• Loading stock data...
Monday, March 31, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

TGL’s First Match Drew Nearly a Million Viewers on ESPN: What It Means

TGL, the new indoor golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, launched this week. ESPN drew 919,000 viewers for the broadcast.

Bay Club golfer Shane Lowry, left, celebrates a putt with Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Aberg, right, during a golf match against the New York Gulf Club at SoFi Center, the home of TGL, the interactive golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy on January 7, 2025 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Imagn Images

The first TV ratings are in for TGL, the new six-team indoor golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Tuesday night’s debut match—which did not feature Woods or McIlroy in action—drew an average of 919,000 viewers on ESPN in its 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET time slot, according to Nielsen. The audience average topped one million between 9:15 and 10:15.

The Bay Golf Club (featuring Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry, and Wyndham Clark) defeated New York Golf Club (Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, and Matt Fitzpatrick) 9–2 in the 15-hole match. Each hole is usually worth one point, with no points awarded for a tie. Every match will play all 15 holes, no matter the score, for season-ending tiebreaker purposes.

Woods and McIlroy were in attendance at the 1,500-seat SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and each joined ESPN play-by-play announcer Matt Barrie at separate points in the broadcast booth.

TGL is technology-centric, featuring golfers hitting tee and approach shots into a giant simulator screen, and then chipping and putting at a “greenzone” area with artificial turf, real sand, and a green that can rotate and transform in between holes.

So, is 919,000 viewers for the first match of a new golf league good or bad?

Consider that the number is 28% higher than ratings of a Duke-Pittsburgh men’s college basketball game that drew 717,000 viewers on ESPN in the same window last year, according to Sports Media Watch. Coincidentally, another Duke-Pitt game was the lead-in for TGL on Tuesday, drawing 751,000 viewers.

According to Sports Media Watch’s research, the TGL debut drew more viewers than:

  • Any LIV Golf broadcast on The CW in 2023 and 2024
  • Last week’s PGA Tour season-opener, The Sentry, on Golf Channel and NBC
  • December’s “Crypto.com Showdown,” featuring LIV and PGA Tour stars on TNT Sports

All things considered, drawing close to one million viewers for the first match of a new golf league appears to be a success for TGL and ESPN, which has a multiyear media rights deal

That number should grow next week, when Woods makes his debut as his team, Jupiter Links Golf Club, faces Los Angeles Golf Club on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. On Jan. 27, McIlroy will play against Woods and Jupiter.

TGL’s 15-match regular season runs through March 4, with playoffs occurring later that month. The league’s challenge will be sustaining a consistent audience on ESPN and ESPN2 after any initial intrigue—from its stars like Woods and McIlroy to innovations like its 40-second shot clock—potentially wears off.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Brehanna Daniels

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.

Duke Keeps ACC Alive in March Madness

Duke will represent the ACC in the Elite Eight in both tournaments.
TCU Horned Frogs guard Hailey Van Lith (10) celebrates as she heads to the locker room after winning the NCAA Playoff Regional semi-final game against Notre Dame at Legacy Arena in Birmingham Alabama, March 29, 2025.

Hailey Van Lith Is an Early Success Story of Unrestricted Transfer Portal

She becomes first player to reach the Elite Eight with three teams.

NCAA Denies Colorado-Syracuse Spring Football Game

The schools hoped for permission to organize a formal scrimmage.

Featured Today

Columbia, SC - February 16, 2025 - Colonial Life Arena: Rebecca Lobo and Ryan Ruocco during a regular season game.

Inside Ryan Ruocco’s Rapid Rise to ESPN’s Top Voice of Women’s Hoops

The top voice became “quickly addicted” to calling the women’s game.
Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Chris Youngblood (8) and the Alabama Crimson Tide bench celebrate during the second half against the Brigham Young Cougars during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center.
March 29, 2025

How Alabama Became College Basketball’s Newest Juggernaut

The Crimson Tide have found success rivaling their historic football program.
Kendall Coyne Schofield
March 25, 2025

Kendall Coyne Schofield Wants More for the Next Wave of Mom-Athletes

The Walter Cup–winning Frost captain says small changes mean “everything.”
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks to pass the ball against USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) in the first half at XL Center.
March 23, 2025

‘More Value to Be Had’: Were Women’s March Madness Media Rights Undersold?

Could the NCAA have gotten millions more in its latest TV deal?

NFL Owners Face Big Decisions on 18th Game, Streaming, Rules

The league approaches its key offseason gathering with a sense of resurgent growth.
March 28, 2025

UFL Kicking Off 2025 Season With Labor Fight Still Simmering

The league’s first game is still on, even without a labor deal in place.
March 30, 2025

MLB OK With New Yankees ‘Torpedo’ Bats Used in 9-HR Game

The home run barrage tied an MLB record.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
March 28, 2025

Cooper Flagg’s Sweet 16 Performance Fuels NBA Tanking Debate

The Duke star shined as the Blue Devils advanced to the Elite Eight.
March 27, 2025

Adam Silver Says NBA All-Star Game Changes Were ‘A Miss’

The commissioner acknowledged poor reception for this year’s game.
[US, Mexico, & Canada customers only] Jan 23, 2025; Paris, FRANCE; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before the Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game between the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers at Accor Arena.
March 27, 2025

Silver: NBA Will ‘Explore’ European League With FIBA

Silver said the board of governors showed “enthusiastic support.”
March 27, 2025

MLB’s Growing Payroll Divide: Rich Teams Soar While Poor Lag Behind

The Dodgers’ 2025 player payroll nearly quintuples the Marlins’ spending.