The Arnold Palmer Invitational, a prominent event in the golf world, recently concluded amidst a rollercoaster of emotions. Golf enthusiasts witnessed a mix of unexpected outcomes and triumphant victories, with big names like Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth failing to make the cut. The rising star, Scottie Scheffler, left spectators on the edge with his impressive T11 finish. However, the spotlight shone brightest on Russell Henley, who currently ranks seventh in the world, as he clinched the most significant victory of his career at the Bay Hill Golf Course.
The conclusion of the Arnold Palmer Invitational was monumental for another reason closely tied to the PGA tour’s viewership. Jay Monahan, who has been under fire due to dwindling viewership numbers, despite hefty investments in broadcast rights, may finally breathe a sigh of relief. For instance, the American Express saw a sharp decline of 57% in viewership on the Golf Channel this year. In contrast, the Genesis Invitational sparked an upturn, drawing an average of 1.6 million viewers on CBS. Thus, the Tour’s journey has been a tumultuous one, experiencing both highs and lows.
This pattern seems to be taking a positive turn, to the delight of the PGA Tour fans. The PGA Tour has secured media rights deals with three major players in the global media industry – CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and ESPN+. NBC appears to be the harbinger of good news in these arid years of the PGA Tour. Business Sports Journal reporter Josh Carpenter has revealed that NBC has attracted the largest viewership in recent times. NBC pulled in 2.807M viewers for Henley’s win on Sunday, a significant increase from 2.291M in the previous year when Scheffler stole the show.
However, last year’s viewership details paint a different picture. Despite Scheffler’s stellar performance, the final round’s viewership figures stirred concern. The final round drew 2.291 million viewers via NBC’s broadcast, marking a steep 30% drop from the previous year. The third round, too, experienced a slump, with the average viewership on NBC reaching 1.76 million, down by 21%, as reported by GolfWRX journalist Max Vincenzi.
Yet, the PGA Tour has seen better days. In 2023, Kurt Kitayama’s win drew an impressive 3.259 million viewers, which was higher than Scheffler’s 2022 API win, which attracted 2.825 million viewers. But the tide seems to be turning in favor of the PGA Tour, and fans are vocally celebrating this shift.
Carpenter’s optimistic post about the PGA Tour’s performance garnered significant fan reactions. While many celebrated the victory, others compared the PGA Tour’s viewership with LIV Golf. One of the fans made a rather biting comment about LIV Golf, saying that they should be content with their 12k viewers and there was no need for reconciliation. This was in reference to the meager 54,000 and 31,000 viewers that LIV Golf’s final round on FS1 and FS2 attracted. The opening round saw a mere 12,000 viewers on FS2.
Other fans expressed skepticism about the PGA Tour’s decline. The war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf over viewership continues. The PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open final round drew a massive 2.87 million viewers on CBS, marking a 36% rise from the previous year. Consequently, LIV Golf was outperformed by a staggering factor of 50, cementing the PGA Tour’s superiority.
Some fans seemed hopeful about the future, stating that the tour continues to see weekly increases in their year-over-year numbers, indicating a promising future for the tour and its partners. With the PGA Tour already collaborating with three major media houses, the likelihood of attracting more partners seems high, especially with the merger looming and LIV Golf struggling.
The PGA Tour’s comeback has also prompted relaxed reactions from fans. The Arnold Palmer Invitational was indeed a thrilling event to watch, with big names like Collin Morikawa, Michael Kim, Corey Conners, and Keegan Bradley participating in the final round. The anticipation is palpable as fans wonder if The PLAYERS Championship will command the same level of attention. The golf world waits with bated breath to see how the drama unfolds.
