CBS Sports delivered the most-watched final round of the PGA Championship in five years, with coverage drawing more than 8 million viewers.
Back in 2021, Phil Mickelson claimed the title at the PGA Championship just days before his 50th birthday, becoming the oldest player ever to win a major. This year, CBS broadcast the most-watched tournament since that memorable edition.
This year’s PGA Championship averaged 5.764 million viewers, a 21 percent increase from the previous year.
“It was amazing. From the very start of the week, from the Monday, which was the practice round for us, it felt like a tournament round,” said Rai following his win. “The fans were incredible from the very start of the week, and that just continued as the tournament went on.
“It definitely got quite loud out there today, and something that I mentioned earlier as well, I’m very much a foreign player playing here in America, but their support for me was incredible. So, yeah, the fans were absolutely brilliant this week.”
Viewership peaked at an average of 7.826 million over a one-hour window as Rai drained a remarkable 68-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole, completing his round to secure his first-ever major triumph at Aronimink Golf Club. Through the current season, CBS is averaging 4.150 million viewers for its PGA Tour broadcasts — its highest figure since 2015 — representing a 14 percent jump from the prior year.
The network also drew an average of 5,764,000 viewers throughout the entire final round, marking a 21 percent surge compared to Scottie Scheffler’s victory the previous year at Quail Hollow.
CBS wasn’t the only platform to reap the rewards, as ESPN’s live coverage of all four rounds at Aronimink Golf Club made it the most-watched PGA Championship on the network in six years, pulling in 1.7 million total viewers — a remarkable 49% increase from 2025.
Last year’s tournament finale saw Scottie Scheffler claim a five-stroke victory, yet CBS averaged just 4.76 million viewers, a drop of four percent.