SBD On 2017 PGA Tour Sunday Ratings Drop

Thanks to reader PG for this piece by Sports Business Daily’s Thomas Leary, who considers the PGA Tour joining "a growing list of sports properties to see a decline in audience in ‘17."

Many noteworthy points are raised in exploring the 18-week straight dip in Sunday ratings, including digital viewers not counted by Nielsen ratings and similar ratings drops in most sports. Not mentioned: fatigue from the wraparound season (aka over-saturation), the length of telecasts saturating numbers while also testing a short-attention span society, cord-cutting and a President Trump distraction effect.

Mostly though, the story suggests that no one has come close to replacing Tiger both as a charismatic figure and dominant force who people love watching win.

Colvin Sports Network Founder & President Bill Colvin, a veteran of the golf hospitality space, noted when Woods was winning majors at a consistent clip, it was easy for fans to keep track of the sport’s most popular player. Colvin: “Now there’s all the good young guys, but there’s so many to keep track of and all relatively speaking are inconsistent. There’s no momentum built on one storyline right now in golf.”

More PGA Tour Live numbers!

Total visits to PGATour.com this year are up 10%, while PGATour Live subscribers (+33%) and streams (+42%) are also up. CBS and NBC/Golf Channel’s combined live streams are up 16% this year, and the Tour’s social channels have grown by 36% over last year. "It’s not as if our fans aren’t consuming our content,” Votaw said. However, he conceded social and digital viewing "are our snacks, and the TV product is our meal.”

This is a point worth considering on digital growth, though I would say slightly refuted by the success of specialized feeds for The Masters and US Open.

As for its digital platforms, Pilson said golf “probably isn’t getting a bump” because its core audience is “older than almost any other sport.” Pilson: “I’ve yet to see a 60-year-old checking his mobile phone for the golf telecast. My guess is that the benefits that digital is providing for leagues like the NFL and NBA isn’t accruing for golf.”

Perhaps for mainstream audiences, but I think we all would agree golf has an opportunity with specialized feeds that are more engaging than any other sport can offer: featured groups, featured holes and other niche elements that make for great viewing on the office computer!