Final viewership metrics for NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the Valspar Championship saw the network deliver 6.913 million average viewers per minute (+201% year-over-year) and a 4.38 rating (+194% YoY) for Sunday’s final round coverage (3:01-6:04p ET) according to data released by The Nielsen Company. Coverage peaked from 5:30-5:45p ET (8.874 million average viewers, 5.52 rating). It becomes the most-watched PGA TOUR telecast (non-major) since the final round of the 2013 PLAYERS Championship (7.644 million average viewers, 4.97 rating) won by Tiger Woods. It also becomes the most-watched golf telecast (outside of the Masters) since the final round of the 2014 PGA Championship – 8.295 million viewers, 5.32 rating.
Golf Channel’s final round lead-in coverage on Sunday (1-3p ET) delivered 2.354 million average viewers per minute (+304% YoY) and a 1.51 rating (+268% YoY). It becomes the most-watched PGA TOUR lead-in telecast on record for Golf Channel (2009-’18), +1% vs. final round lead-in coverage of the 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (2.337 million average viewers). Coverage peaked from 2:45-3p ET (3.255 million average viewers, 2.02 rating).
Saturday’s third round coverage saw NBC (3-6p ET) delivered 4.308 million average viewers (+160% YoY) and a 2.83 rating (+153% YoY). It becomes the most-watched (non-major) third round on the PGA TOUR since the 2006 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (4.700 million viewers, 3.52 rating). Golf Channel’s lead-in coverage on Saturday (1-2:55p ET) delivered 1.412 million average viewers (+205% YoY) and a .96 rating (+200% YoY) to become the most-watched third round lead-in telecast on record (2009-’18) for the network.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- Final round coverage on NBC is up 73% vs. final round coverage of The Honda Classic on CBS (4.007 million), the last time Tiger Woods played the weekend.
- Final Round (lead-in) coverage on Golf Channel is up 48% vs. final round (lead-in) coverage of The Honda Classic (1.593 million).
- Golf Channel was the No. 2 cable sports network from 1-3p ET on both Saturday and Sunday.
- The Valspar Championship saw 27.8 million minutes streamed across Golf Channel / NBC Sports’ Digital platforms, becoming the most-streamed PGA TOUR event ever for the network, and the fourth-most streamed golf event overall for NBC Sports behind the 2016 and 2017 Open, along with the 2016 Ryder Cup. (source: Adobe Analytics)
- Sunday’s coverage saw 15.4 million minutes streamed, +1060% vs. 2017.
- Friday’s second round coverage on Golf Channel (3-6p ET) earned a .56 rating (+115% YoY) and 797k viewers (+106% YoY).
- Thursday’s first round coverage on Golf Channel (3-6p ET) earned a .61 rating (+205% YoY) and 864k viewers (+207% YoY).