cardinals), marking its smallest MLB audience in two years. Not coincidentally, it was also the network’s first afternoon regional window in two years.
Elsewhere, Braves-Phillies earned a 0.8 and 1.20 million on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (including ESPN2 Statcast coverage) — down 30% in ratings and 33% in viewership from week five of last season (5/5/19: Cardinals-Cubs: 1.1, 1.81M), but up a tick and 2% respectively from last year’s comparable date (9/1/19 Mets-Phillies: 0.7, 1.19M).
Earlier Sunday, a Yankees-Mets doubleheader had a 0.25 and 381,000 on TBS and a 0.18 and 303,000 on ESPN2. Cardinals-Reds had 340,000 and Padres-Rockies 231,000 on ESPN Monday.
Facing NBA and NHL, US Open off to rough start
The first three days of the US Open averaged approximately 481,000 viewers on ESPN and ESPN2, down 45% from the first three days last year (874K). This year’s tournament is facing unprecedented competition from the NBA and NHL playoffs. In addition, there has been more coverage on ESPN2 than at the same point last year due to ESPN’s NBA commitments.
The most-watched window thus far was Tuesday’s night session on ESPN, which averaged 687,000. By comparison, the first three night sessions last year each averaged at least 988,000, including two that topped the million mark.
Plus: Tour de France, Racing, PBC, WNBA
Through Wednesday, the Tour de France averaged 349,000 viewers across NBC’s TV and digital platforms — the event’s best five-stage average since 2010. … Racing roundup: last Sunday’s F1 Belgian Grand Prix averaged a 0.42 rating and 675,000 viewers on ESPN, up 5% and 2% respectively from last year on ESPN2 (0.40, 660K); IndyCar’s doubleheader at Gateway Motorsports Park had a 0.29 and 445,000 on NBCSN Saturday and a 0.37 and 545,000 Sunday, both up considerably from last year’s lone race there (0.20, 310K); NASCAR’s Xfinity Series at Daytona rose double-digits to a 0.53 (+15%) and 876,000 (+24%) on NBCSN. … Premier Boxing Champions drew a 0.55 and 832,000 on FOX last Saturday, up 6% and 3% respectively from the previous week (0.52, 810K) and well ahead of ESPN’s overlapping UFC prelims (0.37, 564K). … The WNBA’s debut on CBS (Wings-Fever) posted a 0.29 and 403,000 last Saturday, falling just short of ABC’s preceding Storm-Sky game (0.32, 413K). Eight games this season have exceeded 400,000 viewers, doubling last year (four).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 9.1 a, b; NBC Sports PR/Twitter 9.3]
