Tiger Woods last played in the Hero World Challenge in December. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters
The golfing world has witnessed a series of notable events over the past fortnight. Europe’s triumph at the Ryder Cup stands out as the most significant development, closely followed by the challenges faced by the American team in the aftermath of their defeat. Additionally, there has been considerable attention on Tiger Woods and his connection with European players for TGL, along with ongoing speculation about his potential role as the Ryder Cup captain 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.
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.
