Golf Channel Original Series Breaks Big

The Nielsens broke the right way for Golf Channel on Monday night.

The third episode of Big Break Florida averaged 441,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data, to not only become the most-watched installment in the show’s 21-season history, but the most-watched premiere installment of any of the network’s original series. The delivery eclipsed the 435, 000 watchers for The Haney Project with Charles Barkley in March, 2009 and the 368,000 watchers of Feherty with Lee Trevino in June, 2011.

Golf Channel’s longest-running original series, this season’s Big Break Florida features a cast of 12 female aspiring professional golfers competing for more than $175,000 in cash and prizes – the most in the show’s history -- and an opportunity to play on the LPGA Tour at the 2014 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.  

The March 10 debut of Big Break Florida episode grew 63% from the third installment of Big Break Mexico last spring and 67% from Big Break NFL Puerto Rico episode 3 in fall 2013, making Golf the second-highest-rated sports network in the 9 p.m. hour behind ESPN on Monday night.

According to channel officials, the March 10 installment was the most-watched Big Break episode in 17 seasons since Golf Channel began reporting official daily ratings in 2006, beginning with Big Break V: Hawaii.