Most-Watched PGA TOUR Final Round Since 2018 TOUR Championship; Viewership Peaked at Nearly 7 Million Viewers on NBC
Second Most-Watched PLAYERS Championship Since 2015; Four-Round Viewership Up 5% vs. 2019
9 of 11 Events on GOLF Channel/NBC Have Delivered Audience Growth in 2021
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS Post-Round Viewership Up 31%
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 16, 2021 – GOLF Channel and NBC coverage of 2021 edition of THE PLAYERS Championship last week delivered multiple viewership milestones, headlined by Sunday’s final round on NBC, which was the most-watched PGA TOUR final round since the 2018 TOUR Championship, according to official national data provided by Nielsen.
Sunday’s final round coverage on NBC (1-6:16 p.m. ET) averaged 4.6 million viewers, up 9% vs. 2019, and was the most-watched sports event of the weekend. Viewership peaked at nearly 7 million viewers in the 5:45-6 p.m. ET quarter hour, as Justin Thomas held off Bryson DeChambeau and Lee Westwood to win his first PLAYERS Championship.
Overall, Thursday-Sunday coverage on GOLF Channel/NBC averaged 2.3 million viewers, up 5% vs. 2019, to rank as the second most-watched edition of THE PLAYERS Championship since 2015.
GOLF Channel’s opening round coverage on Thursday averaged 869,000 viewers to rank as the most-watched first round in the last 29 PGA TOUR events, up 34% vs. 2020*. It was also the third most-watched first round ever in March on GOLF Channel (2009 WGC Match Play, 2019 PLAYERS).
Viewership gains carried over to Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS, which was on-site at TPC Sawgrass all week. Thursday-Sunday post-round viewership was up 31% vs. 2019 and week-long primetime coverage was up 15%.
Last weekend’s across-the-board viewership gains at THE PLAYERS follow the trend of strong PGA TOUR viewership on GOLF Channel/NBC to start the 2021 calendar year. Twenty-seven tournament telecasts on GOLF Channel/NBC have seen at least 10% viewership growth in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, and nine of the first 11 PGA TOUR events on GOLF Channel/NBC in 2021 posted year-over-year viewership growth.
GOLF Channel/NBC coverage of the PGA TOUR’s Spring Swing continues this weekend with The Honda Classic from PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
*only first round of 2020 PLAYERS Championship held, remainder of tournament canceled due to COVID-19
--NBC SPORTS--