The final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament captivated an average of 14 million viewers on CBS, marking it as the most-watched final round in 11 years. The broadcast, featuring Rory McIlroy's historic repeat victory, also saw a peak viewership of 20 million, the largest television peak for the Masters since 2013. These impressive figures were highlighted in a recent tweet by sports business analyst Joe Pompliano.
CBS announced that the 13.995 million average viewers for Sunday's final round represented an 8% increase from the previous year's tournament. This viewership surge underscores the significant public interest in McIlroy's performance, as he secured his second consecutive Green Jacket. The peak audience of 20.049 million was recorded as McIlroy completed his winning tap-in putt, solidifying his place in Masters history.
Rory McIlroy's triumph in 2026 made him the first player to repeat as Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2002, and only the fourth in the event's 91-year history. His 2025 victory had previously marked the completion of his career Grand Slam, drawing 12.7 million viewers. The sustained drama and the pursuit of historical milestones by a major golf personality are considered key drivers for the elevated ratings.
The significant increase in viewership for the 2026 Masters also comes amidst the introduction of Nielsen's Big Data + Panel metric in September 2025, which has influenced sports viewership reporting. However, the substantial growth for this final round is believed to exceed the impact solely attributable to this new measurement. The 2026 numbers stand in stark contrast to the 2024 Masters, which saw a final round average of 9.59 million viewers, a 20% decline from 2023.
