Is LIV Golf’s rapid ascent stalling? The goal of LIV Golf has always been to make things intriguing. It made enormous promises when it first appeared in 2022, including shorter tournaments, no cuts, and lucrative contracts for elite players like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. At first, the new energy was adored by the crowd, and even several PGA Tour pros noticed. However, despite all of the investment and excitement, LIV Golf is currently having trouble retaining fans.

Meanwhile, the PGA Tour is getting closer to a possible merger with the Saudi investors in LIV Golf. Unexpectedly, US President Donald Trump has entered the discussion. On February 4, Tiger Woods, Commissioner Jay Monahan, and Player Director Adam Scott met with Trump and requested his assistance in negotiating the agreement with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. In a subsequent statement, they expressed gratitude to Trump for his participation and claimed it had furthered their goal of bringing professional golf together. However, despite the intense talks, LIV Golf faces a greater challenge: the fans aren’t paying attention. Let’s delve into this!

LIV Golf’s Viewership Struggles Raise Concerns

LIV’s viewership is shockingly low despite its efforts to transform golf. Alarmingly, a recent tweet revealed that LIV Golf’s season opener in Riyadh drew an average of just 12,000 views on FS2. That’s a startling decline, particularly in light of the league’s vigorous efforts to increase visibility. Additionally, LIV has discreetly ceased making its TV ratings public, which is an odd action that only serves to increase suspicion.

There has been a notable decline in numbers. The season’s first two tournaments witnessed a 24% drop in viewership for LIV, casting doubt on the network’s long-term sustainability. LIV contends that, particularly in important markets like Philadelphia and Chicago, standard Nielsen ratings fall short of capturing the entire reach of its audience. However, it’s difficult to overlook the enormous disparity given that the PGA Tour typically draws over 2 million spectators at every event.

LIV was hoping to lean on FOX’s broadcasting network after inking a new multi-year deal. Ideally, this deal with FOX was supposed to catapult prominent players like John Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Phil Mickelson. However, the bleak numbers that the season opener, played under the lights brought a measly 12,000 viewers on FS2. Now, for a league that is expected to go against the PGA Tour, these viewership numbers are indeed a concern.

Not to forget, LIV had a tough time trying to find its footing in the US with its previous partner CW. The two-year tenure was mired by tape delay and lack of pull towards the tournament. So, FOX was supposed to get them out of the dirt and post some good numbers. But going by the season opener in Riyadh, it looks like attracting viewers towards LIV is going to be an uphill task. And the fans were quick to share their opinions on the same on social media.

Unfavorable fan reactions as viewership drops

Fans have taken notice of LIV Golf’s dwindling ratings and are voicing their displeasure loud and clear on social media, wondering if the league is truly making golf better or if it is just falling short. “It’s impressive that they manage to be 10 times worse than the PGA Tour despite its current state,” said one fan, expressing dissatisfaction with LIV’s failure to surpass the PGA Tour despite the latter’s own set of difficulties. “That’s horrendous,” added another enthusiast, a direct yet potent critique of LIV’s present course. With promises of improved entertainment, shorter formats, and a novel viewing experience, the league was promoted as a revolutionary force in golf.

Furthermore, raising the issue, The comment, “That sounds pretty bad,” from a golf enthusiast adds to the doubts about LIV’s capacity to become a major player in the professional game. Despite having well-known players and big salaries, the league has been criticized for putting quick growth ahead of building a loyal and involved fan base. “As I said, hardly anyone watches LIV” said another critic, contributing his perspective to the current debate and highlighting the difficulty LIV Golf has in attracting a steady viewership.

Some fans still believe that LIV Golf is an inferior product, particularly in light of the PGA Tour’s own coverage and interaction issues. A fan’s assessment that LIV Golf is “10 times worse than the PGA Tour” implies that the organization’s structure, level of output, and general attractiveness have fallen short of expectations. LIV Golf may be upsetting long-time golf fans while failing to draw in new ones, rather than significantly upending the sport. With the amount of resources FOX have at their disposal, even they couldn’t get the season off to a decent start in terms of viewership.

Although LIV Golf has made admirable efforts to transform the sport, the recent drop in viewership and unfavorable fan responses underscore the difficulties involved. The league’s capacity to evaluate its tactics critically, interact with its audience genuinely, and adjust to the changing professional golf scene will determine how successful the league will be in the future. What do you think about LIV Golf’s viewership data? Let us know your thoughts below!