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Audience Analysis: U.S. Open Four-Day Viewership Is Lowest Since At Least '95

Fox and FS1, in the second year of their U.S. Open rights, combined to average 2.34 million viewers across four days of coverage of the U.S. Open, marking the lowest figure for the event on record (dating back to ’95). The net had 47.5 total hours of coverage this year, also a record, which includes the 41.2 hours seen in ’08 when the event went to a Monday playoff. The 2.34 million viewers is down from 3.5 million viewers last year, when coverage aired in primetime from the West Coast, and also down from 2.44 million viewers across NBC and ESPN in ’14. Fox finished with 5.4 million viewers for final round coverage on Sunday, which saw Dustin Johnson take home his first major. That figure is down sharply from 6.7 million viewers for Jordan Spieth’s win in primetime last year, but up big from 4.6 million viewers on NBC for Martin Kaymer’s runaway victory in ’14.

FOUR-DAY VIEWERSHIP AVERAGE FOR U.S. OPEN
YEAR
NETS
COURSE
VIEWERS (000)
'16
Fox/FS1
Oakmont
2,341
'15
Fox/FS1
Chambers Bay*
3,499
'14
NBC/ESPN
Pinehurst No. 2
2,441
'13
NBC/ESPN
Merion
3,930
'12
NBC/ESPN
Olympic*
4,821

NOTE: * = Event was held on the West Coast and aired in primetime on the East Coast

The chart below lists final audience figures from select recent sports telecasts

TELECAST
DATE
NET
TIME (ET)
RAT.
VIEWERS
(000)
NBA Finals: Cavaliers-Warriors: Game 7
6/19
ABC
8:00-10:40pm
15.8
31,018
NBA Finals: Cavaliers-Warriors: Game 6
6/16
ABC
9:00-11:55pm
11.8
20,702
NBA Finals: Cavaliers-Warriors: Game 5
6/13
ABC
9:00-11:56pm
11.8
20,536
U.S. Open: Final Round
6/19
Fox
11:00am-8:15pm
3.4
5,400
U.S. Open: Third Round
6/18
Fox
11:00am-8:00pm
2.2
3,300
MLB: (regional)
6/18
Fox
8:11-11:21pm
1.9
2,921
U.S. Open: Second Round
6/17
Fox
5:00-9:00pm
1.5
2,150
Copa America Centenario:
Quarterfinal: U.S.-Ecuador
6/16
FS1
9:30-11:45pm
n/a
2,132
"O.J.: Made In America" (Part 2)
6/14
ESPN
9:00-11:00pm
n/a
1,749
"O.J.: Made In America" (Part 3)
6/15
ESPN
9:00-11:00pm
n/a
1,724
U.S. Open: Third Round
6/18
FS1
8:00-9:00pm
n/a
1,711
"O.J.: Made In America" (Part 5)
6/18
ESPN
9:00-11:00pm
n/a
1,477
"O.J.: Made In America" (Part 4)
6/17
ESPN
9:00-11:00pm
n/a
1,436
NASCAR Xfinity Series:
American Ethanol E15 250 (Iowa)
6/19
FS1
1:30-4:02pm
n/a
1,388
Premier Boxing Champions
6/18
NBC
8:30-11:00pm
0.8
1,246
MLB: Pirates-Cubs
6/19
ESPN
8:00-11:33pm
n/a
1,241
U.S. Open: First, Second Round
6/17
FS1
8:00am-5:00pm
n/a
999
AVP: New York City Open
6/19
NBC
4:30-6:00pm
0.6
841
"30 for 30": "This Magic Moment"
6/18
ABC
3:00-5:00pm
0.5
679
AVP: New York City Open
6/18
NBC
4:00-6:00pm
0.4
637
Red Bull Global Rallycross (taped)
6/19
NBC
2:30-4:30pm
0.4
612
Sailing: America's Cup
World Series (taped)
6/19
NBC
1:30-2:30pm
0.4
553
"World of X Games: WSL Surfing"
6/18
ABC
2:00-3:00pm
0.4
538
AMA Lucas Oil Motocross:
High Point National
6/18
NBC
3:00-4:00pm
0.3
434
Laureus World Sports Awards (taped)
6/18
NBC
2:00-3:00pm
0.3
382
NCAA Women's Tennis Championship:
Stanford-Oklahoma State (taped)
6/19
CBS
1:30-4:00pm
0.3
367
NCAA Men's Tennis Championship:
Virginia-Oklahoma (taped)
6/18
CBS
1:30-4:00pm
0.2
310

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