- Average TV viewership increases by 35 per cent on Golf Channel, and 16 per cent on Sky Sports, versus 2024
The DP World Tour’s 2025 season concluded in dramatic fashion on Sunday and new data shows that the final 11 tournaments, comprising the Back 9 and the DP World Tour Play-Offs enjoyed impressive growth in fan engagement across broadcast viewing figures, spectator attendance and social media engagement.
Across the 11 tournaments, the average viewership on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom increased by 16 per cent compared to 2024. Particular highlights include the Amgen Irish Open, which recorded the highest ever peak viewership on Sky Sports for a DP World Tour event, and the DP World India Championship which recorded the largest ever average viewership on Sky Sports for a tournament in Asia (excluding the UAE). The season finale in Dubai, the DP World Tour Championship, also saw a 39 per cent increase in its average viewership, and a 92 per cent increase in its peak viewership, versus 2024. This momentum follows on from a successful 2025 Ryder Cup in New York, where Sky Sports record its highest ever weekend viewership of 8.8million.
In the United States, the average viewership on the Golf Channel increased by 35 per cent for these 11 events compared to 2024. Key highlights include the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, which had an average viewership increase of 143 per cent, and the Amgen Irish Open increased by 193 per cent.
Spectator numbers have also increased, with attendance for these 11 events up by 2 per cent compared to 2024, and up by 7 per cent versus 2023. In total, over half a million spectators attended these tournaments this year.
The Tour’s digital channels also experienced strong growth during the Back 9 and the DP World Tour Play-Offs in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Total video views on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram increased by 34 per cent. Impressions across all social media channels increased by 47 per cent, and engagements increased by 54 per cent. Page views on the DP World Tour website also increased by 10 per cent during the period.
“The DP World Tour is enjoying a period of unprecedented growth in our fan base around the world. As golf’s global Tour, we provided a platform for competitors from 41 nationalities to play events in 26 countries this past season and golf fans are increasingly drawn to the diversity we offer week in, week out” said Guy Kinnings, Chief Executive Officer at the DP World Tour.
“Whether it was during our five Global Swings, the Back 9, the DP World Tour Play-Offs, or our flagship Rolex Series tournaments – we managed to capture fan engagement at an unprecedented level. In addition, at a time when many sports are struggling to retain viewers on traditional linear television, it is pleasing to see that we are bucking this trend and growing our viewership. After a season full of incredible story lines and history making achievements – notably our Race to Dubai Champion Rory McIlroy winning the career Grand Slam, and a historic win for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in New York – we start our 2026 season next week in Australia with exceptional momentum.”
The Back 9 is the penultimate stage of the DP World Tour season and comprises nine of the Tour’s most historic events, national Opens and new events. The Back 9 events for 2025 were: The Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, the Omega European Masters, the Amgen Irish Open, the BMW PGA Championship, the FedEx Open de France, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the Acciona Open de Espana, the DP World India Championship and the Genesis Championship.
The top 70 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings at the conclusion of the Back 9 qualified for the DP World Tour Play-Offs. These are two Rolex Series events – the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship – where the Race to Dubai Champion was crowned. This year, Rory McIlroy successfully claimed his seventh Race to Dubai title after finishing second at the DP World Tour Championship to fellow European Ryder Cup star Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the tournament title for the third time.
