This Year’s Masters Didn’t Need Tiger To Break Ratings Records

If you weren’t watching Rory McIlroy’s win on Sunday afternoon, you’re going to need a good excuse.

Even non-golfers tuned in to see if Rory McIlroy could finally complete the career Grand Slam. Not that his die-hard fans wouldn’t have taken a regulation win but the playoff made it even more dramatic.

The 2025 Masters finale delivered in every way, including viewership.

The week started off shaky

Early reports indicated viewership was down for the first two rounds. The coverage averaged just 2.3 million viewers, a 28-percent drop from 2024.

We can chalk that up to people waiting for the weekend or deciding whether Rory would make a run but things got off to a rough start.

Things were different on Sunday

I’ve watched around 30 Masters tournaments. I know others have seen more, but this one won’t be easy to forget.

CBS Sports reported an average of 12.707 million viewers for the final round of the 2025 Masters, a 33-percent jump from last year.

At its peak, between 7 and 7:15 p.m., 19.543 million people were watching. That’s the largest golf audience on TV in seven years.

Streaming numbers were just as good

For those who preferred to stream the Masters on Paramount+, the numbers were just as strong. This was the largest non-NFL sports day ever.

The final round became the most-streamed golf event in the platform’s history, showing triple-digit percentage growth compared to 2024.

What about those who watched in person?

In addition to the television viewership, the Masters has quite a few lucky in-person viewers as well. The crowds are intentionally limited at the Masters which leads to exclusivity.

While actual numbers aren’t typically released, rough estimates suggest around 40,000 patrons daily from Thursday to Sunday. In terms of unique visitors, it’s about 90,000 across the week. For a U.S. Open, you can typically expect closer to 250,000 for the week.

Final thoughts

Sunday’s Masters finale was what many call the unofficial start of the golf season. Between Rory’s successful attempt at history and the record-breaking viewership numbers, this year’s tournament hints that this could be the start of a fun year.

Top Photo Caption: Patrons were treated to a memorable Masters. (GETTY IMAGES/Augusta National)

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