Looks like CBS should raise a toast to Phil Mickelson and an “in the mix at the start of the fourth round” Tiger Woods for their roles in boosting television ratings 36% from last year’s win by Angel Cabrera in a two-hole playoff.
Sunday’s final round on CBS earned a 12.0 overnight rating and 25 share. The 2009 Masters was 8.8/21. The “off the charts” ratings of 15.8/32, occurred in 1997, when Tiger Woods won for the first time.
According to published reports, the 2010 Masters had the third highest overnight rating for a final round of any golf tournament since at least 1986, which is as far back as the records go.
So how did the 3-D broadcast do? Check out the thoughts of this columnist, Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star.
For a technical overview of the 3-D broadcast, check out what James Pikover had to say at Tom’s Guide.
“Once I settled in to watch, I decided that the Masters in 3D was surprisingly good. The picture was clean, and the extra depth afforded by 3D imagery helped me to see slopes and distances. I believe the 3D actually added to the golf-watching experience. As someone who’s been on the course but doesn’t play, the importance of understanding a distance or a slope can’t be emphasized enough. Those distances and angles get lost during regular broadcasts. 3D fills that gap very well.”
