Getting Their Phil: NBC Sees Uptick For Players Final Round

NBC’s Overnight Up 19% For Final Round Of The Players

NBC earned a 3.7/9 overnight Nielsen rating for final-round coverage of the PGA Tour’s Players Championship on Sunday from 2:00pm-7:15pm ET, up 19.4% from a 3.1/7 last year. Saturday’s coverage from 2:00-7:00pm ET earned a 2.9/8 overnight, down 3.3% from a 3.0/7 last year (THE DAILY).

CALLING THE SHOTS: In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich wonders if NBC analyst Johnny Miller was “pulling back a bit [this weekend], maybe tiring of carrying the mantle of television’s toughest critic. There’s been a softening of his approach ever since his verbal bludgeoning of Phil Mickelson at last year’s U.S. Open.” During yesterday’s final round coverage, Miller “appeared to sheath his sword at the very times he would have parried, thrusted and then eviscerated in the past” (TORONTO STAR, 5/14). In N.Y., Mike Lupica: “I love Johnny Miller and always have, but in the future I wouldn’t spend much time sitting next to Nick Faldo — the way he did on [Golf Channel] Friday — because not even Miller looks so good sitting next to Faldo on a golf telecast these days” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/13). USA TODAY’s Michael Hiestand writes NBC’s coverage “had great shots from its camera in the bunker at the golf course’s water-encircled 17th hole, excellent audio eavesdropping on players after shots and the usual lively comments” from announcer Dan Hicks and Miller (USA TODAY, 5/14).