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Does Tiger Woods Still Boost TV Ratings? Make That A Resounding Yes
Toni FitzgeraldContributor
I cover the business of television
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
It's been so long since Tiger Woods was actually in contention for a major championship, it was natural to wonder if the so-called "Tiger Effect" was still in effect.
It is, and CBS benefitted greatly from it.
Ratings for the final round of the PGA Championship, the year's final major, soared compared to last year as Woods finished as the runner-up in the tournament by shooting a masterful 64 on Sunday.
CBS drew its highest rating for the final round of the PGA Championship in nearly 10 years, since 2009, when Woods finished as runner-up to Yang Yong-eun.
The network averaged a 6.1 metered-market household rating and a 14 share, according to Nielsen, 69 percent better than last year's final-day average, when Justin Thomas captured the title and Woods did not even play.
Sunday's action peaked with an 8.3 rating and 17 share from 7 to 7:15 p.m., as Brooks Koepka secured his second major title of the season.
The Tiger Effect refers to a phenomenon that began back in the late '90s, when Woods first joined the PGA Tour. Ratings for any tourney, but especially the majors, where he contended saw a big TV ratings bump thanks to Woods' immense popularity and his ability to draw in viewers well beyond the usual golf crowd.
But it had been so long since Woods won a major — his last victory came in 2008 at the U.S. Open — that it was not a sure thing the Tiger Effect would still exist.
In the 10 years since Woods captured his 14th major, a lot has changed in the sports world, and Woods' once-sterling reputation took a hit after he admitted to cheating on his then-wife. He also struggled with health problems, including a bad back that required surgery and kept him largely off the tour, and out of the public eye, for the past few years.
Two decades ago, Woods re-energized golf, adding the youth and diversity and swagger it had lacked for so long. But in his absence, other stars arose, and athletes in other sports distinguished themselves as leaders in social movements off the field, something Woods did not appear to aspire to (many have compared him to Michael Jordan in this way).
But Sunday's results suggest that the public is still very interested in Woods — and, by extension, interested in golf. Undoubtedly CBS and ESPN are itching for him to remain in fighting form for next year's Masters, usually the year's top-rated golf tournament regardless of who's in contention.
Toni Fitzgerald
I covered TV and other media for 15 years at Media Life (RIP). Now I write and edit for businesses and magazines.