Like Wimbledon, US Tennis Open TV Ratings in Decline
Updated with 2008 ratings: Viewership fell again, but with the rain delays and rescheduling of the finals its hard to compare the 2008 results with prior years.
Like Wimbledon TV ratings, the ratings for the US Tennis Open have been in long term decline, but while the decline might have something to do with the decline in US men's tennis the 2003 Andy Roddick win didn't help matters.
Complete US Tennis Open TV Ratings, 1972-2008:
| YEAR | NET | TELECASTS | HH rating | HH Share | # of HHs (million) | # of Persons (million) | WINNERS (WOMEN/MEN) |
| 1972 | CBS | 3 | 4.4 | 14 | 2.846 | KING/NASTASE | |
| 1973 | CBS | 2 | 5.3 | 17 | 3.516 | COURT/NEWCOMBE | |
| 1974 | CBS | 5 | 5.1 | 17 | 4.192 | KING/CONNORS | |
| 1975 | CBS | 4 | 6.6 | 23 | 5.532 | EVERT/ORANTES | |
| 1976 | CBS | 4 | 6.2 | 20 | 4.741 | EVERT/CONNORS | |
| 1977 | CBS | 5 | 5.7 | 20 | 4.174 | EVERT/VILAS | |
| 1978 | CBS | 5 | 4.8 | 15 | 4.757 | EVERT/CONNORS | |
| 1979 | CBS | 5 | 5.0 | 15 | 4.309 | AUSTIN/MCENROE | |
| 1980 | CBS | 5 | 5.8 | 17 | 5.610 | EVERT-LLOYD/MCENROE | |
| 1981 | CBS | 6 | 5.8 | 17 | 4.701 | AUSTIN/MCENROE | |
| 1982 | CBS | 6 | 5.1 | 16 | 4.242 | EVERT-LLOYD/CONNORS | |
| 1983 | CBS | 8 | 5.0 | 14 | 4.211 | NAVRATILOVA/CONNORS | |
| 1984 | CBS | 9 | 4.5 | 12 | NAVRATILOVA/MCENROE | ||
| 1985 | CBS | 10 | 4.8 | 14 | MANDLIKOVA/LENDL | ||
| 1986 | CBS | 8 | 3.7 | 11 | NAVRATILOVA/LENDL | ||
| 1987 | CBS | 9 | 3.6 | 11 | 3.170 | 3.990 | NAVRATILOVA/LENDL |
| 1988 | CBS | 7 | 4.2 | 12 | 3.800 | 5.320 | GRAF/WILANDER |
| 1989 | CBS | 8 | 3.8 | 12 | 3.500 | 4.640 | GRAF/BECKER |
| 1990 | CBS | 8 | 4.0 | 12 | 3.700 | 5.070 | SABATINI/SAMPRAS |
| 1991 | CBS | 7 | 4.4 | 13 | 4.020 | 5.490 | SELES/EDBERG |
| 1992 | CBS | 9 | 3.2 | 10 | 2.950 | 3.950 | SELES/EDBERG |
| 1993 | CBS | 9 | 2.6 | 8 | 2.420 | 3.090 | GRAF/SAMPRAS |
| 1994 | CBS | 9 | 3.0 | 9 | 2.830 | 3.740 | SANCHEZ-VICARIO/AGASSI |
| 1995 | CBS | 9 | 3.2 | 9 | 3.040 | 3.980 | GRAF/SAMPRAS |
| 1996 | CBS | 13 | 2.5 | 7 | 2.410 | 3.050 | GRAF/SAMPRAS |
| 1997 | CBS | 13 | 2.3 | 7 | 2.270 | 2.810 | HINGIS/RAFTER |
| 1998 | CBS | 8 | 2.3 | 7 | 2.250 | 2.640 | DAVENPORT/RAFTER |
| 1999 | CBS | 13 | 3.4 | 9 | 3.440 | 4.480 | S. WILLIAMS/AGASSI |
| 2000 | CBS | 9 | 2.8 | 8 | 2.886 | 3.651 | V. WILLIAMS/SAFIN |
| 2001 | CBS | 10 | 3.0 | 9 | 3.171 | 4.052 | V. WILLIAMS/HEWITT |
| 2002 | CBS | 7 | 3.0 | 8 | 3.179 | 4.160 | S. WILLIAMS/SAMPRAS |
| 2003 | CBS | 10 | 2.0 | 5 | 2.099 | 2.628 | J. HENIN/A. RODDICK |
| 2004 | CBS | 9 | 1.8 | 5 | 1.968 | 2.383 | S. KUZNETSOV/R. FEDERER |
| 2005 | CBS | 10 | 2.1 | 6 | 2.367 | 2.990 | K. CLIJSERS/R. FEDERER |
| 2006 | CBS | 11 | 2.0 | 5 | 2.186 | 2.753 | M. SHARAPOVA/R. FEDERER |
| 2007 | CBS | 10 | 1.7 | 4 | 1.941 | 2.383 | J. HENIN/R. FEDERER |
| 2008 | CBS | 15 | 1.6 | 4 | 1.831 | 2.213 | S. WILLIAMS/R. FEDERER |
Data does not include telecasts in August for the years 1974-80. The 2002 data excludes rain delays. The data for 2006-2008 is Live+SD, data for earlier years is Live viewing.
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2008 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
