Staff WriterThe 153rd Open at Royal Portrush wasn’t just a championship—it was a downright pilgrimage, one that lured 278,000 fans to the wild beauty of Northern Ireland’s Antrim coast and delivered what might be the most electrifying edition of golf’s oldest major in recent memory.
In fact, The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush has officially raised the bar—not just in attendance, but in broadcast numbers, digital reach, and sheer, unfiltered enthusiasm for links golf at its most rugged and romantic. The numbers don’t whisper success—they scream it.
Let’s start with the crowds: 278,000 strong, the highest ever for The Open held outside the hallowed grounds of St Andrews. Practice Days? Sold out for the first time ever. That’s 90,000 eager fans craning for a glimpse of pre-tournament putts.
And in a nod to the future of the game, 19,000 children got in free, courtesy of the Kids Go Free initiative. Meanwhile, over 1.2 million hopefuls applied in the ticket ballot—a sure sign that demand isn’t dipping any time soon.
Meanwhile, as Royal Portrush was jammed tighter than a caddie’s car boot on a rainy Thursday, the rest of the world tuned in like it was the second coming of Seve.
Over in the UK, Sky Sports racked up a colossal 21.2 million viewer hours—the most eyeballs they’ve ever had on The Open without serving biscuits.
The final round alone brought in their second-biggest Sunday audience since 2021, which is saying something considering most Brits treat Sunday like a national nap.
Across the pond, NBC and Peacock weren’t exactly knitting either—pulling a 4.1 million average for the final round, up 21% from last year, and peaking north of 6.1 million when things got proper tasty.
NBC called it their best Open broadcast since 2022, which, coming from them, is practically a standing ovation.
“The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush has truly set a new standard in attendance, TV viewership and digital engagement,” said Neil Armit, Chief Commercial Officer at The R&A.
He wasn’t wrong. From the grandstands to the smartphones, this Open delivered.
“The incredible support from the fans at The Open and those watching around the world combined with the outstanding performances on the course to create an atmosphere that will be remembered for years to come,” Armit added. “These record-breaking figures are a testament to the enduring appeal of The Open and the passion of the fans for links golf at its finest. We are immensely proud of what we have achieved together with our partners.”
The digital surge mirrored the buzz on the ground. TheOpen.com shattered records, logging its highest-ever daily user count and pageviews—up 60% year-on-year.
Livestream viewership followed suit, with Featured Groups streaming setting new highs and overall live views climbing 15% from 2024.
The official Open app wasn’t far behind, clocking a 21% rise in daily users. New tools like a lockscreen leaderboard and smoother stream access led to a 96% boost in average session time—proof that if you give golf fans the goods, they’ll stay locked in.
Social media lit up like a Rory McIlroy wedge shot in a stiff Irish breeze. Across platforms, The Open gained nearly 400,000 new followers (a 178% bump) and clocked over 436 million video views. Instagram, ever the scoreboard of the cool kids, now boasts 795,000 Open followers.
And if you’re wondering whether fans are just watching or committing, consider this: One Club presented by Mastercard, The R&A’s digital fan hive, welcomed 155,000 new members during the week—its best growth since 2022. Total membership? Just over two million, spread across 184 countries. Not too shabby for a game born with feather-filled balls and hickory shafts.
The appetite for more isn’t slowing. The ticket ballot for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale has already drawn the most applications since St Andrews hosted in 2022. Clearly, fans aren’t just hooked—they’re all in.
In short, The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush didn’t just honour the past. It roared into the present, dragged the sport’s digital future along with it, and reminded us all why golf, in the right place and with the right crowd, still holds the power to stop time.
And for those lucky enough to be on that Antrim coastline? They’ll be telling stories for years—about the championship that brought the world to Portrush, and left it wanting more.
