ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 23, 2017 – With the Solheim Cup returning to broadcast television for the first time in 15 years, Golf Channel and NBC’s coverage of the 2017 Solheim Cup delivered record viewership for the networks, according to data released by The Nielsen Company.
SUNDAY GOLF CHANNEL COVERAGE MOST-WATCHED WOMEN’S GOLF TELECAST ON CABLE IN EIGHT YEARS: Golf Channel’s Final Day of live Solheim Cup coverage on Sunday (10:30 a.m.-4:10 p.m. ET) delivered a .52 U.S. HH rating and 795,000 viewers, the most watched women’s golf telecast on cable since the 2009 Solheim Cup Final Day on Golf Channel (956,000 viewers). Coverage was +250% vs. 2015 (227,000 viewers) and +23% vs. 2013 (646,000 viewers). Coverage peaked from 2:30-2:45 p.m. ET with a .83 U.S. HH rating and 1.259 million viewers.
NBC’S DAY 2 COVERAGE MOST-WATCHED SATURDAY TELECAST OF WOMEN’S GOLF IN 2017: NBC’s Saturday coverage (4-6 p.m. ET) was the most-watched women’s golf Saturday telecast in 2017 with a .68 U.S. HH rating and 968,000 viewers. Compared to the last two hours of women’s majors on network television in 2017, Saturday’s Solheim Cup coverage was +24% vs. RICOH Women’s British Open, +39% vs. the U.S.
Women’s Open and +35% vs. the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Coverage peaked from 5:45-6 p.m. ET with a .85 U.S. HH rating and 1.240 million viewers.
Golf Channel and NBC’s combined coverage of Saturday’s Day 2 at the Solheim Cup (8 a.m.-6:50 p.m. ET) was the most-watched Day 2 in 15 years, generating a combined .45 U.S. HH rating and 641,000 viewers; +211% vs. 2015 (Germany, 206,000 viewers); +11% vs. 2013 (Colorado, 579,000 viewers) and +10% vs. 2009 (Illinois, 581,000 viewers).
MOST-WATCHED SOLHEIM CUP FRIDAY ON RECORD: Golf Channel’s televised Friday coverage of the Solheim Cup (9 a.m.-2:04 p.m. ET / 4:04-8:08 p.m. ET) delivered the most-watched Day 1 of the Solheim Cup on-record (2007-2017). Coverage generated a .26 U.S. HH rating and 368,000 viewers, +145% vs. 2015 (Germany, 150,000 viewers); +19% vs. 2013 (Colorado, 309,000 viewers) and +14% vs. 2009 (Illinois, 322,000 viewers).
7.30 MILLION VIEWERS ACROSS THREE DAYS OF COVERAGE ON GOLF CHANNEL AND NBC, MOST IN WOMEN’S GOLF SINCE THE 2014 U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN: In total, 7.30 million unique viewers tuned in to some portion of coverage of the Solheim Cup across three days on Golf Channel and NBC. Compared to traditional four days of coverage at major championships, most-viewed women’s golf event since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open on ESPN/NBC (9.77 million viewers across four days of coverage).
MORE THAN 6.3 MILLION MINUTES STREAMED, MOST SINCE 2016 RIO OLYMPICS WOMEN’S GOLF COMPETITION: Three-day coverage of the Solheim Cup saw 6.3 million minutes streamed across NBC Sports’ Digital platforms, trailing only the 2016 Rio Olympics (9 million) as the most-ever for a women’s golf event airing on Golf Channel / NBC.
NBC SPORTS GROUP’S 2017 MARQUEE LPGA EVENTS: NBC Sports’ next marquee women’s golf event will be the season’s fifth and final major, The Evian Championship, Sept. 14-17. The exclusive cable home of the LPGA Tour, Golf Channel has coverage of four of five women’s major championships in 2017, with three majors airing also airing on NBC: the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, RICOH Women’s British Open and The Evian Championship.
Golf Channel’s LPGA Tour coverage of the season-long Race to the CME Globe continues this week with the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and continues for 10 of the next 11 weeks, culminating with the CME Group Tour Championship, Nov. 16-19.
Sources: Nielsen, 2017 vs. prior years. US HH Rtgs; P2+ 000’s; P2+ reach w/ 6 minute qualifier; Live+Same Day. Details available. Adobe for Digital. Details available.
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