Sunday vs. Monday Finishes Against The NFL: Ratings Watch

In this week's ratings listing from Douglas Pucci, we get to see how the Monday finish at Kapalua fared versus Sunday's Sony Open conclusion (both on Golf Channel). The PGA Tour’s Monday finish concept for the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions has not been popular with many, but the numbers for the live telecasts suggest it's best to get out of the NFL's way.

Even though the Hyundai TOC finished its sudden-death playoff as Monday night's college football national championship game between Ohio State and Oregon started, the final round averaged 409,000 viewers (0.3) over a four-hour Monday telecast.

Meanwhile the Sunday conclusion to the Sony Open, played against the AFC Championship game and with Jimmy Walker coasting to victory, drew an average of just 167,000 viewers (0.1) over a two-plus hour telecast. Prior to that, a two-hour NBC telecast featuring the Sony leaders as they started play and going against the end of the NFC Championship game, delivered a respectable .4 and averaged 640,000 viewers.

To underscore the power of the NFL, Saturday's Sony Open third round telecast on Golf Channel (over four hours) delivered 438,000 (0.3).

The week prior, Sunday's TOC third round played against NFL playoff games fared somewhat better than the Sony finale, with the third round drawing a 300,000 average (0.2). Saturday's second round from Kapalua averaged 376,000 viewers (0.3).

Pucci's ratings January 18th breakdown at Awful Announcing.