Fansided

PGA events on broadcast television could soon become a thing of the past

By Derek Helling

May 11, 2017; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Dustin Johnson putts on the 11th green during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
May 11, 2017; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Dustin Johnson putts on the 11th green during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Steadily-declining ratings for PGA events on broadcast television along with the exit of major brands from the sport could relegate golf broadcasting to cable networks and streaming partners soon.

The future of PGA events might not include Sundays on broadcast NBC channels, but rather be available via NBC Sports and its streaming platform, or some other cable and streaming partner. Recent trends in the industry point toward that end.

Consider that Adidas recently followed the example set by Nike last year and cashed out its golf products. It isn’t that PGA players and the events they participate in have no value, as evidenced by the $425 million that Adidas got for its golf properties and the $100 million endorsement deal that Rory McIlroy got from TaylorMade. It’s the direction that golf has taken that prompted the exits of Adidas and Nike. The game has gone from one with wide appeal to a niche audience, and the television numbers support that statement.

The final round of last week’s Players Championship produced an 18 percent drop in ratings and 13 percent drop in viewership from 2016. That wasn’t an outlier, but rather part of a trend for PGA events on broadcast television. According to Sports Media Watch, 22 consecutive rounds of PGA events on broadcast television have either been flat or dropped in ratings as compared to last year.

The exit of major brands like Adidas along with suffering broadcast television numbers mean that it’s time for the media companies to get out in front of the changing landscape of golf media consumption. It’s time to migrate the coverage to cable and streaming.

Next: Complete List of U.S. Open Winners

That area has actually boasted some good news for PGA events. Streaming numbers from The Masters this year posted an increase from last season. With a full commitment to marketing the product that a dedicated streaming or cable partner who would also get the streaming rights would provide, the potential for further increases in streaming audiences would go up.

Cable and streaming services are tailor-made for brands that serve niche audiences, which is what golf is rapidly becoming. Catering to that audience will allow the PGA and its partners to thrive within that demographic, and stop wasting resources courting consumers that the sport is unlikely to attract.

Home/PGA Tour