Ratings Roundup: Mickelson’s Open Win Earns Record Cable Ratings for ESPN; Fox’s Gold Cup Final Up 42% Over Last Year
Story Highlights
Fan-favorite Phil Mickelson’s victory in The Open Championship on July 20 earned a record-tying 3.1 U.S. rating for the live telecast (8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET) of Sunday’s final round at Scotland’s Muirfield Golf Links. The telecast, which averaged 4,372,000 viewers, tied the ratings record set in last year’s final round for the highest-rated cable telecast of the event and set a cable viewership record for the event, eclipsing last year’s mark of 4,227,000. Sunday’s telecast ranks third-highest among all golf telecasts on cable, only behind the 2008 U.S. Open playoff and the 2010 Masters first round (when Tiger Woods returned to golf).
The 9 a.m. – 2:47 p.m. Saturday telecast earned a 2.7 U.S. household rating, averaging 3,776,000 viewers, beating the 2.6 U.S. rating and 3,545,000 viewership average ESPN earned for third-round coverage in 2012. It ranks as cable’s highest-rated and most-viewed telecast of the third round. ESPN’s telecast of the opening round on Thursday also attracted more viewers than last year, with the 7 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. telecast averaging 1,398,000 viewers, up from an average of 1,343,000 last year, with both telecasts earning a 1.1 U.S. rating. Friday’s 7 a.m. – 3:39 p.m. coverage was down slightly from last year, earning a 1.3 rating with an average of 1,658,000 viewers, down from a 1.4 rating and 1,771,000 viewers last year…
…The 2013 CONCACAF GOLD Cup Tournament’s championship match on FOX (the U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Panama 1-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago) posted a 1.7/4 overnight household rating/share. The broadcast was up 42% over the overnight rating posted by last Sunday’s Gold Cup quarterfinal match on FOX (1.2/3), and is FOX’ second-highest metered market rating ever for a soccer match, trailing only a 1.8/5 for 2011’s UEFA Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United. Kansas City led all markets with a 3.2/7, followed by San Diego (3.1/8) and Washington, DC (3.0/7)…
…Last weekend’s Yankees-Red Sox rivalry delivered season-high ratings for FOX and ESPN on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. FOX drew a 2.5 for a 39% jump over week 16 numbers a year ago while ESPN drew a 2.1 for a 50% spike. (Cynopsis Sports)…
Sunday’s WNBA All-Star Game earned a 0.6 overnight rating on ABC, even with the last game in 2011 (0.6) and up slightly from 2009 (0.5). Locally, host market Hartford-New Haven averaged a 2.2 rating for the game. Minneapolis-St. Paul (1.9) and Atlanta (1.4) ranked second and third, respectively. (SportsMediaWatch)
