Ratings Up For First Two PGA Tour Hawaii Events

Steve Elling at MorningRead.com follows up on the state of the Golf Channel-IATSE labor dispute with some insightful behind-the-scenes color as Thursday kicks off coverage from La Quinta and Hawaii.

Meanwhile, ratings for the strike-impacted Sony were up despite the limited production values.

VIEWERSHIP: Sunday’s Final Round of @SonyOpenHawaii was Golf Channel’s most-watched live coverage in a decade from this event. 524K average viewers, +86% vs. 2017 and +13% vs. 2016.

— Golf Channel PR (@GolfChannelPR) January 18, 2018

And this from Sports Media Watch on the Sentry TOC the week prior, with an increase despite the runaway win.

Final round coverage of the PGA Tournament of Champions had a 0.42 rating and 624,000 viewers on Golf Channel last Sunday, up 8% in ratings and 3% in viewership from last year (0.39, 608K) but down 19% and 22% respectively from Jordan Spieth‘s win in 2016 (0.52, 797K).

Third round action the previous day had a 0.37 (+48%) and 544,000 (+34%).

Comments

[The Big K]

It was the opportunity to see the greatest golf shot of all time that caused everyone to tune in!

[Matt]

Hey Steve, there's a word for those "stand ins, volunteers, outsiders" you mention. They're called scabs. It's ok to tell it like it is.

[FC]

No large analysis needed. Being snowed in does it every time.

[Bill Wilson]

"Sunday’s Final Round of @SonyOpenHawaii was Golf Channel’s most-watched live coverage from this event in a decade but down 19% and 22% respectively from Jordan Spieth‘s win in 2016 (0.52, 797K)."

How can it be the most watched TOC in a decade but way down from 2016? Isn't 2016 part of the last decade? doesn't make any sense.

[digsouth]

Bill- political math..... *dig*

[OWGR Fan]

@Bill Wilson welcome to the Comcast/NBC/Golf Channel spin machine when it comes to ratings. Junk math as you've pointed out. That rating is not very good at all and is probably surpassed ratings wise by random worthless informercial broadcast at the same time. And has been noted by poster FC the lousy weather in a large part of the country had a large part of the rating being as "high" as it was. So 797k alleged viewers in a country of nearly 350 million people is promoted as great. What a reason to celebrate.

[Thinking Out Loud]

OWGR Fan - Golf Channel does think 700,000 + is exceptional because on average less than 130,000 people watch the network on a daily basis with the numbers for Morning Drive not even a quarter of that. They also failed to mention in the press release the “train wreck” aspect of the coverage with technicians going on strike

[Sponsored By:]

Just wait until next week!