The final round of the Masters Tournament saw a significant increase in viewership as Rory McIlroy secured his first green jacket, with an average of 12.7 million viewers tuning in, marking a 33% growth from the previous year. The peak viewership of 19.5 million occurred during the 7:00 – 7:15 p.m. ET timeframe as McIlroy entered the playoff round with Justin Rose. The tournament also achieved success in streaming, setting a record for Paramount+ as its largest non-NFL sports day.
CBS Sports reported that this year's Masters Tournament marked the most-watched final round since 2018, with McIlroy's victory in a playoff capturing both his first green jacket and golf's career grand slam. The third round also showed an increase in viewership by 16% compared to the previous year, drawing 7.6 million viewers on Saturday. This positive viewership trend for the Masters Tournament is a notable turnaround for CBS, which had faced challenges in attracting audiences in recent years.