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
|
