• Loading stock data...
Thursday, June 19, 2025

Without Tiger Woods, ESPN’s First-Round Masters Viewership Drops 28%

Without Woods, ESPN averaged 2.3 million on Thursday vs. 3.2 million last year with Tiger. But a stocked leaderboard bodes well for Masters weekend ratings.

Apr 11, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy reacts after missing a putt on no. 18 during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
Katie Goodale-Imagn Images

An injured Tiger Woods missed the Masters Champions Dinner. And his absence loomed over ESPN’s broadcast of the first round of the 2025 Masters Tournament.

Without Woods in the field, ESPN’s coverage averaged 2.3 million viewers (including out-of-home viewers) Thursday. That’s a 28% drop from the 3.2 million viewers for last year’s first round when Woods was in action. Just the presence of the five-time Green Jacket winner in 2024 produced the highest first-round viewership since 2015. 

In comparison, Thursday’s number was good but not great considering fan favorite Rory McIlroy was playing well as he tries to capture his first Masters title. ESPN also offered some excellent features, including Marty Smith’s great piece on Woods’s iconic chip-in in No. 16 in 2005 that turned into an insta-Nike commercial.  

Airing from 3 p.m. to 7:23 p.m. ET, ESPN’s live coverage Thursday was the most-watched sports program for the day across all broadcast and cable TV networks. ESPN’s Welcome to the Masters lead-in program, which aired from 1 to 3 p.m. ET, averaged 455,000 viewers.

Thursday’s first-round viewership mirrored the Tiger Woods Effect on TV ratings from 2022 to 2023. When Woods teed it up in the afternoon in 2022, the first round drew 2.8 million viewers. But when the 15-time major tournament winner began his first round in the morning in 2023, outside of the ESPN coverage window, the first-round audience dropped 11% to 2.5 million. 

Thankfully for CBS Sports, the weekend leaderboard is stocked with big names such as McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and young Norwegian phenom Viktor Hovland. 

The Masters is annually the most-watched golf tournament on TV. But final-round viewership for last year’s tournament—won for the second time in three years by Scheffler—sank 20% to 9.59 million viewers. This year’s first-round viewership again bears out a truism about the human ratings magnet Woods: He doesn’t move golf’s TV ratings needle; he is the needle.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.

Fire Rekindled? WNBA’s Portland Expansion Team Eyes Original Name

WNBA trademarks hint at Portland Fire revival as league expands and honors history.
Washington's Ben Gorsage, right, and Orland Park Sandburg's Mateo Ramiro-Garcia tangle at the start of the Class 3A state 800-meter run Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Gorsage took third place, followed by Ramiro-Garcia in fourth.

Dozens of Olympic Sports Have Been Cut in Wake of House v...

Tennis, track and field, and swimming and diving appear heavily impacted.
Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) leave a court after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-85 in game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.

Lakers Sale Stunner: 3 Rapid Reactions

If the Lakers are worth $10 billion, imagine a Cowboys sale price.

Featured Today

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Tyrese Haliburton
June 16, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Up Again in Game 4 but Still Down Overall

More than nine million people watched Games 3 and 4.
Thunder
June 16, 2025

NBA, ABC Air Finals Lineup Intros After Fan Complaints

ABC aired player intros for the first time in 12 years Monday. 
Anthony Slater
exclusive
June 13, 2025

Top Warriors Reporter Anthony Slater Leaving The Athletic for ESPN

Anthony Slater starts at ESPN later this summer.
June 12, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Rise in Game 3, but Still Trail Recent Years

The Pacers lead the Thunder, 2–1, in the Finals.