The Open suffers US television ratings shocker

The Open has suffered its worst television ratings in the United States in almost a decade.

First reported by Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, NBC and Peacock drew only 3.39million viewers on Sunday as Xander Schauffele scythed through the field to win the Claret Jug.

That’s a 4% decrease on the viewership last year as Brian Harman won at a rain-soaked Royal Liverpool, and the lowest audience for the championship’s final round since Zach Johnson’s victory in 2015, which on a Monday and which was broadcast on cable.

This news continues a worrying trend for televised golf in the US, which has suffered some significant blows so far in 2024.

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Only 9.589m viewers watched on CBS Sports as Scottie Scheffler won The Masters in April, a 20% drop on the previous year’s final round. The PLAYERS Championship and other early-season endured similar drop-offs.

The PGA Championship and US Open, however, both managed to buck the trend.

CBS Sports reported a 10% increase in viewership for the final round of the former, where Schauffele held off Bryson DeChambeau to win his maiden major, before DeChambeau capitalised on a late stumble by Rory McIlroy to win the US Open at Pinehurst in JUne, watched by the highest final round audience on NBC in 11 years.

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The common denominator in both those instances, of course, is DeChambeau, who has cemented himself as one of the most popular players in the game.

Indeed, a video of him playing 18 holes with Donald Trump has clocked up more than 3.5 million views, with the US Open champion adding a further 200,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel since it went live yesterday.

Michael McEwan is bunkered's Head of Content and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Head of Content