Tiger Woods, co-founder of the simulator golf league (TGL), skipped his team’s first match to create buzz around the new venture. The strategy worked as the second match drew an average audience of 1 million viewers, a 9% increase from the inaugural event. The match saw Jupiter Links lose to Los Angeles Golf Club 12-1.
The highest audience numbers were reached between 8:30-8:45 p.m., with viewership steady in the 1 million range until 9 p.m. The extended match ran past its allotted time, forcing the start of a Duke-Miami basketball game to be moved to ESPNews.
In the first week, Bay Golf Club easily defeated New York Golf Club 9-2. The league has yet to see a close match. Next Tuesday’s match will feature Atlanta Drive Golf Club against New York Golf Club, with Rory McIlroy making his debut on January 27 for Boston Common Golf in a highly anticipated matchup.
Source: https://www.si.com/golf/tiger-woods-tgl-debut-draws-higher-ratings-espn-opening-night