The final round of the 2026 Open Championship, held at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England, attracted an average of 4.3 million viewers on NBC, marking a 6% increase from the previous year. This tournament saw Ryan Fox clinch an unexpected victory, which helped the broadcast peak at 6.1 million viewers during the closing moments of the event. The timing of the Open's final round, which runs mid-morning to early afternoon Eastern Time due to the time difference, differs from the later finishes usual in U.S.-based majors.

This upward trend in viewership aligns with increases across all four golf majors this season. The Masters led with 13.99 million viewers on CBS, an 8% rise, followed by the PGA Championship with 5.76 million viewers, a 21% jump. The U.S. Open saw a 2% increase to 5.5 million viewers on NBC, while the Open Championship's 4.3 million represented a steady 6% growth. These numbers were compiled using Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel methodology, which differs from last year's panel-only measurement.

NBC’s coverage throughout the Open Championship weekend also experienced notable gains. Saturday’s third-round broadcast averaged 3.7 million viewers, the highest since 2018, showing a 16% increase from the previous year. USA Network, which handled much of the early-round coverage, drew 873,000 viewers, reflecting both a 17% boost compared to last year’s panel-only data and a 2% gain against last year’s comprehensive measurement. Additionally, Golf Channel’s post-round show on Friday attracted 354,000 viewers, its best since the Masters.

These viewership gains coincide with various storylines capturing audiences’ attention, including Bryson DeChambeau’s penalty incident during the second round. The increased ratings reflect growing audience interest in golf’s major events and NBC’s successful programming strategy, particularly with compelling finishes and dramatic moments drawing in viewers. This rise in golf viewership contributes to the larger positive trend in sports broadcast ratings this year.