The Ryder Cup delivered for NBC on Sunday with its best overnight rating since the miracle comeback by the United States at Brookline in 1999. Ratings were up a whopping 71% versus 2010, when the competition was held in Wales and 21% versus the last American Ryder Cup in 2008.
Sunday #RyderCup on NBC draws 4.1/9 overnight. Up 71% from '10 (2.4/7), up 21% from '08 (3.4/7) and best since '99 (6.3/15 at Brookline).
— NBCSportsPR (@NBCSportsPR) October 1, 2012
To put that 4.1 in perspective, it's almost half of the final round Masters overnight (8.1), which happened to be an eight year low for Augusta. Rounding out golf's other Sunday majors this year – the US Open drew a 6.6, the British Open a 3.3 (on cable during the morning), and the PGA Championship a 3.9 for Rory McIlroy's blowout.
Those tournaments of course don't have to compete against the NFL in the spring and summer, so NBC has to be thrilled with the 4.1 number. As far as some perspective versus other sports go, the Ryder Cup bested Game 6 of this year's Stanley Cup Finals (4.0), the Euro 2012 Final (3.0), and the opening race of NASCAR's Chase (2.6) this year. It also bested all the college football primetime games last week. Then again, all those numbers aren't even close to the same stratosphere as the NFL. SNF scored a massive 15.6 overnight rating last week.
