The latest edition of team golf's iconic Ryder Cup, which took place in the US last weekend (September 26 to 28), produced contrasting broadcast viewerships on either side of the Atlantic.
In the UK, the three-day contest – won 15-13 by Team Europe after a dramatic final day – brought in a record-breaking 5 million viewers in total, with average viewing figures for this year's event up 45% from those of the 2023 Ryder Cup (which the European side also won).
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However, in the US, the final round brought in the lowest viewership numbers in 25 years for NBC, it has been reported.
Sky's coverage of the event peaked in terms of viewing numbers just before 10 pm UK time on Sunday (September 28), as the tournament's fate was finally decided after a day which almost produced an all-time Team USA classic.
Sky has now claimed that on Sunday evening, one in four TV viewers in the UK were watching the Ryder Cup's finale, "including more than 40% of under-35s."
The peak audience was the highest-ever for golf on Sky Sports – eclipsing the previous two highest figures, which were set during the 2012 Ryder Cup, and then during The Masters major tournament earlier this year, which was won by Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. Indeed, the most-watched single day of Sky Sports action ever – across all sports – came during April's Masters.
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By GlobalDataSky's current deal as the exclusive UK live home of the Ryder Cup was unveiled in early 2022. The public-service BBC, meanwhile, shows highlights from the biennial event.
Overall, the weekend's live action on Sky Sports brought in 8.8 million viewers.
In terms of Sky's Ryder Cup social media activity, there were 55 million total views of content related to that tournament (across all platforms), up 66% from 2023.
The Sky Sports mobile app, specifically, recorded 12.4 million Ryder Cup-related page views.
Jonathan Licht, chief sports officer at Sky, has commented: "The Ryder Cup weekend always delivers high drama and this year was no exception with extraordinary twists and a historic victory for Team Europe. Record audiences tuned in to watch the thrilling action from Bethpage Black."
On the other side of the Atlantic, NBC could only secure an average final round viewing figure of 3.22 million, significantly down on recent Ryder Cup final rounds.
NBC's tie-up covering the Ryder Cup began in 2015 and runs through 2030, with the latest figure first reported by the Sports Business Journal publication.
This year's NBC figure comes in contrast to the 3.51 million who tuned into the equivalent round during the 2021 Ryder Cup – the last time the event was held in the US (hosted at Whistling Straits in the state of Wisconsin).
Indeed, it is the least-watched Sunday at a Ryder Cup, for a US audience, since pre-2000.
The next Ryder Cup will take place in Europe, specifically at Adare Manor in Ireland.
