The 2014 Ryder Cup bombed on television and that’s putting things nicely. Saturday’s coverage of the event brought home a 1.7 rating while Sunday’s coverage was only slightly better with a 1.8. The number for Sunday was the lowest NBC has seen since they started covering the Ryder Cup in 1991.
NBC was probably pretty optimistic heading into the event considering 2012 delivered improved ratings (3.2 on Saturday, 4.1 on Sunday) which bucked a nearly decade long slide. Instead, NBC saw the United States get blown out which resulted in nearly 90 minutes of coverage on Sunday which took place after the tournament had been decided.
Europe’s blowout win will surely be blamed for the bad numbers on Sunday, but Saturday’s 1.7 – which was down 47% from 2012 – may be the more troubling development. It’s safe to assume a close tournament on Sunday would have improved ratings, but the numbers on Saturday indicate interest was well down for the Ryder Cup. (ED NOTE: Live coverage was offered in the early morning hours on Saturday and Sunday which certainly had a negative impact on the overall ratings for the event.)
Of course, this all speak’s to the larger issue of golf’s popularity on television. The game’s biggest tournaments struggled mightily this year as the Ryder Cup and the sport’s majors barely moved the needle. The lack of Tiger Woods certainly didn’t help, but 2014 may have represented a bottoming out of sorts. Only the big PGA Champsionship ratings were a bright spot this year.
Will the sport be able to rebound from another major setback?
(H/T Sports Media Watch)