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Rory McIlroy’s Masters triumph broke viewing records on both sides of the Atlantic - Getty Images/Andrew Redington
Rory McIlroy’s thrilling Masters triumph broke television viewing records on both sides of the Atlantic as Sky Sports recorded the most-watched day in its history.
Around 7.5 million viewers were counted on Sky’s linear channels across a day of Premier League football, the Bahrain Grand Prix and the last round at Augusta.
A record average audience of 1.3 million tuned in between 6am and 2am, which yielded a record 19 per cent share of total TV viewing, higher than any terrestrial broadcaster on the same day.
The Masters also delivered bumper viewing figures in America for CBS Sports, with Paramount+ also registering its biggest streaming audience for a non-NFL day.
Sunday’s final round ended up being the most watched golf round on any US network in the past seven years, with an average of 12.7 million viewers eclipsing the number that tuned in to Tiger Woods’ epic 2019 comeback victory at Augusta.
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More people tuned in to CBS to watch McIlroy’s victory this year than Tiger Woods’ success in 2019 - AP Photo/David J. Phillip
CBS peaked at 19.5 million around the time McIlroy captured the win in a play-off hole against England’s Justin Rose. In the UK, Sky’s numbers inevitably dropped off after a peak audience of 1.85 million just before midnight. Nevertheless, around 1.6 million were still watching his sudden-death play-off hole against Justin Rose at 12.24am.
That is similar to Sky’s usual audience for Premier League matches in the afternoons and evenings, which averaged around 1.78 million last season.
Ratings have delighted TV executives – especially given the absence of Woods, who has been the sport’s biggest draw for the past quarter of a century.
Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht said: “Sunday was a day of unforgettable sporting drama, and a proud day for Sky Sports, as the live action had fans gripped from the morning into the early hours.
“From Rory’s historic win to an exciting Bahrain Grand Prix and a packed schedule of football, cricket and tennis –it was a day that had it all.”
Sky Sports was launched on April 20, 1991, replacing the BSB Sports Channel. It has been the Premier League’s lead broadcaster since the competition was launched in 1992.
The ratings come as senior UK officials discuss plans to celebrate McIlroy completing his Grand Slam of majors. “He’s now entered the pantheon of the all-time greats,” said Sir Hugh Robertson, an IOC member and former sports minister.
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