![]() ![]() But golf media has long embraced the advanced age of its viewers.Īd buyers referenced Golf Channel’s sales pitch that has turned its age - it has the highest median age of any sports network (over 65 years for total day) - into an attribute. Yes, network executives want a younger audience. Several executives who are closely involved with golf’s media business pushed back on that narrative. It’s also why LIV events are set up as mini music festivals, with rock-and-roll blaring across the course as golfers line up their putts. ![]() ![]() That’s why LIV events use a shotgun start, compressing a full day’s worth of matches into a four-or-five-hour TV package. Sponsors continue to be drawn to golf’s core older fans given their level of wealth, education and business influence. Since the dawn of television, network executives have made programming decisions based on the truism that younger-skewing shows attract more advertisers and bring bigger audiences. In sports television, younger audiences almost always mean better audiences. It’s become clear that the golf business needs to do a better job defending the PGA Tour’s numbers. Multiple interviews with media and advertising sales executives say that the age of the PGA Tour’s audience is not the albatross LIV makes it out to be. Instead of running away from the age of its audience, PGA Tour officials, TV network executives and advertisers run to it because that old audience also is affluent, educated and serves as business decision makers. Golf’s TV audience is among the oldest in all of sports, after all. It’s understandable why LIV keeps using these talking points. When asked about TV golf, legendary producer David Hill, who consults with LIV, simply says, “The audience is dying.” Its officials and its players want to grow the sport, right? LIV officials have been relentless in pounding this narrative, using it as a main reason why the Saudi-backed league launched this year in the first place. Nearly every interview with a LIV official or LIV player these days features the same media talking point: The PGA Tour’s viewership is sinking, and its audience is dying. Mexican Ortiz was eliminated after the first extra hole when he went long off the 18th green, chipped to six feet and missed the par putt.Tony Finau reacts to a putt on his way toward winning last month’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. Lee nearly squandered a great chance to win on the first playoff hole when he put his approach five feet from the 18th, the first extra hole, pushing it to the right. Oosthuizen bogeyed the par-5 17th to fall one behind, only to birdie the 18th to join the playoff. Lee finished in nine-under 275 to enter the playoff with Ortiz (65), Steele (70) and Oosthuizen (70). The finish marked only the second playoff in LIV Golf since Dustin Johnson won the playoff outside Boston last year. Lee birdied his final two holes for a two-under 69 and then won LIV Golf Tucson on the second hole of a four-man playoff after a stunning 25-foot birdie putt from off the 18th green New Zealander Danny Lee wins LIV Golf eventĭuring the weekend event, New Zealand star Lee produced a moment of magic to win his first golf event in nearly eight years. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. ![]() At the same time, the Genesis Invitational undoubtedly would have attracted a higher audience than the LIV Mayakoba broadcast thanks to it being the venue for Tiger Woods' first pro outing since the Masters last year. Three weeks ago, LIV Golf's opening event was out-rated by an episode of World's Funniest Animals, which aired on the CW later the same day. This will come as a huge blow to Norman and the LIV Golf group with their aim to take over the sport appearing to be falling short in their second season. 'BENEFITS EVERYONE': Rory McIlroy's shock LIV Golf admissionĪnd figures have reportedly dipped even further, with reporter Kevin Van Valkenburg revealing the viewership for the Arizona-based competition on Saturday was just 0.14. LEGAL WOES: Woods being sued for $45 million after split from girlfriend The season started off with a rating of just 0.2 per cent of surveyed households tuning in to the LIV season opener. Given the network has not produced a great deal of live sport coverage since it was established in 2006, many considered LIV's choice of broadcaster a curious one. The season opener in Mexico at the end of February was the first to be broadcast under LIV's recently struck deal with American network, the CW. LIV Golf TV ratings are going from bad to worse after yet another woeful viewership number reported after Saturday's round of competition. Greg Norman's LIV Golf ratings took another hit on the weekend at the Tuscon event. ![]()
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