PGA Tour event viewership was lower for the '18-19 season across CBS, NBC and Golf Channel, as Tiger Woods played fewer events. Last season, Woods played his first regular Tour schedule since '13, and numbers skyrocketed. CBS and NBC averaged 2.5 million viewers for weekend tournament coverage in '18-19, which also was the first time the FedExCup Playoffs finished before Labor Day weekend. That figure is down from 2.8 million last season, when the playoffs finished in late September. Two seasons ago, the two networks averaged 2.2 million on the weekends.
|
PGA TOUR VIEWERSHIP TREND
|
|
SEASON
|
NBC (000)
|
CBS (000)
|
GOLF CHANNEL (000)
|
|
'18-19
|
2,850
|
2,184
|
493
|
|
'17-18
|
3,466
|
2,423
|
503
|
|
'16-17
|
2,314
|
2,178
|
412
|
NOTES: Figures for CBS and NBC reflect weekend windows. Golf Channel figures reflect all windows, including weekday rounds and early coverage on weekends.
THE BREAKDOWN: NBC alone averaged 2.9 million viewers this past season, down sharply from 3.5 million last season, which was the network's best figure since the playoff system started in '07. Two seasons ago, NBC averaged 2.3 million viewers. NBC averaged 3.7 million viewers for the final round of the Tour Championship last month, which saw Rory McIlroy win the event and playoffs. While down sharply from a record 5.9 million viewers for Woods' win last year -- at the time his first win on Tour since '13 -- the Sunday round at East Lake telecast is the second-best figure for a Tour Championship finale over the last decade and 30% better than all other Tour Championship final rounds since the start of the playoff system in '07. Meanwhile, CBS averaged 2.2 million viewers for its weekend coverage this season, down from 2.4 million last season, but even with two seasons ago. With the way Woods' schedule shaped up in '18-19, CBS saw him only twice on the weekends outside of majors. Golf Channel also averaged 493,000 viewers for all tourney coverage this season, down from 503,000 last season, but up from 412,000 two seasons ago.
