ESPN Earns Best Overnight Rating for Masters First Round Since 2015

(RELEASE) - ESPN telecast of the first round of the Masters Tournament on Thursday, April 5, earned a 2.2 overnight rating, the highest for the first round since 2015. The rating was up 40 percent over 2017 and 16 percent over 2016.

It was the highest Thursday rating since a 2.4 overnight in 2015, the last year Tiger Woods competed in the event and when most of his round was included in the telecast. Woods is back this year and played earlier in the day Thursday while ESPN’s telecast of the second round on Friday will include the majority of Woods’ round.

Thursday’s overnight rating was the fourth-highest Thursday since ESPN began airing the Masters in 2008. The coverage aired from 3 p.m. until 7:20 p.m. ET with the rating peaking at a 2.4 between 6:15-7 p.m.

Louisville led all metered markets with a 4.8 rating, followed by Greenville, S.C., at 4.7, and Dayton, Ohio, and Fort Myers, Fla., at 4.2. Tampa-St. Petersburg and Orlando earned a 3.7.

ESPN will air Friday’s second round beginning at 3 p.m. ET, while SportsCenter at the Masters will air from 10 a.m. until the live coverage begins with in-progress updates.