So we all know how the Saudi-backed league is always a part of some controversy, and well, that is exactly what happened after the Sports Business Journal released an article showcasing LIV Golf’s latest feat, which was the viewership numbers. Regardless of what Greg Norman keeps on claiming, LIV Golf has been fluctuating with TV numbers throughout the years, and according to the article published by the Sports Business Journal in April, LIV Golf kicked off the 2024 season and gained massive numbers.

Per SBJ, LIV Golf’s debut event in Mexico drew a whopping 3.51 million viewers on YouTube and LIV Golf+, which was a significant jump from 1.36 million in 2023. And the momentum continued in Las Vegas, with 3.03 million viewers in three days, which was nearly triple the 1.12 million viewers in Arizona last year. So is this true? Well, maybe. According to Andrew Gamble of Mirror, the final round of the first LIV Golf Las Vegas only drew 297,000 viewers.

And to add to that, LIV Golf Greenbrier failed to impress the fans when its viewership numbers lost the race to an unexpected rival, pickleball! According to Sports TV Ratings, LIV Golf drew only 136,000 viewers on Saturday and 165,000 on Sunday on CW. Meanwhile, the Pro Pickleball Association’s Bristol Open on Fox smashed those numbers by attracting 295,000 viewers on Sunday. Despite Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm’s thrilling playoff, the audience remained underwhelmed. The Individual Championship was also a big disappointment, with less than 100K people tuning in. This raises questions about the future of LIV Golf and its ability to captivate fans.

However, recent reports show that the latest LIV Golf Team Championship in Dallas was a huge success, with almost 128,000 tuning in on CW to watch the players take home the trophy. This surpassed both the BMW Championship on Golf Channel and the Kroger Queen City Championship with only 119,000 and 127,000 watching the games, respectively. TV viewership may not be LIV Golf’s strong suit, but that does not mean that their CEO will hear any word of it.

Greg Norman bashes on reporter over viewership criticism

Golf Channel Analyst Brandel Chamblee has been openly criticizing LIV Golf for quite some time, and recently at the Team Championship in Dallas, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman decided to clap back. According to Norman,
LIV Golf’s audience has consistently increased worldwide and has now reached 450 million households annually in 190 different countries.”No matter where we’ve gone in the world, we’ve seen our audience space go up. We’re in 450 million households every year, in 190 different countries,” he said.

He also compared their growth from thirty-five events ago to their current standing, and per him, by just thirty-five weeks in, they have showcased significant improvement. “So think where we were thirty-five events ago to where we are today, thirty-five weeks into it.” And well, the statement is not all lies; take their event in Dallas, for example. So, are you a LIV Golf fan? Let us know in the comment section below!