Final round of November Masters becomes least-watched on record

Dustin Johnson's runaway victory at the 2020 Masters was the least-watched final round from Augusta National on record, according to Sports Media Watch.

Forced to reschedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic and compete with Sunday's NFL slate for the first time, the final round drew an average of 5.59-million viewers on CBS, which is the fewest since viewership started to be tracked in 1995.

The final round also drew a 3.4 rating, which is the lowest-rated Masters final round since 1957 (3.0).

Compared to Tiger Woods' historic victory from April 2019, Johnson's win plummetted 51% in ratings and 48% in viewership. Both final rounds were aired earlier than the traditional broadcast window but an average of 10.81-million viewers tuned in to see Tiger claim his fifth green jacket.

The last time the final round of the Masters was slotted in its usual broadcast window was 2018 when it drew a 7.9 rating with an average of 13.03-million viewers. The 2020 numbers were down 57% compared to 2018.

Despite the decline, the Masters still produced golf's most-watched telecast in 2020. The final round of the PGA Championship in San Francisco was the sport's second most-watched broadcast.

The U.S. Open in September also set record lows as it competed with the NFL.

The dip in viewership for the Masters reflects the trend in declines and record lows across all major sports since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The 2020 NBA Finals and World Series both set all-time lows in viewership.