Despite Los Angeles Golf Club dominating the team, Tiger Woods' TGL debut significantly increased ESPN's ratings compared to the previous week.
The world leader in sports has averaged 1 million viewers on Tuesday nights since Jan. 7, when 919,000 viewers tuned in to watch the showdown between New York Golf Club and The Bay. Increased by 9%. However, just like Woods' match, the first TGL broadcast had a lopsided result, with The Bay easily defeating New York by a score of 9-2.
Still, fans were still interested in watching and seeing what TGL had to offer. And as has been the case since the mid-1990s, Woods remains the center of attention and will always command attention among a wide range of sports enthusiasts.
“This is something the golf world has never seen before,” Woods said.
“To have an arena like this, to be able to play against great players, to entertain everyone and just have fun. It was really beautiful and it felt intimate. I think that’s one of the great things about it. It's about entertainment. We laughed.”
The moment for Tuesday's game came after the result had already been decided. On the 14th hole at TGL, a shank hit by Woods' teammate Kevin Kisner slid off the flagpole and across the virtual green. This misfire caused everyone to fall over and die laughing. In particular, Woods often maintained his stoic personality during matches.
Interestingly, just before Kisner's viral moment, coverage peaked at 1.1 million viewers in the 8:30-8:45 p.m.
Next Tuesday, Xander Schauffele's New York Golf Club will take on Atlanta Drive, a team comprised of Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Lucas Glover and Billy Horschel. Sure, Thomas has won two PGA Championships, but he's not one to move the needle. So do others. And that's no disrespect to any of these players. It's just reality. Tiger Woods is a tough act to follow.
Game 3 of the TGL season will be a real test for sponsors and network executives alike. Golf's latest venture received rave reviews when it was released, but also received criticism after the latest game. Will the viewer rating continue to exceed 900,000? who knows. But if interest in Game 3 drops sharply, it may be time to criticize the startup league, whether it's ensuring more competitive balance or shortening matches to nine holes or an hour. .
LIV Golf Inc. deals with FOX Sports
LIV Golf confirmed TV deal The partnership with Fox Sports is a major development for the Saudi-backed circuit, which hopes to reach more American homes. Sports Business Journal's Josh Carpenter says FOX will broadcast “more than half” of LIV's 14 events live on Fox or Fox Sports 1. It is estimated that Fox will air all US-based LIV events in 2025.
Fox also paid LIV “Modest rights fee” According to Puck. However, unlike when Fox broadcast the US Open from 2015 to 2019, LIV will continue to pursue its own broadcast and production.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
