CBS’s PGA Tour Coverage Scores Top Viewership Billing: The Week in Sports Ratings

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

NFL preseason games make up nearly half of the 10 top-rated events

Lucas Glover plays his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship on August 13
Lucas Glover plays his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship on August 13 (Image credit: Getty Images)

CBS’s PGA Golf coverage swung its way to the top of last week’s live sports ratings chart that was otherwise dominated by preseason National Football League games.

CBS’s August 13 coverage of the PGA FedEx St. Jude Championship averaged 3.20 million viewers to top the chart for the week of August 7 to August 13, per Nielsen numbers published by Sports Media Watch. CBS’s pre-event telecast also finished in the top 10 most-watched events for the week with 1.89 million watchers.

NBC’s August 13 NASCAR Cup Series Race finished second for the week with 2.83 million, followed by Fox’s August 12 Saturday baseball coverage with 2.30 million viewers. 

NFL Network placed four preseason game telecasts in the top 10, led by the August 13 San Francisco 49ers-Las Vegas Raiders game with 2.22 million viewers. 

Fox’s  coverage of the August 10 Spain-Netherlands FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match was the eighth-most-watched event for the week with 1.77 million viewers. 

Falling short of the top 10 was ABC’s August 13 coverage of the Little League Softball World Series Championship Game, which drew 861,000 viewers, placing it behind only the 2002 championship game historically, according to ESPN.  

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Top-Rated Live Sports Events, August 7-August 13
DateEventNetworkViewership
August 13PGA St. Jude TournamentCBS3.20 million
August 13NASCAR Cup Series RaceNBC2.83 million
August 12Fox Saturday Baseball Fox2.30 million
August 13NFL Pre-season game (49'ers-Raiders)NFL Network2.22 million
August 13NFL Pre-season game (Chiefs-Saints)NFL Network 2.12 million
August 13NASCAR Cup Series Race (pre-show)NBC2.03 million
August 12PGA St. Jude Tournament CBS1.89 million
August 10 FIFA Women's World Cup (Spain-Netherlands)Fox1.77 million
August 12NFL Pre-season (Eagles-Ravens)NFL Network 1.74 million
August 10NFL Pre-season (Texans-Patriots)NFL Network 1.68 million
R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.