Ratings: Sony Open Puts Up No Fight Against NFL Playoffs

Thanks to the postponement of Sunday's Chiefs-Steelers game originally slated for an early Sunday start, ESPN's presentation of the Latin America Amateur Championship was the top rated golf telecast last weekend. The LAAC averaged 550,000 viewers over a 2:37 window from 1 pm-3:37 pm ET.

According to SportsTVRatings.com, the next highest rated golf telecast came from Florida, where the Diamond Resorts Invitational drew an incredible average of 350,000 viewers over three hours.

As the epic and hugely-rated Packers-Cowboys game was played on Fox and as the hugely-rated Chiefs-Steelers began on NBC, the Sony Open averaged  282,000 viewers on Golf Channel from 5:58 pm ET to 10:17 pm. Matters were not helped by Justin Thomas's runaway win (even though he was pursuing history). Multiple replays got the "cumulative audience" well up from that, but the message is fairly clear: live golf has no chance against the NFL.

On Saturday against more NFL playoff action, the Sony (7-10:42 pm ET) drew an average of 283,000 viewers while the Diamond Resorts, also on Golf Channel but not up against Atlanta-Seattle from 1:20-4:30 pm ET, averaged 252,000 viewers.

Comments

[benseattle]

<< live golf has no chance against the NFL. >>

That's absolutely right but more to the point: who cares? I watched all the games, then fast-forwarded through the Sony... mainly because it was completely drama-free. And guess what -- the world DID NOT END. Let's get real.... the NFL is the biggest sport in the country and last weekend was the PLAYOFFS, for goshsakes.... is there any reason to be surprised at the trouncing in the ratings? Like tennis, soccer, lawn bowling and horseshoes, golf is a niche sport in this country and for some reason, a few people seem to think There's Something Wrong With That. These people are wrong. Not every sport has to be the biggest, baddest and Number One. Many fans of the PGA Tour will watch that week's event, many won't, particularly if there's competition from the NFL. Maybe it's time that the woe-is-me media members who constantly swoon about low-rated golf tournaments just accept reality. The occasionally poor-to-average TV ratings don't mean golf is going away... it simply indicates that there are other things in life.

[Steve Pike]

At the first 20/20 Summit in 2000, then Tour Commish Tim Finchem said he wanted to see golf TV viewership similar to the NFL's by 2020. There is still time

[Easingwold]

Golf is bigger than the NFL worldwide. But in the USA, maybe the Masters could compete with the NFL playoffs, but it would still lose "the ratings war" No big deal.

[John]

I couldn't get excited about a guy chasing "history" while so far out in front, and considering that history might not last six months. It was NFL all the way.

[Finished]

The TV numbers from the Kapalua event were also abysmal, as much as 30% down from last year. And for what it's worth, in-person galleries were quite sparse for both Hawaii events.

[jly]

This isn't a great week to compare NFL and PGA Tour broadcast viewings. The Sony is an event with little overall significance at the start of the season, played at an odd time for US audiences. This went against not just an NFL Sunday, but a pair of highly-anticipated games with at least one providing an instant classic. I watched the NFL and caught the end replay of JT's win on Monday. If it was a golf major or a regular NFL Sunday, I may have watched the golf.

[Original AG]

"but the message is fairly clear: live golf has no chance against the NFL." And that's news? benseattle's right on the money. Niche sport and audience. So, make the most of your niche sport. Mike Whan's making a go of it.

[WJ]

A more appropriate (and concerning) headline would be about the Sony Open being beat out on Saturday by the Latin American Am and a half assed "celebrity" event.

[DavidC]

I know there is no way to track this and Geoff has railed on about it, but is some of the Kapalua and Sony malaise the result of no off-season, aka wraparound season?

[munihack]

Maybe watching men get 50 yards of roll on tee shots so they have short irons into par 5's isn't that interesting. The reason for all the hand wringing is media jobs for analysts and reporters can only be justified if there is a certain level of audience. If no one is watching- why send so many people to Hawaii to broadcast and report? Wasn't a lot of JT's 59 recorded on some guys phone?

[Truth in Advertising]

Could some part of the viewer apathy be attributed to having to watch what might be the most joyless group of professional athletes in recent history? While undeniably talented, this crop can't be bothered to display any evidence of actually enjoying what they do for a living. It's like watching a dozen Stacy Lewises roam the fairways. I'm not surprised more people watched the LAAC, did you see how much fun those "kids" were having?