GOLF Channel’s weekend coverage of the 120th U.S. Amateur saw record viewership, as Sunday night’s championship match telecast (7:03-10:28p ET) earned 472,000 average viewers per minute, +52% vs. last year’s championship match broadcast on FOX, and +5% vs. 2014, the last time the event culminated on NBC. Georgia Tech senior Tyler Strafaci rallied from an early 5-down deficit to defeat Ollie Osborne 1 up in Sunday’s 36-hole championship match at renowned Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
Sunday’s telecast on GOLF Channel was +15% vs. the five-year average of U.S. Amateur Sunday championship match broadcasts on FOX (410k, 2015-’19), and individually eclipsed 2015, ’16 and ’19 Sunday broadcasts. Saturday night’s semifinal matches on GOLF Channel (7-10:330p ET) also earned 298k average viewers, +2% vs. FOX’s broadcast of the semifinals in 2019. Saturday and Sunday also became the event’s most-watched cable telecasts in 18 years (2004-‘20).
GOLF Channel’s weekday coverage from Bandon Dunes last week (Wednesday-Friday) became the best for the event in more than 15 years, and was nearly three-times larger than FS1’s five-year weekday average (2015-’19).
Other viewership highlights:
Sunday (Championship Match):
- Coverage was up by more than 20% year-over-year in both the 25-54 and 18-49 demos vs. FOX’s championship match Sunday broadcast last year.
- Becomes the most-watched cable telecast at the U.S. Amateur in more than 20 years (628k, ESPN in 1999 – Friday, Quarterfinals).
- +112% vs. 2008, the last time U.S. Amateur Sunday aired on cable (223k, GOLF Channel).
- Coverage peaked from 10-10:15 p.m. ET with more than 600k average viewers per minute.
Saturday (Semifinal Matches):
- +59% vs. 2008, the last time U.S. Amateur Saturday aired on cable (188k, GOLF Channel).
- Average viewers per minute across Saturday’s telecast on GOLF Channel also eclipsed the 2015 and 2019 (FOX) broadcast coverage of the U.S. Amateur semifinal matches.
- Coverage peaked from 10:15-10:30 p.m. ET with more than 400k average viewers per minute.
Friday (Quarterfinal Matches):
- 220k average viewers per minute, +400% vs. 2019, and +168% vs. 2018.
- Most-watched U.S. Amateur weekday telecast in 16 years (280k, ESPN2 in 2004).
Thursday (Round of 16):
- 167k average viewers per minute, +476% vs. 2019, and +88% vs. 2018.
- Most-watched U.S. Amateur Thursday telecast in 16 years (189k, ESPN2 in 2004).
U.S. OPEN, U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN TO AIR ACROSS NBCUNIVERSAL PLATFORMS: Upcoming USGA championships in 2020 include the U.S. Open (Sept. 17-20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.) and the U.S. Women’s Open (Dec. 10-13 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas), with live coverage airing on NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming service.
Source: Linear Television: Nielsen Live+Same Day U.S. HH Rtg; P2+ Avg 000’s; P25-54 000’s. Details available.
