At Glance
‣ The final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, featuring Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry’s victory, saw a significant increase in viewership, drawing an average of 1.852 million viewers, marking a 26% improvement from the previous year and becoming the most-watched final round of the event since 2021.
‣ Rory McIlroy’s participation in the Zurich Classic, his first at this unique team event, alongside Shane Lowry was a major draw for viewers, especially considering McIlroy’s struggle for form in the PGA Tour season. Their victory contributed to McIlroy’s 25th career victory on the PGA Tour, moving him up in the all-time list.
‣ The PGA Tour has faced challenges with declining viewing figures for several events earlier in the season, with notable drops at the Genesis Invitational and The Players Championship. However, the increased viewership at the Zurich Classic offers hope for a positive trend in viewership as the season progresses, highlighting the impact of star players like McIlroy on audience engagement.
Sunday's final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, won by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, drew 1.852M viewers on CBS, up 26% from last year (1.470M).
It's the most-watched final round for the event since '21 and second-best since 2015. Coverage peaked near 2.8M.
— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter)
Oh, what a ride it’s been for PGA Tour viewing figures in 2024, huh? But let’s talk about the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The final round? Well, it brought in some pretty encouraging numbers. According to Josh Carpenter over at Sports Business Journal, we’re talking an average of 1.852 million viewers. That’s on CBS, folks. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, they clinched victory in a playoff against Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer. Quite the duo, those two.
Now, this final round? It drew in 1.852M viewers. That’s a 26% jump from last year. Last year, Nick Hardy and Davis Riley took the win, but only 1.47 million tuned in. This year’s numbers? They’re the best since ’21 and the second-best since 2015. And get this – coverage peaked near 2.8M. That’s not too shabby, right?
McIlroy’s involvement? Big draw, no question. The World No.2 has had a bit of a rough season, but teaming up with Lowry after what they called a “drunken lunch”? Inspired. McIlroy snagged his 25th career victory on the PGA Tour, moving up the all-time list. The viewers? They ate it up.
The PGA Tour’s gotta be breathing a sigh of relief with these numbers, especially after a season with some less-than-stellar stats. McIlroy himself has pointed fingers at the fractures in the men’s elite game. Remember the Genesis Invitational in February? Hideki Matsuyama won, but the viewership was down 5% from when Jon Rahm won the year before.
And then there’s the Golf Monthly newsletter. Stay in the loop with tour news, equipment reviews, and all that jazz. Matsuyama’s win at the Genesis? Didn’t do much for the numbers, sadly.
The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass? Viewership was down 17%, even with big names in the mix. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler eventually won, but still. The Valspar Championship saw a drop too. But then, a glimmer of hope at the Valero Texas Open. McIlroy finished third, and viewership was up 21% from the previous year.
But then, the Masters champion Scheffler won again at the RBC Heritage, and CBS’s numbers? Down again. But this latest uptick? It’s giving the PGA Tour hope. We’re deep into the season now, and maybe, just maybe, it’s a sign of good things to come. McIlroy’s form? Well, that’s just icing on the cake.
