Overview
- CBS averaged 5.76 million viewers for the final round on Sunday, a 21% rise from 2025 and the largest PGA final‑round audience since 2021.
- Aaron Rai’s late surge produced a peak of about 8.02 million viewers and the final hour averaged roughly 7.83 million on CBS.
- ESPN’s four‑day cable window also rose sharply, averaging 1.7 million viewers, up about 49% from last year.
- Nielsen recently expanded out‑of‑home viewing and rolled out a new “Big Data + Panel” methodology that tends to boost reported live‑sports numbers and makes direct year‑over‑year comparisons less certain.
- With weaker NBA playoff competition on Sunday and strong numbers for the Masters earlier this season, broadcasters and advertisers will watch interest ahead of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills for signs the rise is sustained.