On January 21, Justin Thomas took a step toward improving how the PGA Tour connects with its audience, sending a memo to his fellow players with a clear message: the time has come to work more closely with the tour’s broadcast partners and give fans the inside scoop. Thomas, a member of a subcommittee focused on fan engagement alongside Max Homa, Mackenzie Hughes, and Adam Schenk, believes that increasing “access and insight” is key to growing the sport’s appeal, especially to younger fans. Citing research that shows on-course personality is a major driver of interest among fans aged 18 to 34,

Thomas pointed to successful efforts like the “walk-and-talk” interviews introduced at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open, where Homa conversed casually with CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman. It’s a move that mirrors what the DP World Tour has been doing for years, offering fans a more personal, behind-the-scenes look at the action. For Thomas, this is just the beginning of an effort to keep building on the momentum the tour has gained. Turns out Josh Carpenter has more things to add to the list for improvement.

In the latest episode of 5 Clubs on Golf Channel, the reporter said, “I think there are a lot of extra things that can enhance a broadcast and TV ratings, like you know, you saw Justin Thomas’s letter to the players. They want more interviews. I love watching the drone tracers and all that, but like, wonderful. I get back to it; it is wonderful. Sers Shy has done a great job for CBS, and Tommy Roy will see what he does in the coming weeks with NBC.” He went on to add how these things add to great broadcasting. According to Golfweek, the 2025 Pebble Beach Pro-Am reached an impressive viewership of over 3 million for its final round.

Remarkably, this marks the second time in just four years that the event’s final round has surpassed the 3 million mark, highlighting the growing appeal of the iconic tournament. Taking to this, he also stated how when he was on the field during the opening round, he felt it was a clause to what it looked like to have a live audience 5 years ago on the Tour. This happened because there were big names like Rory McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler in a course as big as Torrey Pines, which was a new location for the event.

“Yes, you can add all these things in—technology, interviews, and interviews on a boat like we had this past weekend in Mexico. Those are all great, but like, you can have all that stuff, but if you have a no-name leaderboard—not to talk down on H. Peter or Brian Campbell—but the numbers for Mexico from yesterday aren’t going to be nearly as high as you had at Pebble Beach and at Torrey Pines,” he added. 

Back in August 2024, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan shared that the tour was collaborating with its TV partners to bring fresh changes to the coverage of the FedEx Cup Fall events on the Golf Channel. The goal was to “modernize” the way these tournaments are broadcast. Now, with the FedEx Cup Fall events behind us, it’s clear that these adjustments were part of the tour’s ongoing efforts to enhance viewer experience and engagement. However, it did not really fall quite effective.

The FedEx Cup Playoff Events were far from ideal

Back in August 2024, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan sat down for an extensive press conference ahead of the Tour Championship, the final event of the FedEx Cup season. Monahan gave an insightful overview of the 2024 season and offered a glimpse into exciting developments, particularly in the realm of golf broadcasts. “Other platforms are growing and reaching importance, but TV remains the primary way fans consume the PGA Tour,” he said. “It’s an area where we know our core fans are hungry for innovation, and we’re responding to that appetite.”

The PGA Tour, in collaboration with Golf Channel, was set to pilot a new broadcast approach based on fan feedback. These changes were slated to debut during Friday coverage of the second round each week, with a focus on airing more full shots and fewer putts, among other technical innovations. The early numbers from the 2024 FedEx Cup Fall series weren’t promising, with viewership showing a significant drop compared to the previous year. According to Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, Sunday’s viewership for the FedEx St. Jude Championship was down over 30% from 2023.

Despite plenty of late drama at TPC Southwind, only 2.211 million viewers tuned in on NBC to watch Hideki Matsuyama secure his tenth career Tour victory. Matsuyama, who had led by five shots heading into the final round, saw Viktor Hovland make a charge and pass him with just two holes to play. However, Matsuyama managed to finish strong, closing with two birdies to regain his lead. This sharp decline in TV ratings from 2023 was striking, as that year’s event, which saw Lucas Glover win, attracted 3.207 million viewers on CBS.

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