Why is Woods and McIlroy’s TGL getting more broadcast deals than LIV Golf? Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s creative league, TGL, has gained major television partnerships in a game-changing move that will reshape the golf industry and set it up for success at launch, the LIV Golf is still having trouble securing full-scale broadcast deals, which highlights the sharp disparity in these two businesses’ success.  If you are unaware of the situation, let us provide you with a quick timeline.

TGL will transform the game by fusing cutting-edge technology with classic gameplay. To guarantee that its events are seen by people all around the world, the league recently established several important broadcast arrangements. With a multi-year agreement, ESPN has obtained the exclusive broadcasting rights for TGL in the US, guaranteeing that all games would be broadcast on ESPN platforms. The league’s first game is scheduled for January 9, 2025, marking the start of this relationship, which promises prime-time broadcast and association with important athletic events.  

TGL has signed a two-year programming agreement with Sky Sports, extending its coverage across the Atlantic to include the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. Through this partnership, TGL’s unique format—which combines live and digital golf aspects in a collaborative competition—will be accessible to spectators across Europe. These strategic alliances highlight TGL’s dedication to audience participation and accessibility, establishing a new benchmark for golf’s presentation and consumption in the contemporary period.

Fans have been quite vocal about these developments and have been quick to comment on LIV Golf’s failure to achieve such broadcasting standards.

Reaction of fans about LIV Golf’s broadcast deals: 

The different circumstances surrounding Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL and LIV Golf’s broadcast issues have elicited a range of reactions from golf fans. Here is an overview of fan sentiments:

LIV Golf was criticized by the fans. “This looks awesome and hopefully kills some of the rubbish golf coverage in YouTube right now,” an individual tweeted. One of the most obvious reasons for LIV Golf’s inability to reach a wider audience has been caused by its limited broadcasting since its launch, which has forced it to depend largely on small streaming services and obscure networks. “They invested in the one thing LIV didn’t have ‘theatrical atmosphere’ ….LIV has music but needs night games with lights like baseball and football. TGL’s presentation looks superb,” another fan commented. Will Staeger, CMO of LIV Golf, and James Watson SVP of Worldwide production LIV Golf, frequently express their desire for LIV’s broadcast to resemble a video game rather than a golf presentation. Thus, It is natural that the league wanted to draw in a younger audience and suffered broadcasting issues. 

Despite its strong financial support and well-known player lineups, including Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka, LIV Golf continues to fail to secure major broadcast partnerships. In light of this, another critic made fun of LIV, stating, “See, dreams do come true, LIV Golf. Continue to dream.” “Just goes to show how poor LIV is, they couldn’t even secure a decent TV deal despite signing big-name players,” a fan remarked mockingly. LIV Golf since its inception in 2021 has not been able to reach the level of popularity as compared to its rival league due to its limited broadcasting which makes it an event that is still obscure to many fans of the world. Another golf enthusiast jeered” This tweet must have been hard for you as a LIV troll with no major media covering LIV.” Well, there’s not much to say about the sarcasm as the saltiness of it is quite apparent. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL has surely made some huge leaps before it has even started.

However, It has been reported recently that Fox Sports and LIV Golf are negotiating a television deal for the 2025 season. But no formal agreement has been made public as of yet, so it’s unclear how the league will stream shortly. The partnership between these two leagues could help define the future of golf and provide important insights into how sports, media, and technology are changing as the golf community awaits TGL’s debut and examines LIV Golf’s attempts to broaden its audience. Do let us know your opinions about this in the comment section!