SBJ: PGA Tour Viewership Numbers "Tumble"

The headline was brutal but reading between the lines, the drops might not be quite a "tumble."

Michael Smith of Sports Business Journal says PGA Tour viewership "took another plunge during the 2013-14 season," reporting drops in average weekend numbers by 18% (NBC), 14% (CBS) and 9% for Golf Channel early weekend coverage, while pointing out that the "drops followed sharp declines the previous year as well."

CBS's Sean McManus remained bullish on the strength of tour golf.

“Year-over-year ratings are going to fluctuate, but it’s important to remember that sponsor underpinning and interest is as strong as it’s ever been,” said McManus, chairman of CBS Sports. “Ratings are significant, but we’re not worried about any long-term trends. We feel the future is still very bright.”

The Tour's Ty Votaw says the cumulative audience was down just 1 percent over 2013. The cumulative takes into account things like telecast replays and other variables.

“We have a lot of total TV hours, probably more hours of competition than most sports,” Votaw said.

A four-year snapshot shows that the tour’s cumulative audience in 2011 reached 175.9 million viewers; 171.2 million in 2012; 172.6 million in 2013; and 170.7 million in 2013-14.

With Tiger out for all but a few events and other variables, the numbers may not be that alarming.

The 2014 tournaments also faced some difficult competition for eyeballs. The Sochi Olympics in February went up against three tour events, while the FIFA World Cup ran from June into July.