EASTER SUNDAY FINAL ROUND VIEWED IN ALL-OR-PART BY 35.2 MILLION, UP 7%

An estimated 42 million viewers (Persons 2+) watched all-or-part of CBS Sports’ Easter Weekend coverage of the 2009 Masters® according to Nielsen Media Research.  Even with Easter Sunday viewing levels down from a year ago, the Network’s coverage of the third and final rounds of this year’s Masters on Sunday, April 12 and Saturday, April 11 is the most watched since 2001 when 47.9 million watched all-or-part of Tiger Woods winning his second Green Jacket.  This year’s 42 million was up 6% from last year’s 39.7 million.     

Nielsen Media Research estimates CBS Sports’ final-round coverage on Easter Sunday, in which Angel Cabrera won the coveted Green Jacket in a two-hole playoff over Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell, was seen in all-or-part by 35.2 million viewers, up 7% from last year’s 32.8 million, who saw Trevor Immelman beat out Woods for the 2008 Masters title.  This year’s 35.2 million viewers was the largest number of viewers to watch all-or-part of CBS Sports’ final-round coverage of the Masters since 35.9 million watched Woods win his fourth Green Jacket in 2005.

HUT (Households Using Television) levels this Easter Sunday in the 56 metered markets were down 15% compared to last year (42.8% vs. 50.3%, respectively).  National HUT level information for this past weekend will be available tomorrow.

CBS Sports’ coverage of Sunday’s final round earned an average fast national household rating/share of 8.3/20, slightly down 3% from last year’s 8.6/18.  Final-round coverage peaked with a rating/share of 10.0/21 from 7:00-7:30 PM, ET, during the playoff, and earned a 9.4/23 from 5:00-6:00 PM, ET as Woods and Phil Mickelson were finishing their final rounds.

This year’s final-round coverage of the Masters was higher rated than any of the other final rounds of golf’s majors in 2008: +152% higher than the 2008 British Open final round (3.3/10); +11% and +24% higher than the 2008 U.S. Open final round (7.5/17 Sunday and 6.7/19 on Monday Playoff, respectively); and +196% higher than the 2008 PGA Championship final round (2.8/6 - versus the 2008 Summer Olympics).

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CBS Sports Contacts:              LeslieAnne Wade         Robin Brendle              Jerry Caraccioli

                                                (212) 975-5171           (212) 975-1533           (212) 975-7466

                                                lwade@cbs.com           rlbrendle@cbs.com      gwcaraccioli@cbs.com