Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s indoor golf league drew nearly a million viewers on ESPN for the first time this week, according to Nielsen data reported by Front Office Sports on Thursday.
Despite the lack of action from the TGL co-founder, Tuesday night’s broadcast drew an average of 919,000 viewers between 9 and 11 p.m. ET.
For perspective, that’s more than any LIV Golf event the CW will air in 2023 and 2024, and more than The Sentry and Golf Channel’s last week’s PGA Tour season opener, according to Sports Media Watch ) and more.
Last year’s men’s basketball game between Duke and the University of Pittsburgh drew 717,000 viewers during the same time slot on ESPN.
The Bay Golf Club defeated the New York Golf Club 9-2 on Tuesday night in the first 15-hole TGL event at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Woods and McIlroy both attended the game and were in the stands with ESPN play-by-play announcer Matt Barrie.
Woods’ first match in the six-team TGL tournament will be live on ESPN on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET when his Jupiter Links Golf Club takes on the Los Angeles Golf Club ). McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf Club will face Woods’ team on Jan. 27.
The 15-game regular season will run through March 4, followed by the playoffs later that month.
