Like Xander Schauffele, CBS Sports and ESPN scored considerable success at the PGA Championship this previous week.
Throughout Sunday’s last round, which saw Schauffele ward off a furious charge from Bryson DeChambeau, CBS balanced 4.958 million audiences– a 10% boost from in 2015, when Brooks Koepka dominated at Oak Hill.
Protection peaked at 8.421 million audiences, which accompanied Schauffele playing the par-5 18th. He got to the last hole connected with DeChambeau at 20-under-par however made an awesome birdie to win the Wanamaker Trophy by a stroke. His 21-under-par overall set a brand-new significant champion scoring record.
Over the last hour, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. ET, CBS drew approximately 7.764 million audiences. That timeframe included lots of drama, consisting of DeChambeau knocking his drive off a tree and getting a fortunate break on 16, which caused a birdie. DeChambeau then birded the 18th hole, producing a thrilling event that drew contrasts to Phil Mickelson’s PGA Championship win 3 years prior.
Bryson DeChambeau commemorates on the 18th green throughout the last round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla. Image by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The last hour likewise saw Viktor Hovland, among the fan favorites on the PGA Tour, vie for the title however fall brief in completion with a closing bogey.
Paramount+, CBS Sports’ streaming service, saw double-digit year-over-year development in families, minutes, and the typical minute audience.
All of this began the exact same day as a set of NBA Game 7s. The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon on ABC, which drew 6.45 million– down 24% from the very same window a year earlier, per Sports Media Watch. The video game was never ever close, which certainly assisted the PGA Championship’s numbers. The Timberwolves went on to beat the protecting champ Denver Nuggets later on that night.
On top of all that, in the wake of Scottie Scheffler’s arrest, ESPN balanced 1.6 million audiences on Friday– an 18% boost compared to the 2nd round in 2023. In 2015, Koepka soared the leaderboard on Friday, DeChambeau prowled, and Scheffler and Hovland held a piece of the 36-hole lead with Corey Conners. Still, 2023’s 2nd round drew 231,000 less audiences than this year’s eventful– and strange– day 2.
Friday’s ESPN telecast, which drew rave evaluations for its protection of Scheffler and the golf itself, peaked with 2 million audiences throughout the 6 to 6:15 p.m. ET quarter-hour.
All in all, these boosts are not just a win for the networks however for guys’s expert golf, too. Tv scores have actually struggled throughout 2024, consisting of at The Masters, however the thrilling drama and the astonishing occasions surrounding the champion caused an increased interest, and truly so.
Possibly this pattern will continue at next month’s U.S. Open, where NBC Sports will transmit the 3rd significant of the year from Pinehurst No. 2.
Jack Milko is a golf personnel author for SB Nation’s Playing Through.
