Like Xander Schauffele, CBS Sports activities and ESPN scored vital victories on the PGA Championship this previous week.
Throughout Sunday’s ultimate spherical, which noticed Schauffele fend off a livid cost from Bryson DeChambeau, CBS averaged 4.958 million viewers—a ten% improve from final yr, when Brooks Koepka prevailed at Oak Hill.
Protection peaked at 8.421 million viewers, which coincided with Schauffele enjoying the par-5 18th. He arrived on the ultimate gap tied with DeChambeau at 20-under-par however made an exhilarating birdie to win the Wanamaker Trophy by a stroke. His 21-under-par complete set a brand new main championship scoring file.
Over the ultimate hour, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. ET, CBS drew a median of seven.764 million viewers. That timeframe featured loads of drama, together with DeChambeau knocking his drive off a tree and getting a fortunate break on 16, which led to a birdie. DeChambeau then birded the 18th gap, producing an exhilarating celebration that drew comparisons to Phil Mickelson’s PGA Championship win three years prior.
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The ultimate hour additionally noticed Viktor Hovland, one of many fan favorites on the PGA Tour, vie for the title however fall brief in the long run with a closing bogey.
Moreover, Paramount+, CBS Sports activities’ streaming service, noticed double-digit year-over-year development in households, minutes, and the common minute viewers.
All of this got here on the identical day as a pair of NBA Sport 7s. The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon on ABC, which drew 6.45 million—down 24% from the identical window a yr in the past, per Sports activities Media Watch. The sport was by no means shut, which absolutely helped the PGA Championship’s numbers. The Timberwolves went on to defeat the defending champion Denver Nuggets later that night.
However on high of all that, within the wake of Scottie Scheffler’s arrest, ESPN averaged 1.6 million viewers on Friday—an 18% improve in comparison with the second spherical in 2023. Final yr, Koepka shot up the leaderboard on Friday, DeChambeau lurked, and Scheffler and Hovland held a bit of the 36-hole lead with Corey Conners. Nonetheless, 2023’s second spherical drew 231,000 fewer viewers than this yr’s eventful—and weird—day two.
Friday’s ESPN telecast, which drew rave critiques for its protection of Scheffler and the golf itself, peaked with two million viewers throughout the 6 to six:15 p.m. ET quarter-hour.
All in all, these will increase will not be solely a win for the networks however for males’s skilled golf, too. Tv rankings have struggled all through 2024, together with at The Masters, however the thrilling drama and the mind-blowing occasions surrounding the championship led to an elevated curiosity, and rightfully so.
Maybe this pattern will proceed at subsequent month’s U.S. Open, the place NBC Sports activities will broadcast the third main of the yr from Pinehurst No. 2.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. Remember to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.