Despite its best efforts to attract top golfers such as Jon Rahm and other notable players for the upcoming 2024 season, LIV Golf falls short in terms of matching the impressive television viewership figures of the PGA Tour.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series is facing a challenge with its television ratings, despite having some of the most prominent names in the sport. Despite securing players like Rahm and Hatton, the series, supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, struggles to attract viewers in the United States where the PGA Tour continues to dominate.
The PGA Tour remains the leader in terms of viewership. LIV Golf made significant investments by signing Rahm to a deal worth over $600 million and Hatton to a contract worth over $60 million. However, even with their star power, they have not been able to draw in fans. The thrilling finale of LIV Golf Vegas, with an audience of over 280,000 viewers, failed to captivate a significant number of viewers on the CW network.
The Waste Management Phoenix Open this year attracted an impressive one million viewers. In comparison, the rebroadcast of the PGA Tour event’s third round on the Columbia Broadcasting System had higher viewership than LIV Golf’s Mayakoba event. The PGA Tour attracted more than twice the number of viewers with this broadcast.
There is no doubt that fans have a strong belief in the legacy of the PGA Tour. LIV Golf has faced significant challenges in attracting and engaging viewers, which has made it difficult for them to secure a broadcast partner.
Without substantial fan support, the future of LIV Golf appears uncertain. Last year, LIV Golf earned just over £2 million in TV revenue, significantly less than the PGA Tour’s earnings. LIV Golf faces a daunting task in trying to win over the PGA Tour’s loyal fanbase.
Additionally, the timing of upcoming LIV Golf events in the Middle East or Asia poses a challenge for American viewers, as they would have to watch late at night or early in the morning. This scheduling difficulty makes it challenging for American fans to follow the tournaments.
Furthermore, several tournaments will overlap with each other. The Memorial Championship and the Travelers Championship will be played at the same time as LIV Houston and LIV Nashville. Similarly, LIV Andalucia coincides with the Genesis Scottish Open, while LIV Greenbrier clashes with the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
It is worth noting that LIV Golf Adelaide could potentially give the breakaway tour an advantage over the PGA Tour. The event in Australia attracted a large audience and was recognized as the Best Event of the Year. This played a significant role in the decision of Greg Norman, the CEO of the 54-hole circuit, and the management team to choose Adelaide as the host for another event in 2024.
According to the Source firstsportz.com