Coming off 2012 as the most-watched year in its 18-year history, Golf Channel has carried the momentum into 2013 with its most-watched quarter ever. The record numbers in first quarter 2013 are built off Golf Channel’s viewership momentum in 2012, which marked the network’s most-watched year ever and drove Golf Channel’s status as the fastest-growing network on U.S. television since joining the NBC Sports Group (among networks serving 80 million or more homes throughout that span).
For 24-hour Total Day (6AM-6AM), 129,000 average viewers per minute were tuned into Golf Channel in first quarter 2013, representing a 10% year-over-year increase compared to first quarter 2012 (117,000), 29% vs. first quarter 2011 (100,000) and 90% vs. first quarter 2010 (68,000), according to data released today by the Nielsen Company.
March 2013 logged the network’s most-watched March mark with 138,000 average viewers per minute for 24-hour Total Day (6 AM-6 AM). So far 2013 has seen the most-watched January, most-watched February (tie), and most-watched March ever. These record numbers combined with Golf Channel serving 25.5 million unique viewers, which included 17 PGA TOUR rounds or programs with million-plus audiences.
MORNING DRIVE NEW SEVEN-DAY FORMAT IS A HIT
February and March saw Morning Drive embrace a seven-day format in a new world-class studio and audiences are responding in record numbers. Compared to the same timeslot, Morning Drive is up 20% over 2012 and up 83% over 2011 (Feb/Mar Mon-Sun 7-9 AM).
THE HANEY PROJECT: MICHAEL PHELPS AND FEHERTY DRIVE MONDAY PRIMETIME
Monday night primetime (8-11 PM), since the new seasons of Haney Project: Michael Phelps and Feherty launched on Monday, Feb 25, are up 21% vs. 2012 and up 62% vs. 2011 for the same time span.
GOLFCHANNEL.COM AND GOLF CHANNEL MOBILE POSTS RECORD TRAFFIC
Golf Channel’s digital presence, which ranked #1 among all golf-related digital properties in unique visitors in February according to comScore, experienced its best quarter ever with GolfChannel.com pulling in record numbers for unique visitors, visits and video starts. And Golf Channel Mobile mirrored that success with best quarter ever numbers for Page views, visits and video starts. This was driven by GolfChannel.com’s and Golf Channel Mobile’s best month ever across all these key metrics as well.