Deane Beman On Why Ratings Don't Matter

PGATour.com posts an excerpt from Adam Schupak's excellent Deane Beman book and includes this television ratings philosophy of the former Commish:

Beman transformed golf from the most expensive sport to produce to the most profitable. A 1987 Forbes article noted that at the time the networks' earned upwards of $1 million per televised tournament. Sponsors maximized their exposure. Charitable contributions grew significantly. And the Tour was no longer at the mercy of ratings.

"The difference between a 3.2 rating and a 2.4 is a 25 percent drop. It seems like a disaster when you read about it in the press," Beman said. "But when your spread on the investment paid by the corporate title sponsor is $7 million v. $25 million in value received from all the extra advertising and promotion outside the telecast, the ratings would be nice to have, but should never be a deal breaker. That's what the press still don't fully understand."