The golf simulator league TGL has been a pleasant surprise in its first two years of existence. And now its longer-term future has been settled in a new television deal.
TGL is sticking with ESPN in a new multiyear rights deal, the league announced on Thursday morning.
“TGL has given golf something genuinely new, with top PGA Tour players competing in a fast-paced, made-for-primetime team format that puts fans closer to the action than ever before,” said ESPN executive vice president of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant. “Our extended agreement ensures we will continue to showcase the best players in the game and continue the momentum of the league’s first two seasons together.”
There were plenty of skeptics when the plans were announced for TGL. How many viewers would realistically tune in to see random assortments of teams play sim golf? But the actual tournaments turned out to be entertaining and a nice compliment to what else is seen in the sports.
Many top stars like TMRW Sports co-owners Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods took part and others joined as well. Most importantly, it provided a new way for fans to see the top golfers in the world interact with one another, and their energy and excitement for it made the whole thing work. Especially considering Woods’ continued challenges in his personal life and physical health, it may be the only realistic way to see him still swing a golf club in some type of competitive environment. His status for the third season is still unknown following his March car crash and DUI arrest.
TGL is now expanding heading into its third season with a women’s league that came to their own agreement with ESPN and ION earlier this fall. In addition, the men’s version is adding a seventh team to the lineup for its third season in the Motor City Golf Club. Brooks Koepka will be a part of that team, adding even more star power to the lineup.
TGL ratings dipped slightly in its second season but still held at just shy of 500,000 viewers on average. Those numbers aren’t going to light the sports media world on fire, but the league provides ESPN with a decent amount of content at good times in the sports calendar. And it’s done well enough that the worldwide leader in sports is willing to go ahead for the foreseeable future.