The Players Championship Ratings Best in Five Years

by Ryan Ballengee on May 11, 2009 4:11 PM EDT Comment 4 comments

PGA Tour (Not So) Confidential at golf.com had this line on page one of the chat session.

Friedman: Will more events like this turn off the casual fan who doesn't want to see guys like Stenson and Poulter coming down the stretch?

Shipnuck: No doubt. You could hear TVs clicking off across the country every time Stenson birdied.

David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf.com: You mean general sports fans and NBC weren't rooting for a Brian Davis-Henrik Stenson thriller on the back nine?

On the basis of such a witty quip, I went and found the ratings. Sports Media Watch has the numbers on the overnight final round rating for the Players Championship on NBC. Turns out, golf.com was wrong. (I swear they write this thing each week just to get people to come to the site to see what wrong thing they will say next.)

The final round of the Players Championship saw its best rating in five years. It tied the Rockets and Lakers as the most watched sporting event of the weekend. Not even ~~Henrik Stenson~~ Johnny Miller could run off the audience.

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Ok but...

Is that the rating for the entire time it was on? I would suspect that once it was obvious Stenson had it wrapped up viewership began to quickly drop off.

Also, any uptick in ratings had to do with ‘you know who’ being in the final group than Henrik.

And yes I was guilty of this little quip too :). But stand by it simply on the basis of stubborness and the inability to admit I could possibly be wro…wron…damn can’t even say it.

by NiceBallz on May 11, 2009 4:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Haha, it’s an average of the whole telecast. But, it beat out 2007 when Mickelson won by a ton. Tiger being in contention definitely helped, but Woods was in the field every year but last. Can’t discount Tiger’s impact, though.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on May 11, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sawgrass always holds interest

Especially this year. Why ? Fairly simple – #17 and Tiger Woods in the last group.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 11, 2009 10:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m certain most who watched the PGA Tour for a while then switched did exactly what I did — they watched Tiger and Alex and Henrik at 2:00 (EDT), then they turned the channel to the LPGA Tour at 3:00. I can dream, can’t I?

Truth has a well-known liberal bias.

by dianemarie on May 12, 2009 6:27 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

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