Combined GOLF Channel/NBC PGA TOUR Viewership Up 24% vs. 2020
Arnold Palmer Invitational Viewership Up 49% vs. 2020; Sunday’s Final Round Viewership on NBC Peaks at More Than 5.6 Million Viewers
8 of 10 PGA TOUR Events on GOLF Channel/NBC in 2021 Have Delivered Audience Increases
26 Tournament Telecasts on GOLF Channel/NBC Up At Least 10%
STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports has produced significant viewership gains for the PGA TOUR to open the 2021 calendar year, delivering a 30% year-over-year viewership increase on NBC and a 24% increase for GOLF Channel/NBC tournament coverage through last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, according to data provided by The Nielsen Company.
Twenty-six tournament telecasts on GOLF Channel/NBC have seen at least 10% viewership growth in 2021 compared to the first two months of 2020, and eight of the 10 PGA TOUR events on GOLF Channel/NBC in 2021 have posted year-over-year viewership growth vs. comparable coverage of the same event, most notably:
- Arnold Palmer Invitational on GOLF Channel/NBC up 49%
- Waste Management Phoenix Open on GOLF Channel up 38%
- AT&T Pebble Beach on GOLF Channel up 29%
Following are viewership highlights from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational on GOLF Channel/NBC:
- Sunday’s final round viewership on NBC averaged 3.9 million viewers, up 49% vs. 2020.
- Final round viewership on NBC peaked at more than 5.6 million viewers (6-6:15 p.m. ET) as Bryson DeChambeau defeated Lee Westwood by one shot.
- Saturday’s third round on NBC was the most-watched sports event of the day, averaging 2.5 million viewers, up 41% vs. 2020.
- Most-watched second round (GOLF Channel), third and final rounds (NBC) for the API since 2018.
The season began at the 2021 Sentry Tournament of Champions on GOLF Channel/NBC (Jan. 7-10), which delivered:
- Most-watched first and third rounds on GOLF Channel since 2018
- Most-watched final round on GOLF Channel/NBC since 2017
- Most-watched second round on GOLF Channel since 2016
Additionally, the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open (Feb. 7) averaged 3.7 million viewers, up 29% vs. 2020 final round coverage on CBS. Lead-in coverage on GOLF Channel averaged 1.3 million viewers, up 83% vs. 2020.
GOLF Channel and NBC continue their annual coverage of the PGA TOUR’s Spring Swing this week with THE PLAYERS Championship, delivering more than 65 hours of coverage from TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
*all viewership numbers are TV-only and do not include streaming metrics
–NBC SPORTS–
Jamie Palatini
203-356-2791
jamie.palatini@nbcuni.com
