The Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black will be memorable for many reasons, but for Sky Sports who broadcast the event in the UK and Ireland, it raised the bar higher than ever before.
The biennial clash between Europe and the USA itself attracted five million viewers, with a record-breaking 8.8 million tuning in to watch the golf, football, rugby, NFL and other offerings on the broadcaster’s various channels.
Viewership for the event on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event surged by 45% compared to the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, which Europe also won.
“The Ryder Cup weekend always delivers high drama, and this year was no exception with extraordinary twists and historic victory for Team Europe,” said Sky’s Chief Sports Officer, Jonathan Licht.
“The results we’ve seen across linear, social, and digital this weekend show how the biggest sporting events really are the best of entertainment, and the exceptional teams at Sky Sports help make them truly unmissable for fans.”
It was a different story in the United States, however. According to Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter, NBC’s coverage of the Sunday Singles averaged 3.22 million viewers, with a peak of 5.3 million as Team USA, led by Keegan Bradley, mounted a late comeback attempt. These numbers marked the lowest final-day viewership in the USA since before 2000.
But on Sky Sports, one in four TV viewers were glued to the action which peaked when Shane Lowry sank the final putt in his match with Russell Henley, confirming that, at worst, Europe would retain the trophy.
This surpassed even the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah and Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory earlier this year, making it the most-watched single day of golf in Sky Sports history.
