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NBC Draws Best British Open Overnight Since It Left For Cable TV After '09 Event
NBC yesterday drew a 3.9 overnight rating for the final round of the British Open, which saw Henrik Stenson capture his first major following a Sunday duel with Phil Mickelson. The figure yesterday from 9:15am-2:00pm ET marked the best final round for the event since it last aired on broadcast TV in the U.S. in '09, when ABC also drew a 3.9 overnight for Stewart Cink's four-hole playoff win over Tom Watson. Last year, the event finished on a Monday, with ESPN drawing a 2.6 overnight as Zach Johnson held off Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a four-hole playoff. ESPN in ’14 for its Sunday final telecast also drew a 2.6 overnight, as Rory McIlroy held off Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia. ESPN’s British Open coverage peaked in ’13 (3.6 overnight), when Mickelson won the event. Meanwhile, NBC drew a 2.8 overnight for third-round coverage, which compares to ABC’s 2.4 rating in ’09 ( Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor ).
