3M Open draws 1.323 million viewers as trend of declining viewership continues

The 3M Open concluded on Sunday, July 28, with Jhonattan Vegas returning to the winner's circle after a seven-year absence. However, the event reported a drastic drop in television viewership.

Sports Business Journal reporter Josh Carpenter tweeted that the final round of the 3M Open garnered 1.323 million viewers on the NBC Sports broadcast.

"Golf viewership from Sunday: CBS drew 1.323M viewers for Jhonattan Vegas's win in the 3M Open. That's down 21% from 1.665M last year for Lee Hodges' 7-shot win. CBS did have head-to-head competition this year with the Paris Olympics (swimming, volleyball, gymnastics on NBC)," Carpenter worte.

Notably, the 3M Open had to compete with LIV Golf UK and the Senior Open Championship, which played their final rounds on the same day.

The decline in viewership for the 3M Open underscores a broader decline in golf television ratings. This trend is evident in other major tournaments as well, with the 2024 Open Championship experiencing a 4% drop in viewership compared to the previous year.

The decline in television viewership has also affected LIV Golf. Caffeine TV recently terminated its contract as the breakaway league's streaming partner, citing a lack of profitability, Golf Monthly reported.

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2024 3M Open highlights

The 3M Open featured several captivating storylines that held fans' interest until the final moments. Most notably, Jhonattan Vegas' triumph marked his first PGA Tour victory in seven years.

Vegas finished the tournament at 17-under par, one stroke ahead of rookie Max Greyserman. The Venezuelan's previous victory on the American circuit came in 2017 (RBC Canadian Open). Prior to that, he also won the Canadian Open in 2016 and the Bob Hope Classic in 2011.

The second-place finish was the best result of Greyserman's PGA Tour career so far. It was also his third top-10 finish of the season and moved him up to 64th in the FedEx Cup standings, putting him on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs in his rookie season.

Another player to post his best finish of the year was Matt Kuchar (T3, 15 under). His best finish prior to playing at TPC Twin Cities was a T25 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Meanwhile, Sahith Theegala continued his strong form with another top-10 finish, his seventh of the season in 21 starts. This year, Theegala boasts an impressive record, including two second-place finishes and one third-place finish.

Theegala is tied for seventh in the FedEx Cup standings and is virtually assured of playing in all three PGA Tour postseason events. If he remains in the top 50, he will qualify for all of the 2025 Signature Events.