Global TV Audience of 67 million watched The Open
An estimated 67 million TV viewers watched The Open Championship from Carnoustie according to a new research study just published by major sports pollster, Comperio Research. Over 2000 hours of Open coverage was broadcast, across 75 TV channels, with a global reach of more than 580 million households.
The legacy benefit to golf in the area is massive. Scenic, graphic and verbal promotional exposure, for the town and surrounding countryside, was calculated to be worth £34m in gross advertising value. Significantly, for future golf tourism, almost half of that promotional value was broadcast on North American TV screens.
The success of The Open Championship 2007 is also good news for St. Andrews in 2010 with more than two thirds of Scottish spectators at Carnoustie expressing their loyalty to the event by planning a return visit. Almost half of golf fans visiting from the rest of the UK are likely to make the trip and close to 40% from overseas.
The research study, commissioned by Angus Council, also found The Open Championship to be a major boost to the local economy, worth £14.8m to Carnoustie and the county or £26.4m to Scotland as a whole.
