Despite sold-out grounds and gone corporate packages, reports suggest BMW is staying put. The PGA Tour is also about to undergo a major overhaul starting with the 2028 season as a controversial two-tier system. While most of the controversy centers on golfers’ and analysts’ opinions about the new system, there’s an added burden on sponsors, too. They must commit $20M+ to compete in the new Championship Series tier. BMW is willing; others aren’t.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Many sponsors have either ended their contracts with the PGA Tour or are negotiating changes. Amid all this schedule and sponsorship noise, a Sports Business Journal contributor claims that the $40 billion BMW will probably continue sponsoring the BMW Championship.
“Next week’s BMW Championship could draw 150,000 fans and has sold out of corporate hospitality. BMW’s current contract expires after 2027, but expect to see a big renewal and for the event to be a mainstay on the schedule,” wrote Josh Carpenter on X and linked a St. Louis Business Journal article as proof.
Carpenter’s tweet comes as multiple sponsors have left this season because of the league’s controversial two-tier system.
For instance, Rocket Companies ended its title sponsorship for the Detroit event after 2026. The reason was the uncertainty over the Tour’s changing landscape and the two-tier model. In 2027, a Sompo-sponsored tournament in Napa will replace the Detroit Classic.
Similarly, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts also ended its 20-year run with the PGA Tour. The tournament will continue, and that too in the Championship Series in 2028. However, it will run under the new sponsor, reportedly Raymond James and the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation.
Nevertheless, 2026 is shaping up to be a success for the PGA Tour, and the BMW Championship’s official handle confirms it.
“Grounds tickets are officially SOLD OUT for Sunday, Aug. 23,” it tweeted on Sunday, August 16.
And per the St. Louis Business Journal article’s writer, Nathan Rubbelke, the event could draw 150,000 fans over the four days of the tournament.
Organizers expect 35,000 to 40,000 spectators each day, bringing total attendance to over 150,000. In fact, over 150 companies are purchasing hospitality packages. Organizers project the event will deliver roughly $50 million in economic impact to the St. Louis region.
Currently, the BMW Championship is a fixed playoff stop with rotating venues. The 2026 edition will run from August 20 to August 23, 2026, at Bellerive Country Club. It features a $20 million purse with a highly competitive field featuring the top 50 in the FedExCup rankings. Despite a promising update by BMW and a claim by a reliable source, questions continue to arise regarding the event’s future.
There are question marks over the FedExCup umbrella, too. Now that the FedEx St. Jude Championship will not be part of the Championship Series, organizers will break up the three-event playoff. FedEx showed disappointment over this decision by the PGA Tour. As a result, FedEx’s continued sponsorship of the season-long points race remains uncertain.