And the ratings are going down while Tiger takes an indefinite break!
Tiger Woods skipped the Chevron World Challenge last week, which he founded, and NBC only drew 1.2 million viewers, down 54% from last year. Bill Carroll, vp and director of programming at Katz TV Group, explains:
“Without Woods, televised tournaments are like a major motion picture without a star’s name above the title — rarely do people go to see the flick. Now only die-hard golf fans will watch the tournaments.”
NBC often experiences a drop in the ratings when Tiger isn’t playing a tournament and the trend will likely continue. But will it get better when he comes back? John Rash, senior vice president at Campbell Mithun, says:
“While there will be keen interest in Tiger’s first tournament back, overall ratings will likely decline as the casual golf viewer who was enticed by Tiger’s personal and professional persona will now most likely view him differently. Indeed, his aura, which defined an era, is gone, and along with that, some viewers.”
We think he’s right!
Even if he comes back and continues to win tournaments, his reign as everyone’s favorite golfer is definitely over!
[Image via WENN.]