One side is clearly winning golf’s ongoing divide. Last weekend, the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open averaged 2.87 million viewers during final round coverage on CBS, representing a remarkable 36% increase from last year’s 2.38 million viewers, according to CBS Sports PR. Impressively, the PGA Tour outdrew LIV Golf’s final round coverage by a staggering factor of 50. According to X user YeahClickClack, who monitors golf ratings, LIV’s final round in Riyadh averaged just 54,000 viewers on FS1 during its early window and an even more disappointing 31,000 viewers for its afternoon slot on FS2.
CBS Sports’ final round coverage of @WMPhoenixOpen up +21% vs. last year.
Season-to-date coverage of @PGATOUR on CBS is up +36% vs. last year: pic.twitter.com/IjhCx24sIt
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) February 11, 2025
🇸🇦#LIVGolfRiyadh 3rd Round TV Viewership (Saturday):
• FS1 10A-12P: 54,000 viewers
• FS2 12P-3P: 31,000 viewersTough Opening Weekend from a viewership perspective for LIV on FS1/FS2. pic.twitter.com/DvpqlPseI3
— @YeahClickClack (@YeahClickClack) February 11, 2025
It’s essential to note that these tournaments aired at different times. LIV Riyadh played its final round on Saturday, likely to avoid conflicts with Super Bowl programming on Fox, while the WM Phoenix Open held its traditional Sunday afternoon slot leading into the Super Bowl. This comparison is rather embarrassing for LIV, especially after recently signing a multi-year media rights deal to showcase its tournaments across Fox’s channels. They even scheduled their tournament at nighttime in Riyadh to align with more favorable US television windows. Nonetheless, the disappointing viewership numbers were hardly unexpected, as FS1 and particularly FS2 are not known for attracting large audiences for live sports. During its previous broadcasts on The CW, LIV consistently secured around 200,000 viewers, but that number has now plummeted by 75% on FS1. With 78% of its tournament windows set to air on FS1, FS2, Fox Business Network, or the Fox Sports App this season, it appears unlikely that LIV will attract a larger audience this year compared to the past.
The other side of the story highlights the PGA Tour’s strong season start. While audiences above 2 million viewers are not uncommon for the Tour, they are a welcome sight following last year’s viewership challenges. To date, PGA Tour broadcasts on CBS are up 36% compared to last year, undoubtedly aided by more favorable weather forecasts since multiple early-season events last year were disrupted with final rounds either pushed to Monday or canceled due to weather. Currently, it’s evident which league holds the affection of golf fans. LIV might benefit from a quicker reunion to avert further embarrassment in the future.
