2023 Ryder Cup pulls record audience for Sky Sports
October 3, 2023
Sky has reported that the 2023 Ryder Cup was the most watched edition on record for Sky Sports as Europe claimed a decisive 16.5 – 11.5 victory over Team USA to claim back the trophy in Rome.
Across the three days, there was an average of 785k viewers, which is comparatively up 38 per cent on 2021 and 25 per cent on 2018. Noticeably, more under 35s (14 per cent) watched the 2023 Ryder Cup than in 2021 – highlighting the sports ever growing appeal to younger fans.
The competition also drew big numbers across Sky Sports’ digital platforms with over 10 million views of editorial content and over 2 million video views across skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.
On social media, there has been over 18 million video views on Ryder Cup content to date, with 9.1 million video views and 22.9 million impressions on X, respectively. In particular, Viktor Hovland’s celebratory couple-less photo was embraced by fans – garnering over 80,000 likes on Instagram.
The record viewing figures follow on from the 2023 Solheim Cup, which was the most watched edition of the tournament on Sky Sports as Europe retained the trophy courtesy of a thrilling 14-14 draw against USA, with Suzann Pettersen’s side recovering from 4-0 down after the opening day’s foursomes.
Sky Sports Director of Golf, Jason Wessely, commented: “This past weekend rounds off a superb period where we’ve seen record numbers across both the Ryder and Solheim Cups. It’s testament to the team we have when it comes to producing unparalleled content and commentary. Looking ahead, we know there’s a real opportunity when it comes to engaging with new fans as we see younger generations coming to the sport, as well as the ongoing role we have in growing the women’s game through telling the stories of the world’s best female athletes.”