With Tiger Woods finally back at the Masters, TV ratings soared with CBS earning a double-digit increase over last year’s numbers.
CBS earned an 8.7 rating for Sunday’s final round that saw Patrick Reed win his first major championship by holding off an historic rally by top rated golfer Jordan Spieth, Sporting News reported.
The final rating was up 14 percent from last year’s 7.6 rating when Sergio Garcia finally took a green jacket after failing to win any of his 73 previous championship appearances.
With his 2018 title, Reed won the praise of some auspicious fans:
The 2018 tournament brought viewers an exciting finish — even without Tiger in the hunt — with Spieth racing to whittle down a nine-shot deficit to come within inches of beating Reed. It was the strongest last-round rally in Masters history.
Tiger also gave viewers a few exciting moments when he shot an eagle on one hole and nearly aced another. Still, it was not enough as Woods finished tied for 32nd place shooting 3-under 69 by the final hole.
While the head-to-head bout between Reed and Spieth was certainly exciting, it seems that it was Woods who brought the viewers. ESPN also saw a bump in Masters ratings with Woods back in a major tournament. Woods’ return to golf has also benefitted other TV broadcasts.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.