The past two weeks have been eventful in the world of golf. Europe’s win at the Ryder Cup has been the biggest highlight, followed by Team America’s plight after the defeat and Tiger Woods’ association with the arch-rivals aka European players for TGL, amid the speculations of him taking the Ryder Cup captainship in 2025. 

A new digression to this is now added by TGL’s beneficiary partnership with ESPN, something that is about to make things worse for seasoned Ryder Cup broadcaster NBC, especially after their unprofessional Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup coverage. 

A game-changer partnership in golf broadcasting poses challenges for NBC

It has now been publicly stated that Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy‘s TGL will kick off in January 2024 on ESPN as a prime-time coverage show. Aside from that, the coverage will be available on ESPN+, and all subsequent matches will be broadcast on the same platforms. 

This means that Woods’ TGL will get the exposure and attention of wider spectatorship, while ESPN will be the first to explore the unique tech golf experience with its audience. This appears to be a win-win situation for both parties. But guess who will be the most affected? That’s right, NBC. 

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The PGA and LPGA Tours’ Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup were broadcast live on NBC. The coverage was so unprofessional that, in addition to facing the wrath of the fans, the broadcasting network saw a drop in viewership in the United States, NBC’s main distribution circle.  

With an average of 1.41 million viewers on Saturday and 1.32 million viewers on Sunday, NBC’s coverage in Italy received fewer viewers than the previous event in Europe, in France in 2018. The coverage aired overnight and early in the morning, and the US team’s consistent trailing and eventual loss with a score of 16.5 to 11.5 contributed to the drop.

NBC Sports has so far invested $440 million over 15 years for the US rights to the Ryder Cup. With the events that have occurred and the shift in viewership to ESPN as a result of TGL, NBC may face significant viewership and financial losses.

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What does TGL entail for the fans?

The tech-forward golf league, TGL is going to be a first-time experience for the fans. The league features six teams of three PGA Tour players each who are going to compete in a tandem match play, with all players sporting live microphones to give spectators unprecedented access to the action. Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry have been associated with the league as of now. 

The shift to TGL is seen as a reaction to the increasing popularity of LIV golf, with both leagues competing for viewership during weekend stroke play events. Regardless of the competition, PGA Tour players see TGL as a fun team option to supplement their regular tour schedules.

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