• Loading stock data...
Thursday, November 14, 2024

LIV Golf’s Debut on The CW Averages Less Than 300K Viewers

  • NBC’s weekend coverage of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic lured in 85% more viewers.
  • The CW hasn’t broadcast sports for more than two decades.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

LIV Golf averaged nearly 300,000 viewers over the weekend in the tour’s debut on The CW. 

The Saturday and Sunday broadcasts on The CW were seen by 85% fewer viewers than the PGA Tour’s broadcast network coverage of the Honda Classic on NBC, according to data from ShowBuzz Daily.

One factor in the disparity is NBC’s broadcast window on Saturday and Sunday was three hours compared to the five hours of coverage (1-6 p.m. ET) the CW carried those days. NBC pulled in an average of nearly 2 million viewers on Saturday and Sunday. 

Golf Channel’s lead-in coverage of the Honda Classic — also streamed on Peacock and ESPN+ — before NBC took over the coverage averaged 870,500 viewers. 

LIV Golf announced its multiyear deal with The CW last month after the Saudi-backed league was available only via streaming in its first season last year. 

The CW doesn’t typically provide its affiliates with weekend afternoon programming, and it hasn’t covered sports before the channel’s predecessor, UPN, broadcast the first rendition of the XFL in 2001.

UPN and the WB merged to create The CW in 2006, and the Nexstar Media Group purchased 75% of the network last year. 

In a news release earlier this month, NexStar said that LIV broadcasts would be available “in 100 percent of its markets across the United States.” But Deadline reported that some of The CW affiliates that NexStar doesn’t own chose not to carry LIV, although NexStar shifted the broadcasts to other affiliates in the same markets. 

“By utilizing the nationwide reach of our affiliate partners as well as the power of Nexstar stations, The CW has positioned itself as the broadcast destination for live mainstream sports for many years to come,” Dennis Miller, president of The CW, said in a statement. 

LIV coverage is available live on The CW app. 

The Honda Classic’s viewership on NBC was down about 7% for Saturday and Sunday compared to last year, according to Sports Media Watch

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

The Caitlin Clark Show Is Hitting the LPGA Tour in a Big..

The WNBA star is playing in an LPGA pro-am this week.
Former President Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he exits the putting green with his aide Walt Nauta, left, during the final round of the LIV Golf Bedminster golf tournament at Trump National Bedminster on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
opinion

Trump Win Puts Sports Back in the White House

With Trump back in the White House, sports get more political again.
Members of the NY Giants run onto the field to start the game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.

The NFL Is Becoming the League With No Borders

Where will the NFL go next? International expansion will only get bigger.

NFL, UEFA Rights Help Paramount+ Add 3.5 Million Subscribers

The streamer’s quarterly revenue grew by 25% compared to 2023.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Will Drew Brees Return to Broadcasting?

0:00

Featured Today

NFL Center Connor McGovern Is the Heir to a Potato Empire

The NFL vet’s family provides potatoes for McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and others.
Vanderbilt Commodores fans head to the south end zone as the goal post is taken down by exuberant fans after beating No. 1 Alabama 40-35 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
opinion
November 2, 2024

Something New in College Football This Year: Parity

Upsets, surprises. CFB is more fun on the field than the NFL.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
November 1, 2024

Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle

Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport.
October 31, 2024

The Untapped Revenue ‘Powder Keg’ of Women’s NFL Fandom

There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.

MLB Withdraws Objection, Clearing DSG’s Path Out of Bankruptcy

The swift reversal will likely aid confirmation of the RSN operator’s reorganization plan.
November 13, 2024

DSG Introduces NBA, NHL Single-Game Streaming Despite Bankruptcy

The regional sports network operator introduces single-game view options for its NBA and NHL teams.
November 13, 2024

NFL TV Ratings Up Big on Major Networks, but There’s a Caveat

This NFL season has been marked by new media trends.
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.
November 12, 2024

NBA’s Declining Viewership Gets Steph Curry Bump

Last Wednesday’s Warriors-Celtics game averaged 2.14 million viewers.
November 12, 2024

Chiefs-Bills Clash Could Set Ratings High, and CBS Is Going Big

CBS is set to broadcast “The NFL Today” on-site from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.
November 12, 2024

Netflix NFL Christmas Doubleheader Will Be Tracked by Nielsen

The move aligns with how Amazon measures “Thursday Night Football” audiences.
November 11, 2024

DSG’s Future Hangs on Bankruptcy Hearing As MLB Objects to Plan

The bankrupt regional sports network operator will learn whether it will again become a viable company.