TGL announced a new partnership with Canadian sports media partner SportsNet ahead of the league’s debut.
Image courtesy TGL
TGL has a new TV partner.
SportNetthe Canadian sports media company owned by the telecom giant Rogers Sports Mediaannounced Tuesday morning that it will broadcast technology-focused golf league tournaments when they begin in early 2025.
The news marks the first major television rights development for the new sports league since it delayed its launch by more than a year after a failed generator caused significant damage to the league’s host site. SoFi Arena is back on track for a January opening now, league officials say, as evidenced by roster building and further league developments in recent months.
It’s been almost a year since TGL announced it had secured a broadcast rights deal with ESPN, giving the league powerful television exposure in the Worldwide Leader. TGL’s opening week telecasts will fill the gap in the sports schedule immediately following the NFL season, and the league hopes to create a viable entertainment alternative to the PGA Tour’s regular regular-season telecasts, not unlike the role the Big3 has played in the NBA supplement.
The technology-focused golf league has been the talk of the golf world since its inception TMRW Sportsinvestment arm formed by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. The league hopes to bring simulator golf to the big stage, giving the PGA Tour faithful a franchise concept that contrasts with the team-based approach offered at LIV.
However, questions remain about the sustainability of the league’s entertainment product and its broadcasts. Even with the benefit of a few superstars and TV rights deals, the league will have to show it can regularly capture the attention of sports fans who have been moving further and further away from the world of golf television in recent months.
The deals with ESPN and SportsNet indicate that there is interest from broadcasters, at least on a small scale, to sell advertising around TGL on TV. This is a good first step for the league, although the real test will come with the first set of ratings reports.
