Why Ryder Cup Sunday TV Ratings Hit a 25-Year Low

The disappointing performance by the U.S. Ryder Cup team also led to subpar TV ratings for the biennial team golf event.

Sunday’s final round on NBC and Peacock averaged 3.22 million viewers, which is down 8% from 2021 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin (3.51 million viewers), the most recent edition played on U.S. soil. It now marks the lowest Sunday audience for a Ryder Cup playing Stateside this century (2025, 2021, 2016, 2012, 2008, and 2004). 

Viewership on Sunday did peak at 5.3 million viewers just after 5 p.m. ET, as the unlikely American comeback attempt was gaining serious momentum at Bethpage Black Golf Course in New York, before Irishman Shane Lowry sank a putt for Europe, helping that team retain the Ryder Cup. 

Across the Pond

U.S. Ryder Cup viewership varies greatly between years it’s played at home and away. In 2023, NBC drew 1.32 million viewers for the final round of the Ryder Cup from Rome, which played out in the morning for most Americans.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports said it recorded 5 million viewers in the U.K. across the three days of this year’s Ryder Cup, which is up 45% from the 2023 edition and set a new record for the network. 

Early Mornings

During the Ryder Cup, Peacock and digital platforms debuted a new alternative pregame show, T-Mobile Breakfast at Bethpage, which broadcast live each morning of the competition from a set just off the first tee. Saturday Night Live personality Colin Jost hosted Breakfast at Bethpage, adding to his sports media portfolio that also includes work for NBC at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The program was created by the PGA of America and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, in partnership with Pro Shop Studios (led by the creators of Netflix’s Full Swing PGA Tour docuseries). Viewership metrics for the pregame show have not been released.