Four stars and four networks combined to deliver golf’s largest cable television audience on record.
The latest edition of “The Match” — pitting Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady — averaged 5.8 million viewers across TBS, TNT, TruTV and HLN Sunday afternoon, the largest golf audience ever on cable.
The telecast, which peaked with 6.3 million viewers from 5:45-6 PM ET, topped the previous record of 4.9 million for the first round of the 2010 Masters on ESPN — Woods’ first tournament after a tabloid scandal.
Based on overnight ratings, “The Match” was television’s top program of the day, evidently topping the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on FOX.
Since the majority of sporting events were called off on March 11-12, it ranks at best seventh among sportscasts — behind the first two nights of the NFL Draft, at least three episodes of the ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance” and the previous weekend’s NASCAR race at Darlington (6.32M).
Viewership more-than-doubled the previous weekend’s “Driving Relief” charity event on the NBC family of networks, which saw Rory McIlroy compete against Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff (2.35M).
“The Match” ranks as easily the most-watched golf telecast on any network this year, with the caveat that the season’s first two majors — the Masters and PGA Championship — were postponed. Notably, it averaged more viewers than the final rounds of last year’s PGA Championship (5.0M) and British Open (3.7M).
The previous edition of “The Match” in November 2018, in which Woods and Mickelson squared off in a one-on-one for $9 million, aired on pay-per-view.
[Nielsen estimates from Turner Sports]
How many viewers on turner networks?
like TNT, TBS, TRUTV, and HLN of viewers tune the networks?
Personally I enjoyed it. I admired that all 4 played in rain for charity. Couldn’t be more proud than 4 professionals sticking to the plan to help a cause. Overall, I felt like the event was effective. Brilliant idea to bring Tom Brady on since he’s a headline name. I thought all 4 did a good job to market the event as well. My only issue is that golf pretty much being an all-day event (4+ hour TV broadcast), watching it was a drag. Tiger is the only golfer who can make me tune in to watch golf if he’s in contention. Of course with down time in sports, along with the name Tom Brady, I believe there was that exception to this golf event. Unfortunately, I doubt whether casual fans will continue to watch golf assuming Tiger is not contention or retires in the 2030s (or this decade, but I would want him to break Jack Nicklaus’ Major record victories first). However, Tom Brady probably made a lot of people feel comfortable about playing golf in case they was on the fence.
Peyton Manning helped by being very vocal and being his normal self. He’s as entertaining as he can get. I understand why ESPN is so desperate in wanting him on MNF because he can entertain.
Justin Thomas is very young and have plenty of golf years ahead of him. With that said, whenever he finishes being a Pro golfer, he could be in position to be a commentator and/or analyst.
Great Job by TNT for the broadcast. They telecast it in their fashion which is different than what traditional sports typically do. Unfortunately this probably was their peak (and Bleacher Report) in regards to “The Match” for casual fans’ interest. I wasn’t interested in the first one because it was during Football season and followed Thanksgiving. On top of that it was on PPV. Given that sports will be jammed pack from this Fall, hopefully, all the way to the following Fall in 2021, it seems that the next Match would have to occur in the Fall/Winter of 2021. I probably would suggest it to be during December 2021 if they want to draw in maximum casual viewers. Tiger would need to be in there, of course, but it probably would help to have a 3rd professional in maybe a Jordan Spieth or Dustin Johnson. I doubt it would reach nearly 6 million viewers, but a little half of that could be something to have champagne over.
I thought it was absolutely boring and turned it off for NASCAR. It was a very dry broadcast with nothing there. I’m not interested in a field of four golfers where you have to see them driving to the next green. Watching them golf in the pouring rain was silly. The trash talk was corny and Charles Barkley had no business being there as a main color announcer. You mean to tell me Turner Sports couldn’t find a real golf announcer to pair with Brian Anderson? I know they will no longer show any golf but they could’ve used one of their PGA Championship guys of past broadcasts. All around boring and useless event if you ask me. But I guess people were that desperate to watch anything which is understandable and it did raise millions of dollars so good for them but I’ll pass on these “The Match” events from now on.
Tiger v. Elin on Court TV probably would have drawn similar ratings during a pandemic