Golf Channel Coverage of PGA Tour Off to Strong Start
By: Caryn Robbins Oct. 13, 2011
Golf Channel continues its ratings momentum after the PGA TOUR Playoffs, garnering the best-ever start to the Fall Series and highlighted by record ratings at last week's Frys.com Open, the most-watched Fall Series event in history.
The Frys.com Open on Golf Channel, which featured a first-ever appearance by Tiger Woods in a PGA TOUR Fall Series tournament and won by Bryce Molder in a six-hole playoff, drew 727,000 average viewers, up 165 percent over last year. The tournament's household rating (0.7) also makes it the highest-rated Fall Series event ever. The last two hours of the playoff peaked at a 1.0 household rating.
The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open drew an average of 354,000 viewers, making it the second-most-watched Fall Series Tournament. Through the first two events, average viewers are up 235 percent over last year and 89 percent over 2009, which previously had held the top spot.
Top 10 Fall Series events on Golf Channel (2007-11)
Event
Year
HH Rtg
P2+ Avg.
Rank
Frys.com Open
2011
0.74
727,000
1
Justin Timberlake Shriners
2011
0.37
354,000
2
Valero Texas Open
2007
0.35
304,000
3
Turning Stone Championship
2007
0.34
287,000
4
Fry's Electronics Open
2007
0.33
292,000
5
Frys.com Open in Vegas
2007
0.32
281,000
6
Frys.com Open
2009
0.30
333,000
7
Turning Stone Championship
2009
0.29
278,000
8
Justin Timberlake Shriners
2009
0.29
294,000
9
Frys.com Open
2010
0.28
274,000
10
First two Fall Series Events on Golf Channel 2007-2011
HH Cvg Rtg
P2+ Avg.
Change vs. 2011
2007
Turning Stone Championship
0.34
287,000
Viking Classic
0.19
167,000
Average
0.27
227,000
138%
2008
Turning Stone Championship
0.23
245,000
Valero Texas Open
0.23
233,000
Average
0.23
239,000
126%
2009
Turning Stone Championship
0.29
278,000
J. Timberlake Shriners
0.29
294,000
Average
0.29
286,000
89%
2010
Viking Classic
0.14
130,000
McGladrey Classic
0.20
193,000
Average
0.17
161,500
235%
2011
J. Timberlake Shriners
0.37
354,000
Frys.com Open
0.74
727,000
Average
0.56
540,500
Source: Nielsen Media Research Live+Same Day Viewing
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE STRONG: Golf Channel's tournament schedule for the balance of 2011 will be its strongest ever, with events from North America to Asia featuring the biggest names in golf, including the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, WGC-HSBC Champions, the Emirates Australian Open, the Omega Mission Hills World Cup and the Barclays Singapore Open.
Golf Channel and the NBC Sports Group also will televise more than 50 hours of The Presidents Cup from Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 16-20. Golf Channel will air all four rounds live for the first time.
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