The Tiger effect: Woods' impact on TV viewing figures

There is no man or woman in the history of any sport who has single-handedly effected television audiences as much as Tiger Woods has done over the last two decades. Even on the final day of last week’s Masters when Woods had no chance of winning, the 42-year-old golf superstar helped move the TV ratings needle.

The so-called ‘Tiger Effect’ transcends Woods’ form – he just has to be on screen and that creates one of the most remarkable and reliable boosts to sports TV, particularly in the US. An oft-quoted rule of thumb is that Woods’ presence on the first page of the leaderboard could double a Sunday TV audience across America.

In fact, this month’s Masters saw ratings…